One of the top areas of value for concrete surfaces, and for concrete repair solutions offered on them, is aesthetics. And when it comes to the way your concrete surfaces look and the impression they leave on visitors to your property, few areas are more important than the finish used on your surface.
At Lift-Up Concrete Lifting LLC, we’re proud to offer a variety of commercial and residential concrete lifting and leveling services, with one of the primary purposes of these repairs often being to restore a concrete surface to its previously spotless aesthetic. What are some of the finishes that might be present on concrete surfaces, and how does this area impact everything from basic aesthetics to concrete repair needs when present? This two-part blog series will go over a number of different concrete finishes and how they impact your surfaces.
Trowel Finish
The simplest and likely most common concrete finish you will see, particularly in public spaces, will be the trowel finish. The name here comes from one of the original formats of creating this finish, which involved the use of a hand trowel, or a flat steel blade with a handle attached to it. This trowel would be pulled across the surface during concrete pouring.
Today, however, several methods might be used for the trowel finish. These include hand methods in some cases, but larger concrete surfaces will generally require a power trowel used to finish them. Trowel finishes will generally be found on sidewalks, walkways, patios and similar surfaces.
Broom Finish
One potential drawback of the trowel finish in some settings: It can be somewhat slippery in many cases, especially when moisture is present. For those in commercial or municipal areas, such hazards can come with liability risks.
In this case, one of the most common additional finishing techniques will be the broom finish. Just after troweling is finished, a broom will be dragged across the surface of the concrete to create small ridges, which offer traction control to those walking in the area even when it’s wet. For those looking to maximize safety and limit hazards, the broom finish is an ideal choice.
Textured Finishes
This is actually a broad category – there are several forms of textured finish you might consider for a concrete surface. One well-known option here is the exposed aggregate finish, which is found on many city sidewalks – you can actually see the edges of natural stone aggregates in this concrete, or possibly pebbles or shells. Such a finish is slip-resistant and can be made using a variety of stones, and other related finishes are commonly utilized in such areas.
For more on the various concrete finishes available today, or to learn about any of our concrete lifting and leveling services, speak to the staff at Lift-Up Concrete Lifting LLC today.
