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Serious question, a client in Phoenix said my broom finish looked like a 'washboard road' and I've been overthinking it since.
We poured a 20x30 patio slab for them last month, and when I went back to seal it, the homeowner pointed out these faint, regular lines in the broom texture. He wasn't mad, just said it looked uneven from certain angles in the sun. I always thought I had a decent pull, but I realized I was starting my broom stroke from the same spot every time without shifting my stance. Now I'm way more conscious about staggering my starting point and using a lighter, more consistent pressure across the whole pull. I even practiced on some scrap plywood with a thin mortar mix to get the feel. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made you change a basic technique you thought you had down?
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henry_grant6mo ago
Oh yeah, my buddy had the same thing happen with a stamped concrete border. He got so used to his swing he didn't see the pattern until the homeowner mentioned it in the evening light. He started mixing up his footwork and it fixed the whole thing. Sometimes you just need that outside eye to spot what you're blind to.
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nathan_barnes5mo ago
Wait, you practiced on plywood with mortar? That's some next level dedication right there. I'd probably just stare at my shoes for a week and feel bad. It's wild how a tiny habit, like where you plant your feet, can show up so clearly in the finished work. That client had a good eye, even if it stung a bit to hear.
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reese_ward506mo ago
Man, that's a solid point about starting position. You ever notice how the light hits things different throughout the day? What looks fine at 10 AM can look totally striped by 3 PM when the sun is lower. I started doing a sort of shuffle step between pulls, just a few inches, to break up any rhythm. It feels silly but it kills that repeat pattern. That client did you a favor pointing it out, most folks just grumble to their neighbors.
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