Warning: My old way to handle a concrete pour versus using a power screed

I was helping my cousin with a small slab for a shed at his place in Grand Rapids last month. For years, I just used a simple magnesium hand screed, moving it back and forth in a sawing motion. It worked, but it was slow and left a lot of high and low spots we had to fix later. This time, he rented a 12-foot power screed with a gasoline motor. The difference was huge. That thing vibrated the concrete so well it practically leveled itself, and we finished the whole pour in about half the time. My arms weren't killing me at the end of the day, and the surface was way smoother right off the bat. I'm totally sold on renting one for any pour bigger than a sidewalk. Has anyone else made the switch and found it saved them a ton of back work?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_ramirez3828d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you guys were still using just a hand screed for a shed slab? That sounds like a brutal way to spend a Saturday. The power screed is a total game changer for anything bigger than a post hole.

milalewis28d ago

Ever tried a magnesium screed with a couple pipe clamps? Lets you pull it smooth in one pass without killing your back.

ray64328d ago

Power screeds are a total arm saver for sure. @milalewis that pipe clamp trick is clever for a budget fix, but once you go powered it's hard to go back.