Power trowel vs hand trowel for large warehouse floors

I finished a 15,000 square foot warehouse slab in Austin last month and used a combination of both. For the first pass I swear by hand troweling because you get better control of the edges and can feel the initial set. But after maybe 30 minutes I switched to a power trowel from my buddy's rig and it cut my time by at least 40 percent. Has anyone else noticed that power trowels can leave swirl marks if you start them too early?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.ryan1mo ago

Have you ever tried feathering the throttle on the power trowel to avoid those swirls? I ran into the same problem on a 10,000 square foot job last year and it drove me nuts. The trick is waiting until the concrete is just barely taking weight before you start the machine, not a second sooner. Swirls happen when the surface is still too soft and the blades dig in instead of riding smooth. I also keep the blades a little flatter for the first few passes to reduce pressure on any one spot. Hand troweling edges first then hitting the middle with a power trowel is the only way to go for big slabs.

alice_reed471mo ago

Oh man you nailed it with the feathering thing. I learned that the hard way on a big slab in San Antonio last year. I started the power trowel way too early and got those nasty swirls all over the middle section. Had to grind the whole thing down and it added like 3 extra hours to my day. Now I wait until I can walk on it without leaving deep footprints, then I ease into it real slow. I also keep the blades almost flat for the first pass like you said, it makes a huge difference in how smooth the finish comes out. Hand troweling the edges first is non-negotiable for me too, especially around columns and doorways where the machine can't get close.