This a an excellent post showing how contractors ( and designers) need to invest the time with their clients in managing their clients expectations. It appears that your concrete contractor did not spend the necessary time with you in explaining all the varied nuances of finished concrete and what possibly to expect. There is A LOT to understand about colored concrete, the finishes, how to achieve the finishes, this is why time needs to be spent educating and preparing the homeowner. I don't know your particular situation , whether this was an integral color pour or a shake on micro topping, but it does look like you are getting a lot of efflorescence moving up thru slab. There are a half dozen reasons why this can happen : too much water added to the mix, too much moisture in the sub base, climate temperatures,..... Yes, this is a normal common problem. ... both the communication part and the nature of working with concrete. At this point it is difficult to correct , but if you really hate it there are some steps that can be taken, but realize, the concrete will never be a uniform color.

Karen you win the 'most tenacious Creative persons award ! ' you got spunk ! Q - What makes concrete come out smooth on top ? A - It is the way one floats the finish. - mix it up, dump it into your form, and then level it out ( partial floating ) with a 2 x 4, - wiggling it back and forth. as you do this the concrete will smooth out . you can then use a variety of trowels to float the finish. Q-... there are several types of concrete. Is it all gray, or is some whiter or lighter gray? This would relate to the color I get after applying FeS. A. - If you buy your concrete in bags it is all one standard color grey. You can mix in dry colorant into the dry mix. - Shamrock Supply in San Rafael has all of this for you . The application of iron sulfate to the colored concrete will definately change the color of the concrete. Q. -...techniques or tips for breaking the stuff up into shapes ? A. - Lots of different types of techniques for breaking up your travertine tile. The best tool for your money is a $ 45.oo Angle Grinder with a diamond blade . I have a Ryobi 4.5 Angle Grinder that was given to me as a gift over 15 years ago. I LOVE IT and have used it on all kinds of projects over the years. You don't have to cut all the way thru the tile, you can simply score it and then snip off the corners . afterwards you can round them off with the saw again. If you're interested come on over to my house in Novato and I'll give you a demo. We are also working on a project in Kentwoodlands and you could see the guys doing some really interesting stone work . you got my email. give me a buzz and I'll give you the nickle tour of my garden at the same time >> Click over to the Landscape Design Gallery and there is a pix of the Kentwoodlands job

Lars, Your patio looks great you did a beautiful job I really love the spa. Thanks for the link to Reseda pottery I was looking for a place to buy big planter pots and Reseda is doable for us as a day trip. Looks like they may have what I am looking for. We just had our driveway, porch, carport and patio done with stamped border and ribbons all over the place. They poured the colored ribbons and borders first, using colored concrete, and then they put three different colored powders on it and stamped it with a design. There were a couple dozen different designs to choose from. The next day they came back and pressure washed it all. It took almost 2 weeks to finish all of that part then they poured the rest of the cement. Next week they will come back and put a sealer on it. We went a total of 3 ½ weeks having our cars parked everywhere but in the garage. Our downhill neighbor had his done just before we started so I was surrounded by workmen for what seemed like all summer. He had river rock put on the retaining wall between our house and his so both properties look so much better. We still have to have them come back and do the stairs that come from the bottom of the driveway up to the house. Maybe next week we can bring our truck home itÂs been at my dadÂs since the end of June. I was amazed with what they can do with concrete now. If I were ever going to build another house I would have concrete floors. Our contractor said they can heat them and some of the designs he showed me looked like real wood floors. It would be possible to have a beautiful wood looking floor with a drain so you really could hose your kitchen floor down. DH retired at the end of May and itÂs been very busy around here hardly any cooking at all and no baking what so ever. Some days I was lucky to even get out of here to go to the grocery store but I can see an end to it all so maybe we can take a trip next spring. Claudia

My stamped concrete & flagstone patio have lost it's shine. It also has hard water white stains from the sprinklers. Does anyone have suggestions for the proper way to remove the hard water stains & then a good product to use to re-seal? Thanks.