# exposed aggregate



## deborah's hb (Jul 2, 2006)

Hello, 
     I Just Had A Patio Done With The Exposed Aggregate. The Main Pad Was Divided Into 4 Sections. The Surface On The One Section Is Rough With A Coarse Appearance And Touch. The Contractor Has Admitted That Too Much Of The Concrete Was Washed Away. He Floated In Some Stones When The Epoxy Finish Was Applied. It Looks A Little Better But Still Noticeable. We Talked About Solutions. He Might Have To Lift Out That Section, A Nightmare That I Want To Avoid!!!!  Any Suggestions??? Thanks


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## asbestos (Jul 6, 2006)

grind the whole thing down terazzo style
make it smooth or textured concrete
put decking over it
cover it with tile
as you might have guessed I do not like EA that much


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## glennjanie (Jul 7, 2006)

It is the nature of exposed agregate to have some variations in the finish. If you burst that section out and replace it the concrete will be a different color and the EA will be entirely different. It may look a little bad now but it can certainly look worse! You could repour the whole job to make it match up better but we don't even want to talk about that, do we?
Glenn


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## LoneJeeper (May 29, 2007)

asbestos said:


> as you might have guessed I do not like EA that much



why not?  Just aesthetics or are there other issues?


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## mudmixer (May 29, 2007)

LoneJeeper -

Not all areas of the country have good contractors and suppliers experienced with exposed aggregate.

I had a small (15 x 20) exposed aggregate patio done.

The contractor did not have to call a day ahead, but called at 8:00AM while forming and placing wire for a load of "MacDonald's Mix" (designed for exposed aggregate at the "Golden Arches" for winter durability - 5000 psi and air entrained) to be delivered at 12:00. This is a standard mix. They were done at 3:00.

Then, a problem became evident at 7:30 the next morning. When they came to wash it, they discovered the retarder was mis-labeled and was actually curing compound. Tear out (with mesh of course), reform amd reorder for 11:00 concrete. It came and they were gone at 1:30. Back the next AM to wash. Clean and coat the next day. - My exposed aggregate patio that may have cost $500 more than plain concrete increased the value of my townhouse by much more the extra above plain concrete and I get to look at something much nicer.

Exposed aggregate is obviously more expensive because of extra steps AND the potential for mistakes (mislabled sprayers, etc.), but good contractors and suppliers recognize the extra cost to do a better job.

The mistake cost me nothing because the contractor recognized the extra labor to do it right in the end and someone may have had to pay for the mislabled spray problem (changed suppliers, so the smeel was not a tip-off).

If I could not have felt confident in the contractor doing exposed, I would have had someone else do concrete pavers for a real first-class job.

A plain concrete patio would have been adequate, but it would not have been a good investment when you have good contractors and ready-mix suppliers available.


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## asbestos (Jun 3, 2007)

LoneJeeper said:


> why not?  Just aesthetics or are there other issues?



IMCO it is just as attractive as cottage cheese ceilings in a house Yeeechh
U-G-L-Y it ain't got no alibi it's ugly, yeah its ugly. 
The fact that there is a "Mac Mix" (I would think it would be McMix) shows how lame it is. 
Also it grows moss around here like no ones business.


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## glennjanie (Jun 3, 2007)

I think the exposed agregate concrete we use here in the Ohio valley is very pretty. Maybe our pea gravel (river rock) looks better than in other areas.
Many of our parks and recreation areas use the exposed agregate for a natural look instead of the hard, bleak look of concrete. It is well known that Kentucky has a top-notch parks system, second to none.
Glenn


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## mudmixer (Jun 3, 2007)

asbestos -

The "Mac Mix" is a local name (combination of a project and a quality control person/engineer) given because of the standardization and quality of the materials - something like the general opinion of "asbestos".

The surface of the concrete has nothing to do with the "moss" that grows due to the unsatisfactory conditions for man and building materials.

Exposed aggregate can be a real asset if you are lucky to have a wide range of quality aggregates. It is proven in harsh climates where duribility is a prime consideration instead of mold and moss that is allowed to exist.


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