Watching a guy try to finish a slab with a leaf blower in Phoenix last summer

I was on a job site near the airport, just waiting for a pour to set up a bit, when I see the guy on the next lot pull out a gas-powered leaf blower. He's waving it over the fresh concrete like he's drying a car, trying to get the bleed water off faster I guess. It was 110 degrees out, and the wind was already crazy. He just made a huge dusty mess and started to crust the top way too early. I walked over and had to tell him, 'Man, that's just baking the skin on a raw egg.' The timing is everything, and you can't rush the water coming up. A magnesium float and some patience would have saved him a patch job. Has anyone else seen a 'shortcut' that actually made way more work?

2 comments

2 Comments

gray_patel20h ago

Gotta say, sometimes you just need to get it done. Seen a guy use a blower on a driveway in a pinch when rain was coming, and it actually worked out fine lol. Not every pour is a perfect textbook job.

simon37812h ago

My uncle in Florida used a shop vac to dry his patio slab before a storm. It looked rough but held up for years. Sometimes the weird fix is the right one.