Guy on a job site told me I was overworking my edges and he was right

I got into a habit of running my mag float over the edges way too many times trying to get them perfect. Some old timer named Jerry watched me for like 5 minutes then said "you're chasing a finish that ain't gonna happen if you don't stop digging at it." He showed me how doing 2 passes max and leaving it alone actually gave me a cleaner edge with less tool marks. Tried it on a 300 sq ft driveway last Wednesday and saved myself probably 20 minutes of extra work. Has anyone else had to unlearn a bad habit that some senior guy called you out on?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabethwhite14d ago

You mentioned "doing 2 passes max and leaving it alone" but I gotta say that's not always the right number either. It really depends on how wet your mix is and how hot it is outside. On a hot day with a stiff mix, yeah 2 passes might work. But if your concrete is a bit wetter or you're working in the shade, sometimes 3 passes with the right timing actually gives you a better edge without digging in. Jerry was right about the core idea though. Learning when to walk away is probably the hardest lesson for any of us.

logan63213d ago

Honestly, I gotta disagree-extra passes usually just mess up the edge for me.