Old timer told me I was troweling too early

I used to start finishing as soon as I poured, trying to get ahead. This guy with 30 years in walked up and said 'wait til the bleed water burns off or you're just pushing problems around.' I started holding back 20-30 minutes and the surface finish came out way cleaner, less dusting. Anybody else have a timing trick that changed their approach?

2 comments

2 Comments

jackson.matthew19d ago

Man I learned that one the hard way too. Used to trowel right after pouring and ended up with a finish that looked like a moonscape, all cracks and dust. Waited about 25 minutes one job after a guy told me the same thing, surface came out like glass. My trick is I set a timer on my phone for 20 minutes after the pour, then go check for the bleed water to look gone. If I start early, I just end up making more work for myself, and my back hurts from all the extra passes.

logan23619d ago

I started doing the timer thing after I messed up a 30x30 garage floor for a buddy. Got impatient and went at it maybe 10 minutes after the pour, ended up with a surface that looked like a dried up riverbed. Now I wait until I can press my finger into the concrete and it barely leaves a mark, that's my signal. I also keep a spray bottle with water handy, just a light mist if it's hot out and the surface starts drying too fast. That twenty minute buffer really is the sweet spot, anything earlier and you're just fighting the water that's still coming up.