Brushed concrete - Which trowles and when?

[DNgroundworks]

Hi there, i have a job to do around 20 cube of conc, to be brushed finished.

Ive only ever done it once and that was about 6 years ago, and as id only just left school i wasnt paying much attention!

Just wondering, what trowels ie, magnesium, wood, plastic, bull float - do you use before you brush and it what sequence?

Also do you have to use a fresno broom or can a normal nylon bristled brush be used?

Regards Daniel

[henpecked]

Easy float, stiff bristle brush then edging trowel , that's how Ive always seen it done...willing to be stood corrected

HP

[msh paving]

allway's pays to run edging float around the edge as early as possible to get the stones down and grout up,then float it let it go off ,brush finish and edge trowel to make nice straight edge
i alway's use a vibrostrike to level the concrete or a rollerstriker ,using a laser to keep it flat before screeding MSH

[GB_Groundworks]

better of with proper fresno tried with a normal brush and just doesn't work as well.

the way we do it is pour. power tamp/vibro then when its getting to right consistency float it off with the bull float like big blue etc then with the nylon brush head on the using the angle adjust ment you can do your brush strokes towards you then go round the slab with a aris trowl and float the edge off.

also this off the net

http://www.concrete.org.uk/fingert....&id=881



Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1243369116

[seanandruby]

I always you the wide brush and draw it along backwards after every pass tap off the grout from the bristles. hit it at the right time and will leave a nice finish. lay the concrete, leve, rough float it once then leave till time to steel trowel. as soon as you rough trowel it run a arris trowel along the edge to seal and seperate from shutter. knock a small piece of timber on the edge of the broom to use as a guide to the scaffold board, when you pull the broom along to keep a straightish line. once you have brushed it then go around with a arris trowel not to deep that it causes a high ridge. A tip "when you rough trowel scrap the grout off the plastic/wooden trowel and keep for maybe when you arris," not always necessary unless its a bit boney.

[DNgroundworks]

Cheers,

So this is how i understand it -

1, plastic trowel
2, arris trowel
3, steel trowel
4, fresno
5, arris trowel

What are the advantadges of the magnesium floats?

[lutonlagerlout]

i've got a magnesium trowel but have never seen any advantage
main thing is to get the concrete the right slump,too wet will make a bollox of the job
seans was about spot on
LLL

[DNgroundworks]

Ye well ive been looking for a particular thread that sean had commented on i couldnt find it, i knew he were the man for the question, cheers.

[DNgroundworks]

Done the job today, went ok just i left it a bit to long before i went round with the arriss trowel, was a struggle next time ill go round first!

And the fresno broom we hired was an absolute pile of sh*t, it was caked in grease, the bristles were covered in conc so as a result just made a tw*t of the concrete, had to trowel over again and got labourer to clean bristles with a stanley.

But it turned out well, looks smart.

[seanandruby]

Fair play to you. welcome to the club :;):

[DNgroundworks]

Took the formwork off today and the arissed edge looks the business:)

Also used a piece of timber to keep brush strokes straight, as advised on here, would probably of made a right boll*cks of the job if it wasnt for this site:p

Cheers