Appreciation post: my old boss's way of checking for bleed water versus just eyeballing it

We had a big patio pour last week and the new guy kept saying it was ready to finish. I remembered my old boss from a crew in Cleveland would press a paper towel on the surface for 10 seconds. If it came up dry, you were good. We tried it and the towel was soaked, so we waited another 20 minutes. That extra wait made the broom finish perfect, no weak spots. What other simple tests do you guys use to know when it's time?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_simon23d ago

You worked in Cleveland?

the_terry23d ago

Seriously, @the_simon? Cleveland gets a bad rap for no good reason. The food scene there is actually amazing, and the people are the real deal. It's way better than most places people hype up.

the_stella14d ago

That paper towel trick is a classic. Reminds me of a guy I knew who would drop a dime on the slab. If it sank in past the ridges, too wet. If it just sat on top, good to go. He swore by it for years, said it never failed him. Simple stuff like that always beats just guessing.