Rant: Overheard a kid tell his dad concrete finish doesn't matter because 'it's just a floor'

I was at a hardware store in Phoenix last Saturday grabbing some trowels, and this teenager tells his old man that nobody cares about the finish on a warehouse slab. I almost dropped my magnesium float. In my experience, that's the exact kind of thinking that gets you a floor that looks like crap in six months and costs the owner thousands to grind flat again. I've seen a three-car garage slab that had a bad broom finish trap moisture and ruin the epoxy coating within a year. That kid probably thinks a good finish is just cosmetic, but any finisher knows a proper dense surface resists dusting, staining, and cracking way longer. I wanted to pull him aside and show him photos of a burnished floor I did last month at a mechanic shop that handles heavy toolboxes dropping daily. Has anyone else dealt with clients who think a smooth finish is just for looks?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert_bennett2920d ago

Man, that kid's dad should've set him straight right there in the aisle. A bad finish isn't just ugly, it's like throwing money away on repairs down the road, especially in a dusty warehouse.

webb.stella8d ago

Totally agree about the throwing money away part. My dad had me help him restore an old cabinet when I was a teen, and I rushed through the final coat. He made me sand it down and start over, and honestly that lesson stuck with me. In a dusty warehouse like you said, a bad finish just collects grime and makes everything look shabby faster. Setting them straight right then teaches them the value of doing it right the first time. Saves so much hassle later on.