Finisher and inspector slang for a shallow depression that ponds water, caused by uneven screeding, form deflection, settling subgrade or careless finishing. Bird baths are found by flooding the slab or running a 10 ft straightedge, and the fix ranges from grinding the surrounding high spots to patching with a bonded topping. On exterior slabs they freeze and scale first.
Hose it down before the walkthrough, I want to find every bird bath before the owner does.
Also heard as
- birdbath
- puddle
- low spot
Related terms
Screed
To strike off fresh concrete to the right height, or the straightedge, board or machine that does it.
F-numbers
FF and FL, the paired numbers that measure how flat and how level a concrete floor is.
Scaling
Thin patches of surface mortar coming off a slab, usually after freeze-thaw cycles with deicing salt.
Bull float
A wide flat float on a long handle, pushed across a fresh slab right after screeding to smooth and close it.