Old school broom finish vs power trowel finally clicked for me

I have been finishing concrete for 22 years and I always swore by the old broom finish. Thought power trowels were for guys who could not handle a hand float. Then I did a 40 by 60 slab for a garage in Omaha last month. The homeowner wanted a smooth industrial look so I had no choice. I borrowed a ride on power trowel from a guy named Dave and ran it after the first set. The difference after 3 passes was night and day. No chatter marks, no uneven spots, and it saved me about 2 hours of hand work. Has anyone else switched from traditional methods to machines later in their career?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_carter512d ago

Get yourself a set of knee pads and a hand trowel for the edges though, since machines can't get right up against the walls (that's where the real skill still shows).

wendy_carr2d ago

Hey Victor, that's a solid point about the edges being where the real skill still shows up.