Tried a power trowel on a small patio job and completely messed up the finish

I usually hand finish my smaller residential jobs, but last Tuesday I had a 10x12 patio and figured I'd save some time with my old power trowel. Big mistake. The concrete was starting to set faster than I expected, maybe 2 hours in, and the machine just pulled all the cream right off the surface. Ended up with a rough, uneven texture that took me another 45 minutes to hand fix with a magnesium float. Learned that on anything under 200 square feet, I'm sticking with hand tools. Has anyone else had a power trowel turn a simple job into a headache?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliviapatel21d ago

Been there before but honestly I think that power trowel saved you more than it cost you... the hand finish probably would have come out worse if you didn't catch those rough spots in time.

cooper.taylor21d ago

Respectfully, I gotta disagree a bit. That power trowel might have saved time but the hand finish lets you feel the slab better and catch stuff before it sets. Rushing with a machine can hide small problems that show up later as weird spots or uneven coloring. Ngl, a good hand finish just takes more patience but gives you way more control.