11/5/2023 0 Comments Large area broom finish concreteThe standard push broom is too stiff and has too much body to make a good finishing broom, says Gary Bolden, president of Marion Brush Manufacturing Co. “You want to finish, but you don’t want to dig into the surface.” “With a finishing broom, you don’t want it too stiff,” says Robert Bower, marketing manager at Wagman Metal Products Inc. While a typical broom is attached to a handle that is fixed in place, a concrete broom may be bolted to its handle with a “clevis adapter” so it can be adjusted for pitch.įinally, the typical bristles used in a concrete broom will be softer than those of a standard broom, although the coarsest concrete brooms can be rougher, Strawn says. The connection between the broom and its handle can be different too. “You’re actually texturing, not working to clean up the concrete.” Consistent bristles mean a more consistent finish, he says. The bristles of concrete finishing brooms have more consistent lengths and shapes than those of ordinary brooms, says John Strawn, product manager at Marshalltown Co. They have unique properties that make them specifically suited for putting a textured finish on a slab. “It depends on how quickly the concrete is setting up,” he says.īut while brooming is as simple as sweeping, finishing brushes and brooms are not ordinary cleaning brooms. The tool should be pulled with light pressure appropriate to the job. The broom’s bristles should be held at a 45- degree angle to the surface, says John Wight, vice president of sales at Bon Tool Co. Photographs courtesy of Kraft Tool Company Less frequently, they swirl the broom for a “swirl finish,” which looks nicer but requires more work. For a “broom finish,” contractors pull a broom across the slab, preferably at a right angle to anticipated traffic. There’s not much of a secret in how a concrete broom is used, either. The shallow, grooved texture left on the surface by a concrete broom or brush will help keep shoes and tires from slipping or skidding on a wet or icy slab. ![]() Read other tips on Building a High Quality Slab on Grade.Photograph courtesy of Wagman metal Products, Inc.Ĭoncrete contracting doesn’t usually lend itself to sweeping generalizations, but here’s a good one: If a contractor wants to give a curing concrete slab more slip resistance, the easiest, simplest solution is to drag a broom across it. This can cause dusting, scaling and craze cracking. Using a finishing tool while there is water on the surface increase water-cement ratio by working the water back into the concrete instead of letting it evaporate. Dont finish the concrete while there is bleedwater on the surface.Don't fresno the slab right after screeding - bleedwater and air trapped beneath the sealed surface will create blisters that later break or a weakened plane that causes sheet delamination.When floating, lift the leading edge slightly off the concrete surface. Bull floating should be finished before excess moisture or bleedwater appears."Strikeoff" or screed the concrete as close as possible to its final plane.Do not use a round edge shovel for spreading concrete since it does not spread the concrete evenly.Wetting up the concrete so it can be raked or pushed into a location far from where it is discharged is not acceptable.Excess handling can cause segregation of the course and fine aggregates.Place the concrete as close as possible to its final destination (concrete weighs approximately 150 pounds per cubic foot). ![]() To give you a head start, here are finishing tips from the pros: Books have been written about this topic, and only experience provides the ability to expertly "time" the finishing operations. Learn the proper use of using a come-a-long tool.Ī good finisher is produced through training and years of experience. Skip troweling if you plan to broom finish your concrete or add a decorative finish. Trowel the surfaceIf you’re looking for a smooth, hard, dense surface, use a steel trowel or fresno for this step.Groove in jointsPrevent unwanted cracks by jointing the slab with a grooving tool.Edge the slabOnce all the bleed water is gone, create neat rounded edges along the perimeter of the slab using an edger.Float the surfaceUse a darby or bull float to level ridges, fill voids and slightly embed the aggregate.Use a straight board or special tool called a screed. Screed the concreteDuring this step remove excess concrete and bring the surface of the concrete to proper grade.Spread the concreteUse a square shovel or a come-along tool to push and pull the wet concrete into place.Here are the steps for finishing a concrete slab: Once you have your tools, you're ready to get started. See the process of placing, screeding, floating, and finishing a concrete slab.
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