Vent: I chose a magnesium float over a bull float on a big pour and got roasted for it

We had a 30 yard driveway pour in Springfield last month, and I decided to use a magnesium hand float for the whole first pass instead of a bull float. Everyone on the crew said I was nuts and it would take forever. But you know what? The control was way better, especially on the edges and around the drain. It added maybe an hour to the job, but the finish was dead flat with no waves. Has anyone else ever gone against the grain like that on a bigger slab?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlesb8917d ago

Man, that reminds me of a buddy who got laughed off a site for using a garden sprayer to mist-cure a foundation slab instead of the usual hose and broom. The foreman said it was a total waste of time. Fast forward a week and their slab was the only one without a single shrinkage crack. Sometimes the weird method is just the right method for the job.

the_karen1d ago

Oh man, that is so true. My friend's dad was a mason, and he always used to cure his concrete by covering it with wet burlap sacks, then plastic on top. Everyone else on the block just hosed things down quick. His driveway from like 1975 still looks brand new, no cracks at all, while the neighbors' are all messed up. It really goes to show that the old school way, or just a different way, can work way better even if people make fun of it at first.

emery_taylor17d ago

Good on you for sticking to your guns. The extra time is worth it when the finish comes out that clean.