How to Finish Concrete                      

   Let's get started pouring and finishing your concrete project,  First let me suggest how to order your concrete.  When calling in your order let them know that you are putting color in the concrete and if you will be using a wheel barrel, they will appreciate that.  Next, if you will be stamping your project tell them that you want a 4000psi mix with an "F" rock or 3/8" rock, bigger aggregate can push up through the concrete once you place your stamp on it.  They might try and upsell you to a "stamp" mix, and more than likely it is full of fillers, like slag and other addatives.  I my self would never use a "stamp" mix. 

  Place the wet concrete inside your form work and leave it about a ½” higher than the top of your forms.  A good way to get a rough grade is to use a tool called a concrete rake or a square edged shovel.  Once you have gotten the concrete ½” above your form work you can start the “screed” process.  This step requires a strait 2" x 4".  You will need someone to help you with this process.  Once you have one person on each side of the screed board each of you will start to pull the concrete towards the end of the form work leveling as you go along. Pull the screed board in one foot intervals, curling the sreed board as you pull toward yourself, you can repeat this process as many times until the concrete is level with the forms. 
  At this point you will need a bull float to close the surface of the concrete.  Generally you will run the bull float from top to bottom across the concrete overlapping each previous pass approximately 50% and then repeat the process from side to side.  Do not worry about getting it completely flat, as once you begin to stamp it will not be flat at all.  Do not get hung up on small dips or small elevation changes in the concrete. Now you may begin to edge the perimeter of the concrete with an edging tool, again do not get hung up on doing this perfect, especially if this is your first time. Now you will run a fresno across your project in the same manner as the bull float.

  For more information check out the DVD's, "Stamping" and Secondary Colors.