Concrete contractors have access to equipment today that previous generations could barely imagine.

Laser screeds, ride-on power trowels, concrete pumps, vibrating screeds, high-range water reducers, synthetic fibers, sophisticated curing compounds, and computerized batch plants have transformed the industry.

But concrete existed long before those technologies.

For generations, concrete work depended heavily on manpower, timing, and craftsmanship.

Concrete Was More Labor Intensive

Older residential concrete work was often performed almost entirely by hand.

Crews moved concrete using:

  • Wheelbarrows
  • Concrete buggies
  • Chutes
  • Shovels
  • Come-alongs

Large concrete pumps were either unavailable or far less common.

A backyard patio that can now be pumped hundreds of feet from the street might previously have required a crew of workers pushing wheelbarrows continuously.

Hand Screeding

Before powered screeds became common, slabs were struck off using straight lumber or metal screeds.

Two workers might stand on opposite sides of a slab and pull the screed together.

They used a sawing motion while another worker raked concrete into low areas ahead of them.

This basic method is still widely used today.

A skilled crew can produce remarkably flat concrete using nothing more than a straight screed board and experience.

Wood Floats Were Common

Before modern magnesium tools became standard equipment, finishers frequently used wood floats.

Wood absorbs a small amount of moisture and leaves a relatively open-textured surface.

Finishers learned to read the concrete by touch and appearance.

There were no electronic tools telling them when the concrete was ready.

The finisher watched:

  • Surface sheen
  • Bleed water
  • Footprint depth
  • Resistance of the concrete
  • Weather conditions

That knowledge was often learned from another finisher over years of work.

Knee Boards and Hand Trowels

Large slabs could be finished using knee boards.

Finishers placed boards on the concrete to spread their weight and gradually worked their way across the slab.

Using hand floats and trowels, they could finish large areas one section at a time.

It was physically demanding work.

Power trowels dramatically increased production, especially for large interior floors, but hand finishing remained essential along edges, corners, penetrations, and other difficult locations.

Concrete Was Often Mixed On Site

Ready-mix trucks changed the concrete industry enormously.

Before ready-mix became widely available, concrete was commonly mixed near the project.

Workers measured cement, sand, aggregate, and water and mixed batches using small mechanical mixers or even manual methods.

Consistency depended heavily on the people doing the batching.

One batch might contain slightly more water or aggregate than the next.

Modern ready-mix plants provide far tighter control.

Finishing Was Based on Experience

Concrete has always punished impatient finishers.

If the surface was worked while bleed water remained present, problems could develop.

If the crew waited too long, the slab could get away from them.

Older finishers developed an intuitive understanding of:

  • Wind
  • Temperature
  • Sun exposure
  • Concrete consistency
  • Setting time

Some of the traditional phrases still heard on concrete jobs today come from generations of practical experience.

“Don't bless it to death.”

“Don't finish the water in.”

“Leave it alone until it's ready.”

The tools have changed.

The chemistry has improved.

But those principles remain surprisingly relevant.

Was Old Concrete Better?

People sometimes say old concrete was stronger than modern concrete.

The reality is more complicated.

Some old concrete was exceptionally durable.

Some was terrible.

Older slabs that remain visible today represent the survivors. Poor concrete poured decades ago may already have been removed and replaced.

Modern concrete has access to better:

  • Quality control
  • Admixtures
  • Cement technology
  • Air entrainment
  • Testing
  • Reinforcement
  • Mix design
  • Placement equipment

Yet even the best modern mix can fail when it is improperly placed, finished, or cured.

Concrete still rewards craftsmanship.