FINISHING

When To Finish:

Immediately after all the bleed water is gone is the proper time to finish.
When the weight of a person leaves no more than a 1/4" imprint.
Sprinkling water on the surface makes finishing easier but has the same effect as working the surface with bleed water present: it weakens the surface.
Excessive Bleed Water: If the bleed water is finished back into the surface before it can evaporate, the concrete may craze, dust, or scale.
Water Reservoirs: The channels and reservoirs allow water and deicers to enter concrete and attack the durability of the concrete.

Do Not Overwork The Surface

Overfinishing the surface of any exposed concrete slab is not only time consuming and expensive but tends to bring too much fine material to the surface and weaken it.
Overworking also reduces the air content at the surface and can cause problems later.