c/concrete-finishers

Old timer taught me about curing blankets back in 1987

I see a lot of guys finishing concrete and then just walking away without any cure. Back when I started with Murphy's crew in Detroit, we'd cover every slab with wet burlap and plastic for at least 7 days no exceptions. Last summer I watched a crew pour a driveway near Lansing and it cracked like crazy because they skipped the curing blanket. Anyone else notice more guys skipping this step these days?

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willow244•14h ago

Serious question, is power troweling really better than hand finishing for small slabs?

I was reading a post on another site where a guy swore power troweling ruined his 4x6 patio pour because it left swirl marks that wouldn't buff out. But then my boss says you're wasting time if you don't power trowel anything over 10 square feet, it's just faster and gives a harder surface. I've been hand finishing small stuff like walkways and steps for 3 years now, and I get a nice consistent finish, but it kills my knees and takes twice as long. Last week we did a 8x10 slab and I tried the power trowel for the first time, and I'll admit it was smooth and flat, but I still worry about marking it up on a visible job. Has anyone else run into problems with power trowels on smaller residential work, or do you think it's just about technique?

c/concrete-finishers

Old timer taught me about curing blankets back in 1987

Serious question, is power troweling really better than hand finishing for small slabs?

Paid $200 for a power trowel rental that just made me look like an amateur

A retired finisher in Tucson told me I was overworking my edges

Picked a broom finish over exposed aggregate for a driveway in Flagstaff

Just fixed a crack in my driveway pour from last Tuesday

Last Wednesday was a nightmare with a sloppy pour and a sudden rainstorm

Had to choose between a power trowel and a hand finish on a big slab last week

Talked to an old-timer at the job site about broom finishes

Took me 10 years to realize I was overworking my concrete when bull floating

That crack in a slab outside Tulsa ate up 6 hours of my life

That trick with a garden hose for wet curing saved my driveway pour last summer

Spent 2 hours fixing a slab because someone didn't wet the subgrade first

TIL you can broom a wet stamp finish and it looks killer

Old timer at the batch plant changed my mind about pump trucks

Wet cure vs spray cure on a hot day, the difference blew my mind

Small win: that old trowel trick actually worked on a tricky garage floor today

Switched from hand troweling to power trowel for small garage slabs

Tried a broom finish on a driveway in Calgary and it came out way too rough

Vent: I was finishing a patio in Fresno last week and a homeowner asked why my broom lines were so deep.

Hot take: My $400 laser screed attachment either saved my back or was a total waste for small pours.

Finally decided to try a magnesium float over my old steel one for a garage floor in Medicine Hat, and the finish was way smoother with no sticking.

I finally pushed back on the 'wet cure everything' rule on a big job in Phoenix

A guy at the coffee shop said he never uses a power trowel on driveways

Heard a guy at the supply yard talking about his crew's new finish routine