Discovered a simple plywood trick for sidewalk joints

I've been finishing concrete for about 12 years now, mostly driveways and sidewalks around Cincinnati. Last month I was working a job for a guy who wanted a really clean decorative joint pattern on his walkway. I always used a regular groover tool but kept getting ragged edges that needed grinding. My old timer neighbor saw me struggling and told me to try using a piece of 1/4 inch plywood as a straightedge guide instead of just freehanding the tool. I cut a board to 8 feet long and clamped it to the forms, then ran the groover along it. The joints came out dead straight and the edges were so clean I barely had to touch them. Anyone else use plywood guides like this or do you have a better system?

2 comments

2 Comments

rayc8917h ago

Ain't that the truth bro? I've been doing this long enough to know that half the battle is just keeping your line straight and your edge clean. Sometimes the simplest hack from an old-timer saves you more time than any fancy gadget you can buy.

brookep2720h ago

Honestly, that's a solid trick and it lines up with a bigger pattern I've noticed. So many problems in life just come down to having the right guide or jig, not the most expensive tool. Whether it's cutting concrete or painting a straight line, a simple straightedge always makes the outcome way cleaner.