Hello OP, can't comment on color. Can you pls post photos of general crappiness and hand/foot imprints?

Yeah it’s hard to tell the color from the pics. Don’t have pics of the hand and foot prints, but you should be able to see some of the general crappiness in the pics I posted. At least 35-40% of the finish is like those pics. Here is what the color was supposed to be

highwinds67 - Your selected color is so amazing! I really hope you get what you ordered.

Are you sure it's complete? Talk to the contractor.

"The only thing left to do was seal it, and that is not going to change anything here. Dumb question."

There you go, good luck with your project...............

I hope you haven't paid them yet.....that is 'horrible' work!!!!!!!!! What's in your contract? From what I see, that needs to be torn out and redone.....period. Actually have them tear it out and have someone 'else' do the job. Obviously they don't know what the *%&$^#* they are doing!!!!

I didn't think it was a "dumb question" at all. Especially when it's a free advice from a knowledgeable GC (I've read other advice by Jeff) offered to just try to help a first time poster that came here with his own question.

No, this will not stick to the bad surface and not change the color at all.

Highwinds67, your responses come across as argumentive and negative. Some of the folks answering your original post have much more experience than your apparent knowledge.

Probably won't get too many more responses at this rate.

For others who stumble on this in the future for reference.. three questions:

1. Are you using a licensed contractor?
2. Have you seen their work?
3. Which process are they using or is it specified?

The sample looks like it could be two colors.

We used to have it done with powder & color hardener, but that was pricy & expensive. Now we have the initial pour done using integral color. At some price points we don't use color or sealer, allowing the client to dye the concrete at a later date. I've done the dying myself to get the look desired. Its also rare we use anything but "random" edgeless stamps that don't have hard edges. We do this to avoid conflicts between "stones" and cuts for expansion. When needed, it does cost more and that is often motivating enough for the client to stay with random.

OP its impossible to understand the scale and size of the three smaller photos. Are we looking at a few square inches or a larger section? There are always rough patches in the bottoms of the pattern that create the darker color. Can't really tell. You could be exactly correct.... or not.

How gracious of you Jeffrey...

OP: First, the neutral response: You do know that concrete is pourous and that it can be stained, which is very different from paint. Stain won’t pop off or “not stick”.

Now the response you want: It looks like crap. Your contractor is a fraud. This must be demolished and redone free of charge.

It looks so crumbly in those closeup pics that it seems the concrete would not be durable at all and will crumble and flake starting right now. If you are in a cold climate the winter freezing and thawing will make it even worse. I'm an amateur but I think I know poor concrete when I see it. I've created some myself using too much water. The integrity of the surface does not look at all like the sample pic of the intended color (completely aside from the color issue). Question is, can that be fixed by grinding off and resurfacing with proper concrete, or will the underlying concrete still fail and take the new surface with it. Or is it just cheaper to redo it?

Parents had a slab done, not stamped however. They wanted a brownish/ rusty kind of color. Color was added to cement mix, not applied color. It looked pinkish after it was poured. Cement guy said it will darken up after sealant. Had to wait to seal the next summer. A clear sealer made it much darker and pretty much the color they were hoping for. We were actually quite surprised, really didn't believe the cement guys that the color would change so much.

Talk to your contractor. But the texture does look off possibly. It's really quite a art to get it right.

FYI, have seen alot of fancy custom concrete over the past 10 years or so, at a association my parents belong to, at least 30 custom concrete slabs. New association started 15 years ago. Some of it pretty amazing work, some not. Rumor was one guy paid about $8,000 for his 36' x 8' concrete work, looked like wide plank wood boards.

One poor guy ended up with a poor job. It was poured and stamped on a really hot day (around 100). Concrete was setting up too fast (also didn't wet down the surface it was being poured on) wasn't floated properly, was setting up when trying to stamp. It was done by inexperienced guys (owner always tried to get cheapest bid) He was too cheap to have it done over by experienced guys. Basically negotiated with concrete guys afterwards and paid hardly anything.

Wow...that fire burned out fast.. lol. I love this forum :P

R

If you think about it, everyone that has concrete got a pour job.

:-P

Pour comedy... That's punny.

"...If you think about it, everyone that has concrete got a pour job..."

Unless it was pre-cast...!

Sealing the material changes, mostly enhances, the color. I just put one in that looks like your "what it was supposed to look like" pic. I only had a charcoal release though. That one appears to have two.

Unless that image represents their prior work and they communicated the release and integral colors it would be near impossible to match that. Final product is also influenced by lighting and the surrounding colors.

Its almost if that pic was taken when the sun was setting. If not, ouch!