Why does nobody talk about the choice between a magnesium and a wood float for a garage floor?

I had a garage pour in Fresno a few months back where I had to pick between my old wood float and a new magnesium one I'd just bought. The mix was a bit wet, and I was worried about pulling up too much cream with the magnesium. I went with the wood float first to close up the surface without sealing it too fast, which felt like the right call. It gave me more time to work before the bleed water came up, and I didn't get any of that dark spotting you sometimes see. I switched to the magnesium for the final pass and it left a much tighter, smoother finish. The whole job took about an extra twenty minutes, but the floor cured out really even. Has anyone else had to make that call on a wetter mix, and what did you lean toward?

2 comments

2 Comments

val32311d ago

Wood floats just drag and leave a rough finish, even on wet pours. A magnesium float is faster and gives better control over the surface from the start.

the_mila11d ago

Yeah, magnesium is the way to go for that first pass. A wood float just grabs too much, especially on a wet mix. You end up fighting it and leaving those deep grooves. With a mag, you can almost glide it and just knock down the high spots without pulling paste. Lets you set the plane way faster before you even think about a trowel.