Concrete finishers place and finish concrete floors, driveways, sidewalks, curbs, buildings, bridge decks and many other concrete structures.

 

Concrete finishers apply architectural, exposed, patterned or stamped, broomed and smooth finishes on concrete surfaces. They are highly skilled at waterproofing, repairing and restoring concrete surfaces. They have the knowledge to properly use dry pack grouting and epoxy materials, and understand how to cure concrete perfectly.

 

They place wet concrete into the forms and spread it to a specified depth, level and smooth the surface, round the edges, and make joints or grooves to help control cracking on the surface.

 

Although machines are used to trowel large areas such as warehouses and arena floors, hand trowelling is still required for hard to reach spots in corners, edges, and around pipes.

 

Industry Changes

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Most Concrete finishers are employed by general contractors involved in building bridges, large buildings and highways. Some concrete finishers are self-employed, contracting their services for smaller projects such as sidewalks, patios and driveways.

 

Employment prospects for Concrete finishers vary with the seasons and with economic conditions. Highly experienced Concrete finishers may specialize in specialty type work, advance to supervisory positions or become contract estimators. The work is most rewarding for those who take pride in seeing the results of their work, and enjoy physical exercise and working with their hands.

 

Over the next ten years, the employment outlook is considered to be excellent. The lack of trained and qualified Concrete Finishers and the expected increased retirement rate in this trade over the next decade highlight the opportunities within the industry for good potential jobs.

 

Turnover in this field is high, so many openings occur each year. Demand should also be high for those who stay informed about new developments in this field.

 

Safety

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Safe working practices and accident prevention are the primary importance to the health and safety of all person(s) at any or all work place environments. All person(s) including employee, employer and government, share this responsibility in order to keep everyone free of any dangers or accidents that may cause an individual(s) serious bodily harm or death.

The Occupational Health and Safety Acts and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Regulations, should be consistently reviewed and enforced in every work place environment. Educating and understanding these regulations is everyone’s responsibility in order to keep a safe work place environment.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) has contributed to a safer work place environment. Health and safety has become a high priority in the workplace due to increased awareness of dangers and the identifications of hazardous materials.

Practicing health and safety is a tremendous contribution to a safe and accident free work place environment.

 

Job Tasks

• Ability to get along well with other workers

• Assembling Scaffolds

• Brushed to create a coarse, nonskid finish

• Builds walls, partitions and other structures

• Embedded with gravel chips for an exposed aggregate finish

• Knows the properties of various mortars and other bonding materials

• Measures accurately from an established starting point

• Patterned or stamped to apply decorative surface

• Physical strength, stamina and ability to use proper lifting techniques required to shovel and move wet concrete sometimes in excess of 25 kilograms

• Read and interpret blueprints, drawings and schematics

• Sawing

• Spreads mortar over the base or previous layer

• Trowelled to a smooth finish

• Trowelled with a dye to create a colored surface

• Uses refractory or acid-resistant bricks, concretes, plastics or other materials

• Uses hammers or chisels or masonry saws to cut and fit

• Uses plumb lines and a mason's level, as required 

• Works with various materials & methods to solve specific problems 

• Works by hand or with hand and power tools

• Works well independently or with co-workers under close deadlines

• …and much more

 

Tools

 

• Brick Bat Gauge

• Brick Hammer

• Brick Trowel

• Boat Level

• Bolster

• Buckets

• Bump cutters

• Chisels

• Clamps

• Club or Lump Hammer

• Cold Chisel

• Comb Hammer

• Concrete rakes

• Corner Blocks

• Darbies

• Dirt Tampers

• Edgers

• Extension poles

• Floats

• Form scrappers

• Form stripping tools

• Gauge Rod

• Groovers

• Grout chisel

• Hawk

• Jointing Tools

• Knee pads

• Line and Pins

• Hammer, ball peen

• Hammer, dead blow

• Hammer Drill

• Hand protection

• Hearing protectors

• Masonry Drill Bits

• Mixers

• Pointing Trowel

• Rattle sticks

• Roller tamps

• Rubber boots

• Safety equipment (goggles, boots, face shield etc)

• Saw blades

• Scarabs

• Screed boards

• Spirit Level

• Steel Fresnos

• Steel Tape

• Tingle Plate

• Trowels

• …and much more

 

Skills

 

• Analytical Thinking

• Critical Thinking

• Co-ordination

• Creativity

• Decision Making

• Good vision

• Good colour vision

• Lifting and hoisting

• Mechanical aptitude

• Manual dexterity

• Numerical

• Oral Communication

• Patience

• Problem Solving

• Reading Blueprints and schematics

• Writing

• Use of hand signals

• …and much more

 

General Wages

• Average -   $25.40

• Minimum -  $17.00

• Maximum - $37.80

 

Sample Q&A

 

1. When shaping a mortar bed, which of the following is the appropriate way to determine the height of guides?

a. taking a measurement starting from the ceiling.

b. transposing the building’s elevation.

c. transferring a measurement of the finished floor line.

d. locating the sub floor’s highest point.

Ans. C

 

2. Which of the following tools should be used by the cement finisher to obtain a smooth, hard and dense surface?

a. metal fibre broom.

b. darby

c. wood hand float.

d. steel trowel

Ans. D

 

3. Which of the following processes does not cause cracks to appear on the concrete surface?

a. incorrectly doing the joints when building a slab.

b. sprinkling a concrete hardener on the surface.

c. pouring concrete on a poor foundation.

d. inadequate concrete curing.

Ans. B

 

4. Which of the following methods can be used to prevent concrete from freezing in cold weather?

a. Concrete retarders.

b. Concrete accelerators.

c. Insulated tarps.

d. Direct fired heaters.

Ans. C

 

5. Grout should not be poured until the mortar has set to which of the following to withstand the pressure of the grout?

a. full strength

b. minimum of 24hrs

c. at least 16hrs past final set

d. a sufficient time

Ans. D

 

6. What procedure should be used so the inverted stringers can be easily attached when pouring wing walls that will house a closed concrete stair?

a. Set threaded inserts into concrete in specified locations for attachment.

b. Set ready rod ties in concrete in specified locations for attachment.

c. Use explosive actuated tools to attach inverted stringers because there is less chance for error of attachment locations.

d. Set taper ties into concrete in specified locations for attachment because they can be removed and filled with grout later

Ans. A

 

7. What is one critical step to ensure proper curing of concrete?

a. Place a polyethylene barrier on the ground and wet it before concrete placement.

b. Place a polyethylene sheet immediately on top of the freshly finished concrete so it does not have a chance to dry out.

c. Place dry burlap on top of the freshly finished concrete and spray it with water an hour later so the concrete can begin to set up.

d. Place a polyethylene barrier on the ground before concrete placement.

Ans. D