Just realized I was overworking my concrete edges for years

I used to spend forever on my hand trowel edges trying to get them perfect before the mud even set up. Then about 6 months ago an old timer named Hank at a jobsite in Phoenix said I was fighting the concrete instead of waiting for it. He showed me how to rough it in, walk away, and come back for one clean pass. Has anyone else figured out they were doing too much too early?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_betty4d ago

Wait, so Hank told you to rough it in and come back later for one pass? I gotta say, that's good advice but only if you're working with the right mix. I learned that the hard way when I tried that with a super hot batch in July, and by the time I came back for my "clean pass," the concrete was too far gone to fix my screw-ups. You gotta also watch out for the timing on that first rough pass, if you wait even a little too long you're stuck with a rough edge that you can't smooth out no matter what. It's like Hank had the right idea, but the weather and the concrete blend can totally change how that plays out.

shane7514d ago

Oh man, that reminds me of a buddy of mine. He tried that rough pass trick with a batch that had too much water in it, and he came back to find the whole slab had slumped sideways. He spent the rest of the day trying to fix it with a trowel and just made it worse.