Rant: I think everyone is wrong about using a power trowel on every slab

Last week in Boise, we poured a 400 square foot patio for a homeowner who wanted an exposed aggregate finish. My crew kept saying to hit it with the power trowel first, like we always do. I said no, we should hand float it to keep the stones up. We did it my way, and the finish came out perfect, with great stone exposure. Has anyone else skipped the machine on a finish like that and been happy with the result?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.jesse4d ago

Remember that guy who did the stamped concrete walkway? He skipped the power trowel and just hand finished it. The pattern was way sharper.

blake_smith4d ago

My neighbor's patio from last summer is proof. The crew did a hand float on the border and the slate texture came out so deep and real. You could see every little line. The power trowel part in the middle just looked flat and fake by comparison. It's like it smears the top layer and kills the detail. Makes all the difference.