Exposed Aggregate Patio

3 months ago

We recently contracted for a 6’x15’ extension of our exposed aggregate patio and this is what we got. Work was done at end of January in northern Mississippi.

Supposedly there was too much retarder in the mixture so it didn’t properly set. Contractor said they would bust up and re-pour, but so far nothing. Granted there has been rain but there have been windows of opportunity to do the work if they really wanted to. They’re ignoring our calls and texts.

Suggestions requested on how to deal with the contractor. I’d almost prefer they walk away and release us from any money due. We only gave $50 to get on their work calendar.

Also looking for suggestions on how it can be made to look better without having to bust up and re-pour.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
$50 for what? So you have paid nothing for the work? Where is the original part ? I am totally confused about what they were matching and of course this is a mess but you paid nothing so not sure what the recourse is other than getting another contractor. Where I love no one woudl do this work in January. What was the weather like where you are in January, seems like the winter has been weird everywhere.
saminnie thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
2 months ago
Needs to be ripped out and re-poured nothing will fix that. If there was a step up into the enclosed area you could do a 2" cap over it, but you are out of luck in this case. Call someone who knows what they doing.

Good luck.
saminnie thanked GN Builders L.L.C
Related Discussions
Exposed aggregate & patio pavers?
Q
Comments (1)
Don't be scared. You actually see this a lot in a slightly different context. Think of all of the walkways that you see which come off of a driveway. You don't really notice it because you don't think of one being the extension of the other. It is the same with the walk except that you are fixated on thinking the patio is an extension of the walk. When it is built, you may find that it works just like a driveway/walk relationship.
...See More
My Green Patio
Q
Comments (3)
There are various enzyme-based cleaners on the market for this purpose. You can usually find them at places like home improvement stores (Lowe's, HD). They are typically concentrates you dilute and spray on, allow to sit for a period of time then hose and brush off. About as much time and effort as involved as power washing, all in all :-) Using a bleach solution works well also but poses some issues with the environment - at least the immediate environment. The enzymes are totally safe. As you might tell, I have the same issues. With our moist winters, concrete surfaces that are not in a full open exposure tend to grow some serious crops of algae over winter. And older pavers or exposed aggregate surfaces seem to do a better job of hosting them than smooth finishes. Sealing the surface might be the only long term solution.
...See More
My MD Pool build
Q
Comments (13)
We just upgraded the slide within the last 3 weeks and the drawing was done in Aug. so it is not correct. The fire pit is not on the drawing either. The drawing was done for the 15' 5" slide. We are not sure exactly how the patio will be laid out yet either but we were quoted for 1300sq ft. They told me they would lay it out well in advance so I can move it if I would like more or less in a certain area. As for the other questions I am not 100% sure. We told him we wanted the maximum amount of jets that we can have on that pump and still get max. pressure. There are pipes sticking out of the back of the spa with a separate valve, if that answers your question. I will have to get a pic of the back of the spa and post it. They have 2 valves under pressure at this time. One is out of the spa and one out of the deep end. The pad has not been laid yet and trenches have not yet been dug so I don't know about the line. They are planning to come out tomorrow to begin grading the dirt. We had 3+'" of rain here last week and it is still really wet. I have a shed that I bought that they need to place. All the eqip. will go behind the shed. My husbands biggest pet peeve is being able to see the eqip. in plain view. Before I added the fire pit and larger slide he was telling me they had about 14 days of physical labor left, not counting permit checks. I was hoping to have it done by April 15th but between rain and other factors I don't see that happening. I really need time to get out and landscape before the pool party season begins. We have a grass service so we don't want any grass inside the fenced in area. We have a lot of work to do. I was so happy with the spa stone. I was shocked when the were using individual stones. I assumed it would be stone veneer. The fire pit will have the same stone. As you can see they ran out of coping for around the spa but they will be back to do the fire pit coping so they will finish then.
...See More
Any Opinions or Photos of River Rock, Exposed Aggregate Patios?
Q
Comments (39)
In my last home, on the advice of a landscape architect, we used pami pebbles for our aggregate walkway/patio and had the concrete mix tinted a medium brown-reddish color. It was a beautiful combination, especially in contrast with plant materials and a flagstone and brick accent wall. Got many compliments over the years. I didn't find it hard to walk on with bare feet because the pami pebbles are so smooth. We had our backyard patio installed a few years later by a different company and was talked out of using the same materials. Never liked the patio as much as the front yard - in looks or bare-foot comfort.
...See More
3onthetree
2 months ago
I would expect that an accelerator was used in the mix, not a retarder, for a cold-weather pour. That would then vibe with what looks like the pea gravel was tossed on an already set slab, so when they washed the cream off some of the stones just washed away.

If they come back, expect that they will combine demo with another job nearby, so you might have to wait for that. The expense of bringing a bobcat and dump truck to site and then disposing the concrete isn't worth doing just a small slab.
saminnie thanked 3onthetree
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
2 months ago
It's a simple case of SCALING

Scaling is a form of disintegration. A common cause of scaling could be freezing and thawing

conditions. Flaking or peeling is normally a form of scaling. Scaling, which can also be referred to as spalling, is rated based on the depth of the defect.

The rating usually goes is as follows:

1. Light spalling is when the loss of surface mortar does not expose any coarse

aggregate.

2. Medium spalling occurs when the damage has a depth of up to 0.4"

3. Severe spalling is determined when the depth of the damage ranges from 0.2

to 0.4". There is also some loss of mortar surrounding aggregate particles

with a depth range of 0.4 to 0.8".

4. Very severe spalling is the loss of coarse aggregate particles, as well as surface

mortar and surrounding aggregate, generally to a depth greater than 0.8".

Other reasons for scaling could be:
- Improper concrete mix.
- The use of air-entrained agents.
- Improper concrete finishing.
- Water shouldn't be added to the concrete surface during finishing works.(you see this issue when they pour too much of an area and it starts to set faster before finishing work so they add water to the surface)
- If it's poured during freezing weather concrete must be protected from freezing and thawing cycles so if there is a need to pour during the winter we use blankets.
- Another cause is the usage of corrosive materials like salts, etc.
Good luck.
saminnie thanked GN Builders L.L.C

Exposed Aggregate Patio

Comments (4)

Patricia Colwell Consulting

GN Builders L.L.C

Related Discussions

3onthetree

GN Builders L.L.C

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US