Vent: A homeowner's comment about my broom finish finally got me to fix my technique

Last spring I was doing a driveway pour in Akron and the owner came out halfway through and asked why my broom lines looked so uneven. I was pretty ticked at first, but then I looked at it fresh and realized he was right. I was using too much pressure on the push and letting up on the pull, so the lines were deeper on one side. So I switched to a wider magnesium broom and started doing one smooth pass instead of going back and forth. Now I wet the concrete just a little less and pull the broom toward me in straight strokes. It took a few jobs to get the hang of it, but the finish is way more uniform now. Has anyone else gotten a tip from a customer that actually made you better?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana_flores252d ago

My buddy Mike had a homeowner in Medina tell him his expansion joints looked "crooked and lazy" and he was pissed at first too. Turned out the guy was a retired mason and showed him how to snap a chalk line and use a jointer tool instead of just eyeballing it with a trowel. Mike said it was humbling but his cuts are dead straight now and he actually thanks the guy every time he drives past that house.

diana_flores252d ago

Is it really that serious though? I mean broom lines are broom lines, and by the time the concrete cures and gets driven on, nobody's standing there inspecting the texture. I get wanting to improve your work, but taking advice from a random homeowner who nitpicked your finish seems like opening a door you can't close. Next time that guy will be watching you mix the mud and questioning your water ratio.