Just finished the patio and walkway extension — it’s a good day.

I know exactly what you mean about that back pain. Last summer, we poured a 20x20 pad for a shop using a 4000 PSI mix from the local plant, and by the time we finished floating it, I could barely stand up straight. There is a specific kind of peace that comes from sitting on a lawn chair with a cold drink, watching the moisture evaporate and seeing those clean lines hold thier shape. The drainage work is the real hero of a job like that. I spent three days digging out a French drain system for my patio becuase I was paranoid about pooling against the foundation. Getting that 1/8-inch per foot slope is a nightmare during the prep stage, but seeing it work during the first heavy rain is incredibly satisfying. I ended up using a Chapin sprayer to apply some Cure & Seal about 24 hours later, and it really helped prevent those tiny spiderweb cracks I ussually get in the heat. If you are doing a basketball area, definitly keep an eye on the broom texture. I went a little too heavy on the bristles for my kids' court and they complained it chewed up their shoes for the first few months. A lighter pass with a soft horsehair brush usually gives enugh grip without being too abrasive. Enjoy the rest of the cure; it sounds like you nailed the layout.

I actualy went the opposite direction on my last project. Instead of the broom finish, I decided to try a salt finish to match the pool deck. I used about five pounds of coarse rock salt and pressed it into the surface right after the final trowel pass. It was nerve-wracking becasue if you wait ten minutes too long, those grains won't embed deep enought, but if you go too early, you just make a slushy mess. Once it cured for about 24 hours, I power washed the salt out to leave those little pits. It gives a relly nice natural texture that isn't as abrasive as a heavy broom. I also skipped the integrated drainage and went with a slight 2% pitch toward the retaining wall where I have a French drain system. My knees were what gave out on me rather than my back; those knee pads only do so much when you're shimmying across a 15-foot span on sliders.

If your back is still acting up, next time you gotta get a Marshalltown Rock It swivel bracket for your bull float. It lets you change the blade angle with just a twist of the handle so you aren't fighting the pole all day.

For that basketball area, I'd reccomend hitting it with some Foundation Armor SX5000 once it's cured. It’s a high-solids silane-siloxane sealer that won't make the surface slippery for the kids but keeps the freeze-thaw cycles from chewing up your broom lines. I put it on my walkway two winters ago and it still looks brand new.

You hand-tooling those joints or saw-cutting 'em tomorrow? I'm a fan of hand-tooling 'cause it's got that classic look, but you gotta be fast before it sets too hard. Since the crew's still there for the basketball court, tell 'em to watch the edges. I didn't get my edges rounded enought on my last slab and they're alredy chipping. Also, don't let the kids near that pad for at least a week. I let mine on too early and we got permanent sneaker scuffs that'll be there forever.