Concrete Finishing Tips - Creating a High Quality Slab

Related Links:

Placing the Concrete

Spreading the Concrete

"Strikeoff" or "Screeding" the Concrete

Tampers

Bull Floats and Darbies

Edgers

Groovers

Hand Floats

Trowels

A good finisher is produced through training and years of experience. Books have been written about this topic, and only experience provides the ability to expertly "time" the finishing operations.

Listed here is simply a recap of important parts of that operation.

  1. Place the concrete as close as possible to its final destination.
  2. "Strikeoff"/ Screed the concrete as close as possible to its final plane.
  3. Don't tamp high slump concrete.
  4. Bull Floating should be finished before excess moisture or bleedwater appear on the surface.
  5. Joints should be cut at least the slab thickness.
  6. 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
  7. Dont finish the concrete while there is bleedwater on the surface. 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. This can cause dusting, scaling and craze cracking.

Read other tips on Building a High Quality Slab on Grade.

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