Compared two ways to finish concrete and one was way obvious

I was working a driveway last month in Phoenix and my crew was split on whether to use a power trowel or just hand float the edges. Boss had always said power trowel for everything but the hand floated section came out way flatter with almost no chatter marks. Only took about 15 extra minutes on a 500 square foot slab. Anybody else find that skipping the fancy tool actually gives you a better result?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea_mitchell201mo ago

You know, I used to be firmly in the power trowel camp myself. Always figured if you had the tool, you should use it. But I helped a buddy on his garage slab last spring where we only used hand floats and honestly, it came out smoother than any power finished floor Ive seen in a long time. The chatter marks are a real thing with the machine and you dont realize how bad they are until you lay a straightedge across it. What really changed my mind was seeing how much more control you have over the edge, especially in Phoenix sun where the concrete sets up fast. That extra 15 minutes is nothing compared to having to grind down a bad finish later.

the_zara1mo ago

Wait wait wait, MACHINE marks are that bad and nobody talks about it? Straightedge test shows the truth huh damn that changes everything.