Just heard a guy say broom finish is dead for driveways

I was at the supply yard in Tacoma yesterday and some younger finisher was going on about how broom finish is old school and everyone should be using stamped overlays now. I've been finishing concrete for 14 years and broom finish is still the most reliable thing for traction on a driveway up here in the PNW. Has anyone else noticed this push toward stamped work even on basic residential slabs?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_scott593d ago

Oh sure, because nothing says "practical driveway" like spending 5 grand extra to watch your stamped overlay crack in two winters? What's next, finishing concrete with a toothbrush?

jennifersmith2d ago

Whoa hold on, I gotta respectfully disagree with that one. I've had my stamped concrete driveway for about five years now in Ohio weather, and it's holding up way better than I expected. The key is making sure the concrete is poured thick enough and the base is prepped right, not skimping on that prep work. Yeah, overlay can be a gamble if it's too thin, but a full stamped pour with proper control joints handles our freeze-thaw cycles just fine. The extra cost up front saves me from having to seal plain concrete every year and mess with cracks from salt and snow. I think it's more about the installer's skill than the method itself, you know?