Old timer told me my broom finish was too aggressive

I was doing a driveway in Austin last spring and this retired finisher walked by, said I was working the broom like I was mad at it. He showed me how to use a lighter touch and overlapping passes instead of a hard drag. Anybody else get schooled by some random guy on a job site?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robin8d agoMost Upvoted

Man, that's one of those moments you don't forget, right? That old timer probably saved you from a lifetime of having people complain their driveway looks like a scratched record. I had a similar thing happen with a curb and gutter pour, where some guy yelled at me from his truck about my timing on the float. He said I was chasing the bleed water instead of letting it set up and then hitting it once, cleanly. Now I always watch the sheen fade before I even think about brooming, and it makes a huge difference in the finish consistency. Sometimes the best advice comes from someone who just yells from the sidewalk and keeps walking.

jones.grace8d ago

Haha oh man, that hits close to home. I had a guy walk past my job once and just go "you're fighting it, son, not finishing it." I was so embarrassed I almost dropped my trowel. But he was right. I was putting so much muscle into it I was basically making a mess. Now I go slow and easy like I'm petting a cat, not beating a rug. That random sidewalk advice sticks with you forever.