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Remembering when an old-timer in Omaha called my broom finish 'too perfect'
He said it looked like a factory floor and wouldn't hold up to winter salt, telling me to ease up on the pressure for a slightly coarser texture. I started aiming for a finish that just barely catches a thumbnail, and it's held up way better over three seasons now. Do you folks adjust your broom technique for freeze-thaw areas?
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ruby_jones857mo ago
Disagree with that old timer's advice. In my area we get brutal freeze-thaw cycles and a tight broom finish has always performed better for me. A finish that catches your nail is too open up here, it lets water and salt get in and spall the surface. I go for a medium-stiff broom and keep the pressure even to seal that top layer. Seen too many driveways turn to gravel after a few winters with a coarse finish.
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the_joel6mo ago
Watched a tight broom finish fail spectacularly on a garage slab last spring. The water still got in underneath and had nowhere to go, so it just popped the whole skin off. Sometimes you need that little bit of texture to let moisture escape.
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ericfox7mo ago
Guess that old timer's advice got left out in the cold. Ruby's seen what happens when a finish is too open, and it ain't pretty. My neighbor's driveway looks like a bag of chips after a few seasons, all cracked and flaky. You can't argue with real world results from a tough climate.
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