Natural fiber broom for cement shop floor = $$$

[Don Morris]

My shop is small with a cement floor. I'm not going to change that, but to clean up dust it's hard to get around corners and under cabinets with my push broom. I have a natural fiber broom, which is recommended for cement floors, in the garage on the other side of the house, and it's used regularly to keep out leaves, etc. OK, so I'll get another one, right? I went on line to see how much they were: $175.00 is a typical figure. Anybody out there with a cement shop floor use the cheaper "polyfiber" brooms have any problems with them? I like a clean shop, but $175.00 for a broom is outrageous.

[John Keeton]

I am not sure I understand this situation. My shops have all had concrete floors, as have my garages. The only brooms I have ever used are the cheapest decent handled broomstraw broom I could buy - $10 or so. I also use a push broom - also the cheapest one I can buy. The one I have is probably 25 years old. I can't tell that there has ever been damage to my floor?!?!?

[Stephen Reid]

$175 for a broom?????????:eek: Where are you shopping? Same place Donald Trump would? I hope it is gold plated or something.As John said any broom with a sturdy handle and well attached bristles from the local hardware store should last for years.

[Bill Huber]

I have a push broom that I have had for years, it is the polyfiber type broom and works well. With any broom of any type there is going to be some fine dust it will not get plus it puts dust in the air.

Now the best that I have found to use on cement is the shop vac, gets that really fine dust out of the cracks in the cement. Plus there is no dust in the air. The best is to seal the floor first, but I didn't get that done so the shop vac is the next best.

[glenn bradley]

Maybe its the finish on the cement? My floor is quite smooth. I assume those here who know about such things could describe the process that gets a cement floor "polished" looking. Don't get me wrong, it's just a garage but it isn't . . . chalky(?). Does that describe what I'm trying to say?

Anyway, I use a syntho broom made for smooth surfaces (fine bristle) and it does OK but, for really clean, like Bill, I use the vacuum.

[John Callahan]

$25 to $35 should get you a decent polyfiber broom which works as well as anything in my experience. If dust is a big issue get some sweeping compound- a little goes a long ways; a box should last for years. Generally I sweep up the big stuff and shop vac after. No clogging and I don't have to change out the filter bag as often.

[J.R. Rutter]

I don't like brooms. They put dust into the air where you have to breathe it and leave fines on the floor. I just have a 20' section of 4" flex and a rolling vac head about 1 foot wide that we use to "sweep up". Corners get a shop vac wand adapted to the 4" flex. Much cleaner and no airborne dust...

[Chip Lindley]

$175 must be for a U.S. Government Broom! Same manufacturer who had the contract for $900 toilet seats!

A decent shop vac with hypoallergenic pleated filter element and disposible *drywall* filter bag keeps all the dust in! None in the air! Only problem is when you suck up that special little *thing* you've looked for so long!!

I have a tapered poly broom in the shop which gets into corners nicely! Nicer is the heavy duty poly dust pan to go with it! Less than $10 bucks at WallyWorld!

[phil harold]

I like a clean shop, but $175.00 for a broom is outrageous.

It aint real to post a link and a picture...

maybe they are using unicorn bristle...

[johnny means]

It aint real to post a link and a picture...

maybe they are using unicorn bristle...

He's for real alright http://www.bobthejanitor.com/uns932c.html.

Maybe this is the janitorial version of a Starrett, Felder, Lie-Nielson, etc.

[Paul Steiner]

1. What carat gold is that broom made out of?

2. Cement is an ingrediant in concrete not a building material. An example I use with my students is cement is concrete as flour is to biscuits. Or your garage does not have a cement floor just as you wake up in the morning and do not eat a handful of flour.

[Ed Griner]

What makes the shipping weight on this broom 32lbs.?

Ed

[David Peacock]

Brooms in post # 10 are sold by the dozen.

[John Keeton]

Brooms in post # 10 are sold by the dozen.Then, that makes my $10 broom a great investment - the value has gone up to about $12.50!! I did better over the last 3 years with my broom, than I did with my IRAs!!:eek::D

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Wow, 175 bucks for a broom. I thought the prices here in Hawaii were bad. No offense intended. If I could afford that broom I'd have one.
Go to Chinatown and get those short Chinese brooms for $3.50.

[Joe Wiliams]

I'd pay that much if it was self propelled:D

[Mike Heidrick]

A $175 broom should come with the St. Paulie girl doing the sweeping!

[Paul Atkins]

Come on! Read it right. David has it. 1 DZ = 12 brooms. Sounds like a deal. I wouldn't make one for 15.00, or 17.50.

[harry strasil]

I have one made by a friend. LOL a real witches broom. I have to keep it locked up this time of year!

[Garrett Ellis]

Brooms in post # 10 are sold by the dozen.

LOL :rolleyes:

[Mitchell Andrus]

NOBODY TELLS ME THESE THINGS!!!!!!

You can sweep? You mean you should clean "up"?!?!?!

'spain to me the concept. Move a tool around on the floor to .... make it.... not sawdusty???

I don't get it.
.

[james gerus]

THIS IS FROM WoodWorkers Guild of America.. http://www.wgoa.com/tips the writer suggests the following. Jim Gerus
2. Tuway 24-in. "Astrolan" Dust Mop, #AS-24-5, $9, "Jaws"24-in. Snap OnFrame, #SN24-5, $4, "Jaws" Snap On Handle, #SN-H-54, $7

I'm a clean freak. You'd be surprised by how often my visitors say they've never seen a cleaner shop. The problem with that is they also think I do no work! Long ago I switched from a push broom to a dust mop for cleaning my shop floor. Using a dust mop is much faster, more effective, and less dust is stirred up and made airborne. The dust mop is a three piece setup; a frame, handle, and mop head.

I've tested many mop heads made from different materials. This 100% nylon "Austrolan" is the one I like best for cleaning up dust and wood shavings. Dust mops work best on smooth floors, but they are forgiving, so don't dismiss them if your floor is a bit rough. The mop heads can be laundered, and they last a long time. I own two mop heads which I alternate and wash about every 6 months. The mop setup I own, and shown here, is 36" wide. That size makes for faster cleanups, but it's more difficult to get into tight spaces. If I were buying a new mop, I'd buy the 24" wide setup listed above. 36" mops are available too if you want that. You can order what you need from Summit Distribution, 888-292-9998.

(Tuway American Group - www.tuwaymops.com)

[phil harold]

THIS IS FROM WoodWorkers Guild of America.. http://www.wgoa.com/tips


link no workie

The domain name www.wgoa.com is for sale

Prices in the region of US$4950

[Myk Rian]

My DC is my broom.

[John Keeton]

My DC is my broom.Me too, Myk - except for the handtools. I haven't figured out how to hook a hose to my LV BUS to grab those shavings before they hit the floor!!:D

I have very little debris or dust from my machines - some from the TS because I don't have an over the blade pickup. But, increasingly I am using handtools. Still no dust, but I do use the brooms to push the shavings to my floor sweep pickup for the DC.

[David Cefai]

" I assume those here who know about such things could describe the process that gets a cement floor "polished" looking."

This is usually done when the floor is cast. It's called "power floating". Essentially you wait until the cement begins to set and is still friable but walkable on. You then grind away the imperfections and generally polish it.. Messy job and needs a skilled operator.

[Myk Rian]

This would be fun.
http://www.southern-tool.com/store/media/STH-SuperTrowel_1.GIF

[Narayan Nayar]

I don't know if your shop is a garage with a cement floor, but I usually find running a strong fan or a blower for a few moments gets a lot of dust out of the corners and out from under things. In the shop, I just use a Toro blower and blow the dust out onto the street (on a rainy day) or onto the driveway where I sweep it up. In the house, I turn a ceiling fan way up, let the dust settle, then run the vacuum.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

The only brooms I have ever used are the cheapest decent handled broomstraw broom I could buy - $10 or so. I also use a push broom - also the cheapest one I can buy. The one I have is probably 25 years old. I can't tell that there has ever been damage to my floor?!?!?

What he said - - - twice.

[phil harold]

" I assume those here who know about such things could describe the process that gets a cement floor "polished" looking."

This is usually done when the floor is cast. It's called "power floated". Essentially you wait until the cement begins to set and is still friable but walkable on. You then grind away the imperfections and generally polish it.. Messy job and needs a skilled operator.

I hate to be a pain...

But concrete is placed, screeded, floated and then troweled

If you have to grind away the imperfections you did something wrong...

the above picture is a super power trowel

[jon hamer]

I admit that I was fooled by the doezen brooms in post 10 as well. As for my corn broom pitching dust into the air, I don't have that problem: I throw down a handful of sweeping compound (it's like wet sawdust)- there is no dust in the air, or on the floor when I'm done. For those of you who use a DC to cover the entire floor... how does that work? do you have a lot of flexible hose and a wide nozzle? Seems like it'd still take a while -