Appreciation post: A guy in a hardware store parking lot gave me the best finishing tip I ever got

I was in the lot outside the Home Depot in Tacoma last fall, loading a pallet of sealer into my truck. An older guy in a beat-up work van saw my trowels and asked if I was finishing a big pour. I told him I was, and that the weather was turning. He just nodded and said, 'When it gets below 50, add a capful of dish soap to your wash water before you broom it. Breaks the surface tension so it doesn't freeze on the finish.' I've used that trick on three jobs since and it works perfectly. Has anyone else picked up a random piece of advice that just clicked?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_schmidt601mo ago

The dish soap trick actually has a limit though. Below about 35 degrees the soap can leave a film that makes the broom finish look cloudy. @milestaylor is right that it's a great free tip, but I'd add that you want to use just a tiny drop, not a full capful, when it's really cold.

milestaylor1mo ago

Wait the guy just gave you that for free? That’s the kind of tip you’d pay for.

matthewkim1mo ago

Exactly, that's the real magic right there. Some people just get it, you know? They see someone trying to learn and they just hand over the good stuff. It builds way more trust than any paid course ever could. Those little free tips are often the most honest and useful ones. Makes you want to support that person forever.