Concrete Finishing Tips

When it comes to construction with concrete, one of the most critical stages of the whole process is the finishing. A smooth and proper finish of concrete ensures that it is more durable and comfortable for people to use. In this article, we’ll discuss the concrete finishing stage and how to make the best of it.

Tools Needed for Concrete Finishing

Whether you are finishing a small concrete slab or a large deck, there are certain instruments that you will need to do a great job. They include broom, edger, darby, groover, safety glasses, rubber gloves, magnesium float, steel trowel, and screed. 

Each of these tools performs essential functions in the finishing of concrete. For instance, the edger is for making the edges of the concrete round, the magnesium float functions to compact the concrete, smoothen the surface, etc. Thus, the first tip is to ensure you have all the tools you need. Improvising might get the job done, but that doesn’t mean it will do it well. So, make sure you have all the right tools to do your finishing well. 

Steps to Finishing the Concrete

Screed It Immediately: Once you are done pouring the concrete, get the screed board immediately. Screeding is all about moving the board systemically over the concrete so you can level it, fill up the low places, and remove the excess concrete. 

Darby The Concrete: The Darby performs a function similar to the screed. With it, you can flatten the surface, fill all the voids in the concrete, and remove all the lumps. By doing this, all the small holes within the concrete would be filled up, and all the large aggregate in the concrete will be pushed down while the fine sand and cement will rise to the top, thus, making the surface smooth.

Let The Surface Water Disappear: By the time you are done using screed and Darby for concrete, the water within it will come out. You will have to wait for all these murky waters to disappear as the concrete will absorb it before you go on with your finishing.

Edge and Groove the Concrete: The edging tool is needed to round up the edges and ensure that they are smooth. The groover is used to divide the concrete into grooves. While this gives it a nice-looking appearance, the real purpose is to prevent cracking. By groovin the concrete, the cracks normally form when concrete dries up, or soil moves will happen at the grooves where it’s not visible and less problematic.

Float and Trowel Concrete: floating compete for the concrete and clear out all marks left by the groover. Once this is done, the next thing is to smoothen it with a trowel when it is partially dry. Troweling alone is enough to give your concrete that nice smooth finish that you want. But if you’re going to make the concrete slip-resistant, you can use a broom for this. Sweeping the concrete with a broom is something that should be done when the concrete is almost dry. At this point, such a sweep will not bring out much concrete but barely leave the marks to need for traction on the floor.

Conclusion

When finishing the floor, it is essential to consider your safety, so wear safety gear. Another crucial thing is timing; the right finishing is all about the right timing, so do everything with proper timing.

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