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Heard a foreman in Tacoma say he keeps a spray bottle of water with a drop of dish soap in his truck.

He uses it to lightly mist the surface right before the final trowel pass. Tried it on a garage slab last week and it really helped get that slick, closed finish without pulling up fines. Anyone else use a similar trick for hot days?
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3 Comments
dylan604
dylan6041mo ago
My uncle in Florida swore by a mix of water and a capful of fabric softener. It works on the same idea, breaks the surface tension just enough. I found it helps a lot with that last burnish when the slab is setting up too fast.
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christopher_sullivan
Fabric softener, huh? Does it leave any kind of scent or residue on the finished piece?
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lisa5
lisa51mo ago
Interesting trick, but I've always worried additives might mess with the cure. Plain water mist has never failed me on a hot day.
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