Tried steel trowel vs. Mag float for a big warehouse floor last week

I've always used a magnesium float for my initial passes, thinking it was the standard. But I had a 12,000 square foot warehouse job last Tuesday and ran out of Mag floats. Borrowed a steel trowel from a guy I work with. The finish came out way smoother with less bullshit. Less ghosting and the hard trowel stage was easier. Has anyone else had better luck with steel for big flatwork?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliotr3912d ago

Stick with steel for big flatwork like that, it lets you put more pressure down early and closes the surface tighter without the mag dragging. Just watch your timing on the first pass because steel can grab and tear if the concrete is still too wet. Once you get the feel for it, you won't go back to magnesium on floors over 5,000 feet.

patricia_wells12d ago

Changed my mind completely after reading this, gonna give steel a real shot next time.