Bull float or trowel? Which one should you choose?
It’s a tough question, because it really does depend on what you’re going to be doing with your concrete.
Now the first thing you’re probably going to be doing is leveling out the surface of the concrete, and that’s where the bull float is amazing.
It’s really, really good at making the surface of the concrete level, and getting rid of any bumps or unevenness. The big flat surface of the bull float is great for this. You can just use it like you would a squeegee, and it’ll level out the concrete too.
But as far as the smoothing goes, that’s where the trowel comes in. You can’t do this with a bull float. They’re just not made for it.
After you’ve leveled out the concrete with a bull float, you can then go ahead and use the trowel to make the surface of the concrete super smooth. You can go over it as many times as you like until you’re happy with the result, but you only really need to go over it twice.
The first pass is to get rid of any marks or lines left by the bull float, and the second pass is to make the surface of the concrete as smooth as possible. You’ll want to use a different angle for the second pass, so that you’re making a cross-hatch pattern on the surface of the concrete.
But really, that’s all there is to it. The bull float is for leveling the surface of the concrete, and the trowel is for making it smooth.
You don’t actually have to use a trowel at all, if you don’t want to. Concrete can be left rough if you like the look of it. If you do this, you can just use a broom to make it non-slip.
If you do want to smooth out your concrete though, a trowel is an essential tool. You can’t get anywhere near the same result just by using a bull float.
So in conclusion, the bull float is for leveling the concrete, and the trowel is for smoothing it. If you want your concrete to be smooth, you’ll need a trowel.
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