PSA: Hand trowel vs power trowel on a warehouse floor in August

I had a big 10,000 square foot warehouse floor to finish last month out in Des Moines. The heat was brutal, like 95 degrees and the concrete was setting up fast. I had to decide between using my trusty hand trowels or renting a power trowel for the final passes. I went with the power trowel because I thought it would save time and give a smoother surface. Big mistake. The power trowel left these washboard ripples that I had to spend an extra 3 hours going back over by hand. Next time in that kind of weather, I'll stick with hand trowels for the final finish. Has anyone else had power trowels go sideways on you in high heat?

2 comments

2 Comments

gray_perez524d ago

Three hours on a 10,000 square foot floor is barely a hiccup, not a big mistake. I had a similar thing happen in Omaha last July with a power trowel on a hot pour and ended up spending a whole afternoon grinding out those ripples. The learning curve is real, especially when the concrete is cooking off that fast in August heat. Hand trowels are slower but they give you way more control when the slump is dropping on you. Power trowels can be a nightmare in that weather, no doubt about it.

the_shane4d ago

Are we really calling 3 hours of touch-up a "big mistake" on a 10,000 square foot job? Sounds like you just hit a learning curve, not a disaster.