CEMENT MASONS pour, smooth and finish concrete surfaces such as floors, walls, sidewalks and curbs using hand and power tools. Their workencompasses such small projects as backyard patios to large jobs such asconcrete highways.Before concrete is poured, Cement Masons (also called cement finishers)check the forms (which hold the concrete) to see that they are properlyconstructed. During the pour, laborers spread the concrete to the desireddepth, using shovels and rakes. On small jobs, the Cement Masons may mixor direct the mixing of the concrete and also pour and spread the concrete.Cement Masons level, smooth, finish and shape the concrete surfaces, using avariety of hand tools such as straightedges, tamps, floats and trowels.Power trowels may be used on large-scale projects, but corners, edges andhard-to-reach places must still be finished by hand. In some projects,machines are used in the leveling and troweling process. Masons mold jointsand edges, using hand tools such as edgers, jointers and straightedges.They remove rough spots from surfaces with power grinders, hammers andchisels and patch holes with a fresh cement mixture. Cement Masons cancreate desired textures and colors using a variety of brushes, belts,coloring powders and terrazzo (marble) chips. Crew leaders may also directthe preliminary work such as setting forms or grading soil. Cement Masonsmust be familiar with the characteristics of various cements and concretemixes and be knowledgeable of the effects of weather upon the curing ofconcrete....
