Trowels are an essential element in any concreting work. They're used in the final stages of concrete laying to smoothing and finishing and are imperative if you want to create a high-quality finish for your project.
While it may seem like it, the different trowels available aren't really interchangeable, each has its own purpose. Today we'll be going over pool and finishing trowels to ensure the best finish is achieved on your worksite.
Why are Trowels Important?
Trowelling is a task completed in the final stages of finishing and only after the surface has been floated (the previous step which tales off the ridges and fills in the valleys, as well as embedding the coarse aggregate and bringing the paste or cream to the surface). Trowelling will make your surface hard and dense while it's still setting to create a high quality, smooth and levelled surface. The more times you run over your surface with a trowel the smoother the finished result will be.
What is a Pool Trowel?
Pool trowels are a specific model used for applying coatings to smooth curved surfaces, like swimming pools (hence the name). Although similar in size they are more flexible than finishing trowels and used in finish coats that require an ultra-smooth appearance. Pool trowels have rounded ends that work to aid this smooth appearance, minimising the number of lines or sweep marks that each stroke creates.
What is a Finishing Trowel
A finishing trowel is an essential tool for a range of construction tasks. A finishing trowel's flat and broad steel surface is used to smooth out materials like mortar, plaster, and concrete. These trowels come with either square ends (that can be helpful when trowelling into corners) or round ends (which will reduce sweep marks). Finishing trowels come as hand trowels, for smaller jobs) or machine trowels (also known as ‘Blades’) that bolt onto motorised Power Trowels (for larger jobs).
Hand Trowels are available in various sizes, most falling between 300mm and 500mm, making them more valuable when finishing small surfaces or reaching into tight areas.
What's the Difference Between These Trowels?
The main difference between a Finishing Trowel and a Pool Trowel is their intended applications. While the more rigid finishing trowels are best suited towards finishing flat surfaces that need to be worked with extra pressure and they set, flexible pool trowels are effective in creating a very smooth finish on curved surfaces.
High-Quality Concrete Basics
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