I am building a perimeter overflow pool and need to know the best way to finish the trough. I have one shotcrete company that wants to hand-finish the 6 in. (152 mm) wide trough; another wants to shoot up to foam. Can you tell me which is best and why?

This is a classic performance-versus-prescription situation. The owner or customer should specify the desired end product and the contractor should choose the means and methods. Although they may both provide a great product, what works for one contractor or what he/she is comfortable doing may be completely different than another contractor.