Had a builder tear into my broom finish last summer - he was right

I was finishing a driveway in June over in Oakdale and this older builder walked by during my final pass. He watched for a minute and then said my broom lines were too deep and uneven, that I was pushing the broom too hard on the wet spots. I got defensive at first because I've been doing this for 7 years and thought I knew better. But I stepped back and looked at it from his angle and honestly the texture looked rough in sections where I had rushed. So I changed my approach on the next job - started using a wider broom with softer bristles and I time my passes way more carefully now. The finish comes out way more consistent and I don't have those random deep gouges anymore. Has anyone else had a random critique from someone that actually improved their work?

3 comments

3 Comments

susan811h ago

Yeah but that only works if you actually listen. Most guys just get defensive and keep messing up the same way. I had an old mason tell me my trowel work looked like a kid did it. Hurt my pride but I slowed down and watched his technique. Now I don't push so hard and my joints are way cleaner.

gavin_kim4d ago

That's a good question because most guys would just nod and keep doing it their way. Did you ever go back and look at the feedback from a distance on a finished job before you changed your approach? Sometimes I think we get too close to the work and can't see what's obvious from ten feet away. Curious if that builder had any other tips or if he just pointed out the problem and walked off.

ericcraig4d ago

That whole 'ten feet away' thing really hits, man. I forced myself to walk away from a job for a full day before coming back to look at it fresh. Its crazy what you catch looking at it cold versus when youve been staring at every little thing for hours. The builder basically just showed me how the shadow fell wrong from a certain light angle, then dipped. No lecture, just made me see it myself.