Question about using a magnesium float on a hot day

I was finishing a driveway in Phoenix last week, and the crew kept going straight from the bull float to the steel trowel. The mix was setting up fast in the heat, and they were closing up the surface way too early. I pulled out my old magnesium float for a pass in between, and it made the cream come up perfect without sealing it. The boss said he hasn't used one in years because it's 'an extra step'. How do you guys handle timing on hot pours? Do you skip the mag float?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige4271mo ago

That boss sounds like my old gym cutting corners on form to save time. Skipping steps for speed ALWAYS shows up in the finish, concrete or otherwise.

lilys821mo ago

Guess my old mag float and I are both relics that still work.

jessicac281mo ago

That boss is asking for trouble skipping the mag float in that heat. You need that cream to come up before you seal it, or you'll get a weak skin that'll craze or dust later. It's not an extra step, it's the right step. Why rush a job that's supposed to last 30 years? Your timing was spot on.