Types of Trowels for Concrete (Curved Edges vs. Straight Edges)

The two main types of trowels for concrete are curved and straight edged trowels.

Curved edges are used for making large curvatures, and straight edges are used for making small curvatures, or just perfectly straight edges.

Curved Edges

Curved edges are useful for making curves in concrete, but they’re not the only way to do it.

Due to the fact that the curvature of a trowel with curved edges is constant, it’s not always going to be the right radius for whatever you’re using it on.

It’s still a useful tool though, because its curvature is “round enough” for most purposes.

A good example of when you’d want to use a curved edge trowel is when you’re feathering edges together. The curvature of a curved edge trowel is just right for the job.

Straight Edges

Straight edges are more versatile than curved edges, and they’re the ones you’d want to go for if you’re only going to buy one type of trowel.

There’s a few reasons for this.

Firstly, they can be used for making a perfectly straight edge on concrete, which is something that’s required in many cases.

Secondly, they can be used on their side to make a perfect curve on concrete. The fact that these trowels are straight means that the radius of the curve is adjustable, so you can make large or small curves with them.

Lastly, you can use them to make straight, flat edges on concrete, even if you’re not going to be making curves.

The best thing about straight edge trowels is that you don’t have to worry about them not being curved enough. You can make any size of curve with them, provided it’s smaller than the length of the trowel itself.