It is not enough to pour the concrete and watch it dry. Here you will find what you need to know to smooth and shape fresh concrete to turn it into a durable and beautiful surface.
Steps
Step 1. Level the concrete with a batten as you pour it (use a rectangular section batten, longer than the width of the pour)
Start leveling the concrete right after pouring it. Place the batten on the wooden form and move it like a saw, going towards the end of the casting. Fill the lower areas with more concrete and repeat the movement to level it.
Step 2. Immediately after leveling the concrete, pass an articulated broom to compact it and lower the gravel, so that you can easily finish the surface later
Work in the opposite direction of when you leveled, pushing the head of the mop, keeping the front edge just raised. Then pull towards you, still lifting the edge.
Step 3. Wait for the drops of water to dry and smooth the surface with a trowel, starting with the part you poured first
Apply a circular motion, always lifting the front edge.
Step 4. Round the outside corners with a chamfering tool
Apply an alternating motion over an area of 25-50cm, lifting the front edge with each pass, working towards the edge of the casting. Smooth out any imperfections with the trowel.
Step 5. Make cuts in the concrete every meter, meter and a half, with a special tool
Decide how many cuts to make by measuring the length of the casting and dividing them equally so that the segments are all the same length. To guide the tool, use a strip placed perpendicular to the wooden shapes.
Step 6. Gently place a broom on the edge of the casting opposite you and pull it towards you, all the way to the edge
Continue until the end of the casting, overlapping the previous pass by about 15cm. If there are any lumps of concrete or it seems to you that the mixture is too coarse, then the concrete is still too wet to be moped. Pass the trowel after the broom to smooth the marks, and try again after a quarter of an hour.
Step 7. To obtain a concrete that does not crumble, does not splinter and does not crack, cover the surface with a plastic sheet after passing the broom
Only put it on when your finger will leave no trace on the surface.
Step 8. Finished
Advice
Make sure you have someone ready to help you with bigger jobs. Concrete dries quickly, especially in hot weather
Warnings
- Wear high rubber boots if you have to walk through cool concrete.
- Wear gloves (rubber ones are best)
- Wet cement on the skin can cause mild redness to third-degree chemical burns with permanent scarring. A few drops are not dangerous, but avoid working with clothes soaked in concrete.
