Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Concrete/sidewalk finishing

I'm pouring a short 20 foot run of sidewalk at my home tommorrow. I've already got it formed and ready to go.
My question is:
Other than just screeding it off level with a 2x4, is there really anything else to do to it (other than let it dry) for a sidewalk finish? Just let nature take it's course?

JW

Yes, there is more to it! I seriously doubt that just by screeding you are going to get what you want.
First off, you will see a lot of rocks and "open" spaces after you screed. If you pour so wet that you don't see these things, then your concrete is much too wet and consequently very weak (the wetter the weaker due to water/cement ratios).
So after you screed, you need to float (smooth out) the concrete with a hand float (not a trowel!) A hand float is made of either magnesium or wood, and is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. A trowel, on the other hand, is steel and is almost paper thin. Steel trowelling exterior concrete can lead to delamination of the surface.
To keep your concrete from randomly cracking, a joint tool should be used to create grooves in the concrete, roughly every 3 or 4 feet (3 feet if your sidewalk is 3 feet wide, 4 if it's 4 feet wide. When the concrete cracks, it should crack in these grooves.
To keep your edges from being squared and therefore sharp and hazardous to your feet, you need to use a concrete edger to round them off. All of these tools are available at almost any hardware store.
As a final finish, a soft bristled broom should be dragged across the surface, perpendicular to the forms. This adds a slip resistant texture to the sidewalk and makes it look better too. Good luck.

Pecos

Great advice Pecos......Thanks!