Concrete Finishing Recommendations To Complete Your Concrete Surface

There are many purposes for a concrete surface material in your landscaping, such as pavement, edging, and structural steps up to your home. However you choose to use concrete in your property, you can improve it and make it more functional and attractive-looking with a variety of different finishes. Once you have chosen and installed a concrete surface for your property, here are some recommendations to improve upon it with the right details and finish.

Consider the Weather

Before you start your concrete project, you should look at the weather expected in your region to help you plan out the installation's timing. A concrete slab that you pour in hot weather is going to set up more quickly and harden sooner than if the weather is cooler. If you don't have time to fully smooth out and finish the surface of your concrete, you are going to end up with a ragged and bumpy concrete surface. 

Consult with your concrete supplier about recommendations for working with your concrete in hot weather. They can mix and prepare your concrete with special additives to help slow down the hardening. They can also provide professional services for your concrete to make sure it is properly finished in hot weather.

Finish the Slab Surface Details

After pouring your concrete into the forms, you will find it helpful to have several different tools to help you finish the concrete's specific features. The top surface of your concrete should be flattened with a darby, to compress it down into the forms. Then, you can use a concrete float to smooth it and create a nice-looking finished surface. 

The edges of your concrete slab should have a nice smooth and rounded appearance, which will help them hold up over time and prevent cracks to the corners of the slab. This is especially important to complete on steps as well, so you should use a concrete edging tool to form the corners and edges uniformly. For a large slab of concrete, be sure you cut grooves through the surface to make control joints. Control joints will prevent the slab from cracking across the surface in an unmanaged manner.

Provide an Additional Surface Finish

You won't want every concrete surface to have the same smoothed finish. Some concrete will have the potential to get slippery when it is icy or wet, so you can apply a broom finish using just that — a broom. The broom's bristles will create a roughened texture over the surface, to promote traction with foot and vehicle traffic. You can also apply a salt finish using rock salt as a medium to create indents into the concrete surface.

For more information about concrete finishing services, contact a local concrete company.