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Hand troweling vs power troweling on a basement floor in St. Louis last Thursday - night and day difference

I did half the basement with a hand trowel and the other half with a power trowel. The power side came out smoother with less effort, but I lost that tight corner control near the walls. Anyone else stick with hand work for small residential jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo_fisher6d ago

Man I tried power troweling once in my own garage and ended up with these little swirl marks that drove me nuts for weeks. Hand troweling is slow but you really get into those corners and edges without having to go back with a hand float. Plus you don't have that whole "oh crap the cord just dragged through wet concrete" moment. But yeah the power side looks way better from a distance, no question.

claire_hart536d ago

Oh man, @leo_fisher I feel you on those swirl marks haha. But actually, power trowels don't really leave swirls unless you're using one that's too big or running it too slow on the first pass. Hand troweling is definitely the way to go for tight spots though, no argument there. The trick with a power trowel is to keep it moving at a steady pace and overlap your passes by about half, then you get that smooth finish without the marks.

noahmartin6d ago

Right but is it really that big of a deal? I mean swirl marks in your garage floor that only you will ever see? Unless you're planning on hosting a concrete beauty pageant I don't see the issue. People get way too caught up in the finish being perfect when half the time you're just gonna park a car on it and forget about it. Hand troweling a whole slab just to avoid a few little marks sounds like a punishment. Plus you're on your knees for hours which can't be good for your back. Just hit it with the power trowel, call it good, and move on with your life.