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Had a talk with an old timer at the supply yard in Tacoma last week, he said I was overworking my concrete and now I can't stop thinking about it
Was grabbing some bags of Portland and this guy who looked like he'd been pouring since the 70s just watched me for a minute then said "you're killing it with that trowel, son. Let it breathe." I always thought the more you finish it the smoother it gets but he explained how too much working the surface brings up fines and makes it dust later. Tried his way on a small patio yesterday, just backed off and let it set longer between passes. Came out way better than my usual frantic method. Anyone else get a seemingly small tip from someone that totally shifted how you work?
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dakota_murphy9013h ago
Old timers love dropping weird advice like it's a secret handshake. Last summer a guy told me I was "fighting the mud" instead of working with it and I still don't fully get what that means but my slabs stopped looking like a war zone. Probably just needed more beer breaks honestly.
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kim_martin5h ago
Beer breaks being the fix for "fighting the mud" is the wildest part. You're telling me a guy watched you struggle, dropped some cryptic zen riddle about concrete, and your slabs only got better because you started drinking more? That's either the dumbest or most genius advice I've ever heard. I'm picturing that old timer just nodding at you with a beer can in his hand like a wise man while you're out there rethinking your whole existence. "Fighting the mud" sounds like something a martial arts master would say about a wet parking lot. So just to be clear, the secret to concrete work is to stop caring and drink beer. Got it.
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