Okay, I'm seeing crews skip the bull float and go straight to the magnesium. Am I crazy?

I watched a pour in Phoenix last week where they started edging and jointing right after the mag. The surface was way too wet and it's gonna cause crazing. How do you guys judge the exact timing for that step?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael_coleman102mo ago

Skipping the bull float is just asking for a cracked slab later.

the_grace2mo agoMost Upvoted

Wasn't there a video from that concrete guy on YouTube, the one who fixes bad jobs? He showed a slab where they just power-troweled too early and skipped the bull float. The surface looked sealed and shiny, but underneath, all the heavier stuff hadn't been brought up yet. It created a weak layer on top that just spiderwebbed a few months later. Seems like that step is what gets the cream to the top evenly so it cures as one solid piece.

nancy8172mo ago

Wait, so they didn't even bull float at all? That's wild. How are they judging the timing then, just by looking at the sheen? Are they just trying to save an hour on the schedule and hoping for the best?