Hit 1,000 square feet of broom finish in a single pour last Tuesday

That's a personal record for me on a residential driveway. I usually top out around 700 with hand tools before my back gives out. But I had a helper who actually knew how to handle the hose and we just kept moving. Some guys I know push for machine finishing on anything over 500 feet and say I'm wasting time. They might be right for speed, but I think broom finish looks better on driveways. What's your cutoff for calling in a power trowel crew versus just doing it by hand?

2 comments

2 Comments

butler.mark1mo ago

@noahbaker sounds like he got the short end of the stick that day... happens to everyone at some point. Brooms over machines every time for a driveway though, makes it feel like someone actually cared about the finish instead of just slapping it down fast. Kind of like how people can tell the difference between a hand made piece of furniture and something from a box store. You get that same thing with concrete. The lines have more rhythm when you're doing it by hand, even if it takes longer and hurts your back.

noahbaker1mo ago

Stepped off a 900 square foot garage floor last Thursday that was supposed to be a simple broom finish. My helper showed up late and hungover, so I was solo with the bull float and the broom. Had to stop halfway through to grab more mix because the concrete started setting up faster than I expected. Ended up with a weird line right down the middle where I broke for lunch, looks like crap but the homeowner said he'd just park his truck over it anyway.