Trowel vs. float for my garage slab, and one just worked better

I did a 12x20 garage slab last Saturday and tried using a magnesium float instead of my usual steel trowel for the finishing. The float gave me a way nicer, more even surface with less effort, especially on the edges where I always fight with the trowel. My buddy Terry watched and said the finish looked like glass compared to my old work. Has anyone else found a float beats a trowel for smaller residential pours?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_rose27d agoTop Commenter

Agreed entirely. I poured a small shed slab last spring and switched from a trowel to a float halfway through, huge difference on the edges. The float just glides along the forms without digging in like a trowel does. Also noticed the surface stayed wetter longer which gave me more time to work it smooth. For anything under 20x20 I think the float has a real advantage.

ryanh5626d agoMost Upvoted

@the_rose nailed it, floats are way easier on the edges lol.