Shoutout to that old crew lead who showed me the before and after on a proper broom finish

I was working a driveway in Phoenix last summer and this guy in his 60s walked up to watch. He pointed at my broom lines and just shook his head. Told me to come back in 3 hours after it set up more. When I came back, he took the broom and did one pass that changed the whole look - no drag marks, even texture, no chatter. He said I was brooming way too wet and too early, which was why my finishes always looked fuzzy after a few months. Now I wait until the bleed water is completely gone and the surface has a dull shine before I even touch the broom. Has anyone else had someone call them out on something they thought they had down? It's tough to hear but man does it make a difference.

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_moore13d ago

Actually, you want to wait until it's fully lost that shine, not just dull.

west.richard13d ago

And this is EXACTLY like when people talk about seasoning cast iron or knowing when to flip a pancake. Everyone says "wait for the bubbles" but they never tell you the bubbles need to be mostly popped and the edges look dry. It's that extra step of patience that separates okay results from actually GOOD results. People rush everything these days and wonder why their stuff comes out half baked.

charles_mitchell13d ago

Olivia's right, waiting till it's fully dull is the only way to keep it clean.