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Concrete & Masonryaka: steel trowel finishaka: hard trowel finishaka: burnished finish

Trowel Finish

In Plain English

A smooth, hard concrete floor finish produced by repeatedly working the surface with steel trowels as it stiffens.

Definition

A dense, smooth concrete surface produced by working the surface with a steel trowel — hand trowel or power trowel — after the concrete has stiffened enough to support the equipment without sinking. Multiple trowel passes produce a progressively harder, smoother surface. High-traffic floors like warehouses and manufacturing facilities require a hard trowel finish for durability and abrasion resistance.

Example

The grocery store floor slab received a hard trowel finish to provide the smooth surface needed for frequent pallet jack traffic.

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