Learned a trick for broom finishes from a guy at the jobsite in Des Moines

I was fighting with getting consistent lines on a big driveway pour last month, tried everything from different broom stiffness to varying my pace. An old timer named Sully came over and showed me to wet the broom handle first, just dip it in the water bucket before every pass. It stopped the drag marks I was getting on the second and third passes, really cleaned up the finish. Has anyone else tried something simple like that that just worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

evahenderson9d ago

The part about dipping the broom handle in water first is close but not quite right. You actually want to wet the bristles, not the handle. If you just dip the handle it's not gonna do much for drag marks because the bristles are still dry and stiff. The real trick is to dunk the whole broom head in the water bucket for a few seconds before you start each pass. That softens the bristles just a little so they glide smoother without digging in and leaving those ragged lines. I've seen guys try the handle thing and they still get the same problems on the second sweep. Honestly the water on the bristles is what makes the difference, not the handle being wet.

jana8819d ago

Read somewhere that in some countries they actually dip the broom in diesel fuel instead of water to prevent drag marks. Something about the diesel making the bristles softer and also acting as a release agent so the concrete doesn't stick to the broom as much. Always thought that sounded a little crazy since you're putting petroleum on concrete, but the guy who wrote about it swore it gave the cleanest lines he'd ever gotten. Personally I just wet the bristles like Eva said, been doing it that way for years and it works fine for me without risking any weird reactions. The handle thing never made sense to me either, the bristles are what touches the concrete not the handle.

phoenix5739d ago

So you're saying dunking the whole head is the magic bullet? I've been doing the handle thing for years and it always worked fine for me. Not saying you're wrong @evahenderson, but I wonder if we're overthinking this. Drag marks usually come from concrete that's too dry or the broom being too harsh anyway. Maybe the water on the bristles helps a little, but it's not like you need a full baptism for every pass. I've seen plenty of guys just wet the handle and get good lines all day long without any fuss. Are we really arguing over this like it's a major technique?