Bull Floating

• 1). Place concrete as close to its final destination as possible (in formwork) and screed (strike off) it as close to the plane desired. Bull float the area immediately while concrete is still plastic and before any bleedwater or excess moisture appears on its surface. The bull float process addresses any highs and lows left when screeding the concrete. Work quickly and always bull float in two different directions. Stop one foot from any form line. Make two passes to level and smooth any edge marks. Do not push too much concrete at once. Keep float at a low angle.
  
  
• 2). Install control joints and space evenly. Use string to mark and a grooving tool to cut joints in fresh concrete. Straight pieces of lumber serve as good guides, as well. Joints can also be saw cut when the concrete pad has hardened. Each joint should be approximately 25 percent of the depth of the concrete pad. Begin troweling the concrete only after any surface moisture has evaporated or has been absorbed. Each trowel pass and the pressure applied will achieve a more precise, harder and smoother finish. Make passes with an appropriate trowel, depending on size of project and surface texture desired. Do not trowel too soon or too long after bull floating the surface. Avoid excessive troweling.
  
  
• 3). Use a fine or coarse push broom to produce a slip resistance surface after troweling. Perform any edging while troweling. Clean edge of form and run edger flat on surface around edges. Edge all concrete pad edges that do not abut another structure to prevent future chipping of concrete pad.