I just finished a 3,000 square foot slab by myself in one day

It was a garage pad for a new house in Springfield, and the pour got moved up last minute. I started at 5 AM and didn't stop moving until after 7 PM. My helper called in sick, so it was just me, a power trowel, and a lot of coffee. I honestly didn't think I could keep the finish consistent across that much area alone. Has anyone else pulled off a solo job that big, and what was your secret to not burning out halfway through?

3 comments

3 Comments

simon_carr3d ago

My uncle did a solo pour like that in Joplin once and said the key was setting up his finishing tools in a perfect line before the truck even showed up.

fionafoster3d ago

Ryan's right that you can't plan for everything, but Simon's uncle had the right idea. I'd take that prep even further and stage multiple tool stations around the slab's edges. That way you're never more than a few steps from a fresh trowel or edger when the one in your hand gets gunked up, which saves a crazy amount of time and energy running back and forth. It turns a marathon into a series of shorter sprints.

ryan7933d ago

Setting everything up ahead of time sounds smart, but honestly, you can't plan for everything. Sometimes you just have to wing it and push through the pain.