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Brooms are better than squeegees for old concrete textures, and I can prove it
I know everyone says you gotta use a squeegee for that smooth finish on driveways, but on older, rougher slabs it just drags and leaves streaks. Last spring in Austin I had a job where the owner wanted a matching texture to his 1980s patio. I grabbed a stiff push broom, wet it down, and worked it in circles. The finish came out perfect and matched exactly. Has anyone else played around with alternative tools for matching old work?
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jenny_hall1mo ago
Funny you mention that. My uncle used to do driveways back in the 90s and he swore by old push brooms for anything pre-2000. He had this one job in San Antonio where the customer wanted the exact same rough look as his neighbor's place from 1978. We spent like two hours testing different broom bristles on scrap concrete. Ended up using a stiff nylon broom that was already half worn down and it worked perfect. The key was wetting the broom first so the bristles didn't grab and tear. He still talks about that job like it was some kind of secret discovery.
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julia5491mo ago
Yeah, that wet broom trick is a game changer on old rough concrete. I tried it on a 1970s patio in Austin last year and it blended right in with the original texture. Dry brooms just skip and leave those ugly tiger stripes every time.
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