<PAGE>

                                                                    Exhibit 31.2

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

            Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Edward J. Puisis, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Dayton Superior
      Corporation;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
      make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
      statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
      this quarterly report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
      material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
      flows of Dayton Superior Corporation as of, and for, the periods presented
      in this quarterly report;

4.    Dayton Superior Corporation's other certifying officer and I are
      responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
      procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for
      Dayton Superior Corporation and we have:

      a.    designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
            disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
            supervision, to ensure that material information relating to Dayton
            Superior Corporation, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
            made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
            during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

      b.    evaluated the effectiveness of Dayton Superior Corporation's
            disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our
            conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
            procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly
            report based on such evaluation; and

      c.    disclosed in this quarterly report any change in Dayton Superior
            Corporation's internal control over financial reporting that
            occurred during Dayton Superior Corporation's most recent fiscal
            year that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
            materially affect, Dayton Superior Corporation's internal control
            over financial reporting; and

5.    Dayton Superior Corporation's other certifying officer and I have
      disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
      financial reporting, to Dayton Superior Corporation's auditors and the
      audit committee of Dayton Superior Corporation's board of directors:

      a.    all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
            or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
            reasonably likely to adversely affect Dayton Superior Corporation's
            ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
            information; and

      b.    any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in Dayton Superior
            Corporation's internal control over financial reporting.

November 12, 2004                   /s/ Edward J. Puisis
                                    --------------------------------

                                    Edward J. Puisis
                                    Vice President and Chief Financial   Officer