Choosing The Right Float for Concrete Job

A concrete float is a tool that assists in making the concrete surface smooth. It is used after the surface has been made level using a screed. If your goal is to polish the floor with amazingly vibrant color and a perfect finished sidewalk, choose the right concrete float to create a slab that draws the attention of everyone.

Floating is performed on every concrete job after the concrete is poured and leveled.  Properly done floating encourages the moisture to rise and helps the concrete to dry smoothly and create a perfectly smooth surface.

Floating is an important step in the finishing process, and the right tool is important to get the job done perfectly. There are various types of floats available in the market, including aluminum concrete floats, bull floats, screed floats, wood floats, and others.

Here is a detail of some of the common floats

Bull Floats

Bull floats do a great job of smoothing freshly poured concrete. Concrete is an important part of various projects like patios, sidewalks, and driveways and therefore requires proper finishing.

Bull floats look like a float board attached with a long handle. It levels the ridges and fills all the voids left by screeding operation. It allows the operator to reach onto a slab without needing to get off the concrete with a kneeboard because bull floats consist of long handles which are attached to material like wood, aluminum, or magnesium floats.

  • Round corners of the blade to reduce float marks
  • Provides right feel for finishes

The long handle makes it very easy for the operator to use it on concrete surfaces. The handle can make floats go up to 16 feet long.

You can also adjust the angle with the help of the float with the help of bracket assembly to different positions so that the float can reach the concrete surface at the angle required to complete the job.

Screed Float

Just like bull float, it is a hand-operated machine that produces smooth and dense surface levels. Screed floats are designed for large concrete pours as a two-in-one application. In it, a float is attached with a motor with handles.

  • It has a flexible vibration shaft
  • Magnetic support bar
  • No visible cables present in the handle
  • Magnetic support bar
  • Extendable handles
  • Lightweight

The thickness of the screed float allows it to take up normal variation in flatness.  Floating the concrete helps in removing the marks of edging and makes it one step closer to finishing.

Aluminum and Magnesium Hand Floats

An aluminum or magnesium float is a piece of magnesium or aluminum attached to a handle. This tool assists the user in floating concrete at their desired angle or pressure. There are various sizes and lengths available in mag floats.

They are very comfortable to use and come in a variety of options in regard to size, shape, softness, and hardness. Aluminum concrete floats offer manufacturers an assortment of handle positions of the floats.

Wood Hand Floats

A plane maker’s float or wood hand float is an amazing tool that every contractor should have. These are made of hardwood to resist bending and twisting.  Wood floats are also available in various lengths and widths, with a variety of designs attached.

The wood floats are useful in those instances in which concrete is setting up too quickly. Moreover, wood floats are useful in a situation like when concrete is setting up too quickly.

However, the wood float is not durable in the long haul. Because it is dragged over a rough concrete surface and soaks up bleed water, its surface becomes rough and fuzzed up after constant use, which results in causing roughness instead of smoothing it.

This effect can be useful sometimes when the concrete is setting up too hard and you are working with real stuff concrete. Wood floats are also preferred while applying shake-on color hardness.

Resin Floats

Resin floats are a great alternative to wood floats. They perform the same as wood, roughing the surface more than magnesium and drawing moisture off the surface.

Resin floats are more expensive than wood floats are they are more durable and do not soak up water, which means they do not fuzz up after repeated use in wet concrete. It is great for working color hardeners into concrete.

Resin floats are available with square or rounded edges. Both wood and resin floats perform great functions, but some contractors prefer wood floats.

Hand Darbies

Hand darbies are great and are much like wood, mag, and resin floats, except they are longer and often tapered. These allow the operator to use both hands, and the user can extend their reach to the concrete surface, which also helps to apply more pressure when needed.

Use floats to give a smooth look to concrete surfaces.