When hand floating finishers should always start with the ___________ and then move to the ____________ size of float.

When hand floating finishers should always start with the ___________ and then move to the ____________ size of float.

• A. Largest, smallest
• B. Smallest, largest
• C. Medium, large
• D. Largest, medium

Answer: (A)

Starting with the largest float lets you quickly level uneven spots and bring up a smooth cream on the surface, establishing the overall contour. Then moving to progressively smaller floats refines the texture and produces a smooth, dense finish without creating new imperfections. Beginning with a smaller float would push and trap ridges that a larger tool would have flattened, and using a larger size later would tend to rework rather than refine the surface.

Starting with the largest float lets you quickly level uneven spots and bring up a smooth cream on the surface, establishing the overall contour. Then moving to progressively smaller floats refines the texture and produces a smooth, dense finish without creating new imperfections. Beginning with a smaller float would push and trap ridges that a larger tool would have flattened, and using a larger size later would tend to rework rather than refine the surface.