My first solo patio pour went from wavy to flat in a single afternoon

I did a 10x12 patio for a neighbor last Friday and was really nervous about the finish. The first pass with the bull float left some serious waves, maybe a quarter inch high in spots. I watched a video from Mike Haduck on YouTube about keeping the float flat and not lifting the edges, and that was the trick. Went back over it after about an hour, focused on that flat angle, and the surface just smoothed right out. It set up perfect for a light broom finish. Has anyone else had a specific tip that just clicked and fixed a finish issue for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

drewsullivan1mo ago

Nice save with that second pass. Honestly, an hour might be pushing it for a refloat though, that's getting into risky territory for messing up the top layer. Glad it worked out this time.

nina_jenkins1mo ago

Ever notice how the best fixes always happen right before the deadline?

blakem131mo ago

Yeah that timing thing @drewsullivan mentioned is so real. I had a slab once where the power trowel died right in the middle of things. We had to finish the last third by hand with magnesium floats, and it actually came out smoother than the machine part. Just a weird fluke.