Spent 3 hours fixing a broom finish that took me 20 minutes to mess up

I was pouring a little 4x6 patio slab for a buddy in Lincoln last Saturday and got in a hurry with the broom. Figured I'd just rake it quick and move on, but I went too heavy and left these deep gouges that looked terrible. Spent the next 3 hours waiting for it to set just right, then wet sponging and re-brooming sections to try and blend it in. Still ended up with some lines that don't match up right. Has anyone else had to go back and re-broom a spot after a bad first pass?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.sam16d ago

Gotta plan for the second pass from the start. I learned the hard way that trying to re-broom a spot that's already set is a losing game. What works for me is to deliberately leave an unfinished edge about 12 inches wide on the last few passes. Then if I screw up, I can carefully cut that edge back with a margin trowel and lay a fresh batch of mix right over the bad part. The key is to feather the new stuff into the old before it sets up too much. But that Lincoln humidity probably made it a real pain either way.

faithwalker16d ago

Wait, you're saying you leave a 12 inch unfinished edge on purpose just to have room to cut and patch? That's wild, man. I can't even wrap my head around that level of planning when I'm already sweating and cursing at a messed up broom finish.