Features & Benefits
Due to the wet nature of Vancouver Island, it's common that we have water drainage issues. In areas of concern, a properly placed broom finish can help solve water problems by guiding water, typically towards a drain or runoff area. A broom finish is also one of the best for wearability on unsealed concrete, and has fantastic slip resistance.
On top of these functional benefits, a broom finish can be used very effectively in decorative concrete applications. Different styles of brooms are available to create a variety of textures, and we can combine other finishes (such as colouring or borders) to create something truly unique.
Complexity 12345 SimpleComplex
Install Time 12345 ShortLong
Design Options 12345 FewMany
Sealing a Broom Finish
A broom finish can stand up well to the elements, even without being sealed.
However, if not maintained with sealer, over many years of rain exposure it will lose its broom finish and look more like exposed aggregate (due to the slightly acidic nature of rainfall). Because of this, we recommend that you seal broom-finished concrete so it maintains its intended look.
Ask us about spicing up your broom-finished concrete with borders, broomed-in patterns, or even acid or dye staining. We have a lot of different ways of making this basic finish look very decorative!
Installation Notes
Creating broom-finished concrete is a fairly straight-forward task. once the concrete is ready we attach a long broom to a pole and drag it across the concrete from outside the forms. Then we neatly re-edge everything from the outside and we're pretty much finished.
However, just like any other finish, the devil is in the details. The more details we need to consider – cut lines, integrated borders, accessibility issues, etc. – the harder it becomes to manage the timing.
Imagine you want the broom finish to go in alternating directions to give it a "plaid" type of look. This alone can create twice the work compared to some other finishes! In other words, even with a simple finish it's possible to make it very time consuming and difficult. It all depends on what you would like the final product to look like.
Where To Use Broom Finish
This method/technique of finishing concrete works great with the following applications:
