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Overheard a homeowner call our work 'just smoothing mud' and it got under my skin
I was grabbing coffee after a pour in Portland last week, and the guy behind me was talking to his friend about his new patio. He said, and I quote, 'It's just a bunch of guys smoothing mud, how hard can it be?' Man, that sat with me all day. It's not just smoothing. It's knowing the exact slump for the weather, timing the finish so you don't burn it or let it get away from you, and fighting the bleed water on a hot day. That 'mud' sets up in a couple hours and if you mess up, it's a $5,000 tear-out, not a do-over. It's a skill built on a thousand pours. Does anyone else get this kind of comment, and how do you even start to explain it without sounding like you're whining?
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chen.adam10d ago
Portland concrete is an art, not just mud.
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piperm3810d ago
My uncle did concrete in Seattle for thirty years and his hands were permanently curled from holding the trowel. It looks simple until you see a bad finish or a cracked slab that costs more to fix than the whole job. People don't get the pressure of that clock ticking down. That comment would have ruined my week too.
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