Got into it with a foreman over the right way to finish a sloped driveway in Tacoma

Three years ago on a big custom home job in Tacoma, the architect spec'd a 12% slope on the main driveway. The foreman wanted to power trowel the whole thing right after the bull float, saying it would save half a day. I argued we had to broom finish it while it was still wet to get any grip, especially with the rain there. Last month, I drove past that house and saw they had added those ugly anti-slip strips, which told me everything. But just last week, a different guy on my crew said the foreman was right, that a light power finish on a slope can work if you time it perfectly. So who's right? Is a broom finish on a steep slope non-negotiable, or can a power trowel work with perfect timing?

3 comments

3 Comments

sage_green15d ago

My old boss swore by a broom finish on anything over a 10% grade.

jackson.faith15d ago

Wait, did your boss ever say why? My buddy's dad had a driveway poured with a smooth finish on a slope, and it was like an ice rink after one rain. He ended up having to get it redone with a broom finish just so his car could get up it without sliding back.

william_harris15d ago

Seems like a lot of old-school rules exist just to fix problems we keep making.