![]() WHAT TYPE OF BROOM IS BEST?īrooms are available from a variety of sources. With a standard broom, you should pull the broom towards you, then lift it and set it back on the far side to pull it across again. ![]() Typically the broom should be run from side to side of the concrete without stopping. ![]() You can even create decorative effects by running the broom texture in various directions. Dyes and stains can be applied very successfully to broomed finishes. Don't forget the curing!Ī good broom finish is something of an art. For decorative concrete, use a cure & seal. For plain gray concrete, a curing agent with some color (typically white) in it helps you to see where it's been applied. You can (and must) cure broom-finished concrete with sheets of polyethylene or by spraying on curing compound. One thing to note is that a broom-finished exterior surface is just as durable as a smooth finish. On concrete that's intended to drain, though, broom marks should be run towards the drain. Run a concrete broom perpendicular to the slope, if there is one. PCA's Cement Mason's Guide says to use a damp broom after troweling. One veteran finisher, however, told me "I like to use a fresno to get the bull float lines out." Bob Simonelli, with Structural Services Inc., says that some troweling is OK, "but be careful not to over-finish the surface and work some of the air out." Advice in a 1996 edition of Concrete Construction's Problem Clinic, however, says you can trowel twice before brooming, but be sure to keep the trowel flat during the second troweling and begin brooming "immediately after the second troweling." If you get the surface troweled hard, it will be difficult to get much texture. In many cases, today's finishers won't trowel a slab that's getting a broom-finished surface, just bull float and broom. For smaller aggregate you need more air-7% for ½ inch and 7.5% for 3/8 inch. For concrete with ¾ or 1-inch aggregate, order the concrete with 6% entrained air (plus or minus 1%)-and make sure you are getting it, otherwise the surface will spall. The proper amount of air is always critical in any exterior concrete that will be exposed to free-thaw action. Bleed water is a result of the wet concrete settling and with entrained air, it doesn't settle much and therefore little water comes to the surface. The typical process for a broom finish is:Īlthough with low water-cement ratio exterior concrete with the proper amount of air, there might not be much bleed water. Some wait until their finger doesn’t leave an imprint, others simply know it’s ready by how the broom feels when pulled across the surface. Depending on the weather, this can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours.Įach contractor has a trick for determining when to broom concrete. ![]() It must be done while the slab is still soft, but after the bleed water has dissipated. When it comes to brooming, timing is critical-brush too early and the surface will be weak, brush too late and there won’t be enough texture. HOW LONG SHOULD YOU WAIT TO BROOM FINISH CONCRETE? If you’re considering a broom finish for your concrete, here are the pros and cons: ![]() Concrete Solutions in San Diego, CAīroom finished thin overlays add skid resistance and upgrade a deteriorating concrete surface. Broom finishes have been used for many years and provide a durable, high-traction surface. ![]()
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