True or False: When hand finishing, finishers usually float and then steel trowel an area before moving their knee boards.

True or False: When hand finishing, finishers usually float and then steel trowel an area before moving their knee boards.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Depends on the concrete

Answer: (A)

In hand finishing, you work in small patches: float to bring up the cream and level the surface, then use the steel trowel to achieve the final smoothness once the surface is ready. After you’ve finished that patch, you move your knee boards to the next area and start again. This order—float, then trowel the area, then move the knee boards—helps you produce a uniform, smooth surface and avoids dragging equipment over already finished areas, which could mar the finish. If you trowel before floating or move the boards too soon, you’re more likely to trap laitance, create marks, or leave ridges.

In hand finishing, you work in small patches: float to bring up the cream and level the surface, then use the steel trowel to achieve the final smoothness once the surface is ready. After you’ve finished that patch, you move your knee boards to the next area and start again. This order—float, then trowel the area, then move the knee boards—helps you produce a uniform, smooth surface and avoids dragging equipment over already finished areas, which could mar the finish. If you trowel before floating or move the boards too soon, you’re more likely to trap laitance, create marks, or leave ridges.