Found a hack for keeping broom finish lines straight on long drives

Was doing a 60 foot driveway in Austin last month and my broom keep wandering off line. Tried using a 2x4 as a guide but it kept shifting. Finally grabbed a string line and a couple of those little plastic spring clamps from the hardware store. Clamped the string to the edge forms and ran the broom right alongside it. Total game changer for keeping those lines parallel on big stretches. Anyone got a better way to keep from drifting on super long pours?

2 comments

2 Comments

calebm4611d ago

I tried the string line trick once but the wind kept blowing it around on a 40 footer I did in San Antonio... ended up just using two 2x4s screwed together as a straightedge and that helped a lot actually. The string method works good for smaller stuff but on long pours you really need something rigid to keep from wobbling. I've seen guys use a long aluminum screed rail as a guide too, that stuff stays dead straight even when you're working fast.

aaron89611d ago

Man @calebm46 that's a solid point about the wind messing with string lines. I gotta ask though, when you used the two 2x4s screwed together, did you have any trouble with them warping or bowing over the full 40 feet? I've seen guys try that with regular lumber and it still had a little flex in the middle, especially if the boards weren't perfectly dry. The aluminum screed rail sounds like the pro move for sure, but I bet that stuff ain't cheap to rent or buy.