Heard a young guy at the supply yard say he was scared to float a big slab

I was waiting in line at the yard in Fresno yesterday and this apprentice was talking to his buddy. He said, 'Man, I get nervous when it's just me and the float on a 20x20.' It took me right back to my first year. I pulled him aside and told him to keep his knees bent and let the tool do the work, don't fight it. It felt good to pass that along. What's one simple tip you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?

2 comments

2 Comments

anna_carter539d ago

That feeling never really goes away, you just get better at handling it. The real game changer for me was learning to listen to the concrete itself, like the sound it makes when the float is at the right angle. It stops fighting back and just glides. A lot of guys focus on their body position, which is key, but forgetting to check your mix timing can ruin everything. If it's too wet or too stiff, you're just making more work and fighting a losing battle.

oliver4568d ago

Totally get what @anna_carter53 means about the sound, but honestly the mix timing is way more important than the noise it makes. If your mud is wrong, no fancy technique will save you.