# bad concrete on pool decking



## mmmon13 (May 24, 2011)

we hired a contractor to resurface our pool decking, it looked bad from the start, discolored in several different variations, cracks, etc. they did pour the concrete during a temp. of 25degrees? That was a year ago, since then it has turned into a hideous site. it cracks when you walk on it. attachede are some photos, please give me any information.; from the research ive done, i have come to the conclusion it was a bad batch of "aggregate", but the contractor hasn't agreed to do a thing. what are my options? thank you.


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## oldognewtrick (May 24, 2011)

You say that it looked bad from the start, did you pay them? Has the contractor been back to see the mess they left? 

Options...clean slate and start all over again...oh by the way,  to House Repair Talk!


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## nealtw (May 25, 2011)

In Canada 25 degrees is a warm day but I suspect your 25 was below freezing. Did he attempt to keep it warm after putting it down.


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## itsreallyconc (May 27, 2011)

*suspect prep work was incorrect ( 25* C= 77* F - perfect temp,,, resurfacing would generally not require coarse aggregate as the thickness would normally be 1/8" or less,,, i'll bet aggregate failure isn't the cause.


' resurface OR pour the concrete ? ? ?  your post doesn't make clear just what you contracted to have done,,, trying to discover options after paying a bill is backwards imo.*


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## nealtw (May 27, 2011)

If it was 77 degrees with a little wind the surface may have dried to fast.


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## itsreallyconc (May 27, 2011)

*so true & if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his *** when he tried to fly across the floor    UNLESS the op clarifies the post, we'll never know, neal*


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## oldognewtrick (May 27, 2011)

Seeings how the op is from Georgia, I'd suspect it was 25' F. Does it get that cold in GA?


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## itsreallyconc (May 27, 2011)

*i agree & wonder HTH DID I MISS THAT, dog ? ? ?  augusta ?  yep, it does get that cold,,, still looks like an overlay to me & they're very tricky when it comes to low temps - we worked in augusta for several yrs & still don't take chances on o'lays at lo temps,,, wait til it warms  is ALWAYS easier,,, cold-weather placing of conc is 1 thing IF you're experienced & have curing blankets or other aids - o'lays are another*


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## oldognewtrick (May 27, 2011)

...but you do have bull frogs with wings, huh? Heck we have cicadas out the wazoo right now and I thought they were bad


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## itsreallyconc (May 27, 2011)

*enough w/explaining to me what i meant to say - that is the exclusive province of my bride, nagzilla  :rofl:*


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## oldognewtrick (May 27, 2011)

itsreallyconc said:


> *enough w/explaining to me what i meant to say - that is the exclusive province of my bride, nagzilla  :rofl:*



...I married her sister


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## ConcreteTreat (Jun 1, 2011)

mmmon13 said:


> we hired a contractor to resurface our pool decking, it looked bad from the start, discolored in several different variations, cracks, etc. they did pour the concrete during a temp. of 25degrees? That was a year ago, since then it has turned into a hideous site. it cracks when you walk on it. attachede are some photos, please give me any information.; from the research ive done, i have come to the conclusion it was a bad batch of "aggregate", but the contractor hasn't agreed to do a thing. what are my options? thank you.



25 degrees, hm?  I'm going to assume you mean Fahrenheit.  ;-)

What you see there is concrete "spalling" -- and an incredibly bad case of it, at that.  It happens like this:

When your concrete slab was poured, the contractor probably "creamed" the surface to give it a professional, polished look.  Unfortunately, as the concrete was curing during these freezing conditions, water seeped underneath this delicate 'creamed' surface and froze there.  Water expands as it freezes, and it caused the surface to "pop" off, which is what you see there.

I am 99% sure that's what happened here.  If it is, then it would definitely be the contractor's fault.

If the contractor won't help you, your next step would probably be the Better Business Bureau, or some similar consumer protection agency.  Also, it won't get you any money back, but you could tell your story on review sites like Google's Business listing to help warn other homeowners away from bad contractors.


-----

Gale
Concrete Treat:  Concrete Sealer


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## BritKnee (Jun 1, 2011)

I would have called a lawyer if they wont come make this right. That is AWFUL!


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## 911handyman (Jun 4, 2011)

We have seen this before the cause is pouring when its too cold. What happens is concrete has water in it when temperatures drop below 32 degrees and freezes thats ok but the concern is when the concrete thaws the water needs room to expand. What happened to your concrete is called top pop. which is where the top pops off due to freezing and thawing of water in the mix. Never pour in cold weather unless you have concrete blankets and some form of heat. After seeing your photos, you should remove all of the concrete and start over. visit Avoid Concrete Mistakes - 911handyman.com | 911handyman.com or Completed Project&#039;s - 911handyman.com | 911handyman.com


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## itsreallyconc (Jun 4, 2011)

*it isn't spalling but it IS a frozen top,,, not sure who supplied the conc but there should have been air in it ( air entrainment ),,, know many of the guys who place & finish conc around augusta/aiken/etc,,, i would suspect whoever did the work never anticipated such low temps & had little experience in handling the threat,,, scarifying the top 1/2" ( or as required ) can be an acceptable repair however you did pay for an acceptable job,,, hopefully you can find someone who will be able to ' persuade ' the contractor to do the right thing !
*


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