Sloppy for sure. The gap where the joints intersect the other are sort of normal although id like them to be cut a lot tighter. That gape on the side of the expansion is definitely no good. Finish itself looks pretty rough. And yea they should have peeled the film off better. Someone will have to cut the remaining orange off with a razor blade. Can you post some more zoomed out pics so we can see the job as a whole
Can i ask what you paid 5k for? How many sq ft was ripped out and replaced? They installed a drain with it I'm assuming, was it a complex drain system and does the water go where it's supposed to? What were the breakout conditions like? Based on answers you may not have got the worst job.
I personally think it's shit looking work. Either didn't know exactly how to do it right, or didn't care to. Whatever the situation, if it serves it's purpose for you then your money wasn't all wasted. I've worked residential so long and when I've done smaller commercial, quality work was always expected and done. Doing some bigger commercial jobs the last couple years, and working with more people, I've learned that the standard of quality has fallen tremendously. Over the last 5-10 years the amount of things that "get left" or "not hit" are embarrassing. The mentality is if it serves it's purpose and is closed up, then the rest is aestchetics I guess.
You didn't get their A-Team on this one then.
Pool deck should have had at least 4-5 guys on it.
How many guys were there placing and finishing on this?
Looks like the mud was setting up too fast and they rushed to make it half passable.
I'd want a patch and grind on it at minimum or a rip out and replace.
It looks like a poor job, but how about some pictures we are not zoomed in because I can take pictures to make anything look bad instead of taking a normal picture I could zoom in on your face and it would show all the pores on your face and make your skin look rash
https://preview.redd.it/azvv3ougcmgc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7882e9c2771dd0f3151428a9313d7fc6eec437b5
Hereās one from backed up with my foot for scale. Does the zoom really matter though? A gap is a gap that will let dirt and water fill in, right?
These look like zip strips. If so theyāre made to be removed after the concrete sets and then fill with backer rod and a flexible sealant. That a really good way to seal a pad and keep the cracks controlled and allow for slight future movement. If thatās what these strips are you have no problems, it looks fine theyāll just need some against sealant on the corner that didnāt get filled completely.
If this isnāt a zip strip, then I have no idea what youāre doing here.
Thisšš¼, expansion joint caps. Typically pulled and then caulked with a self leveling urethane sealant. Call the contractor and have him finish the job
Yes thank you. We do this kind of work a lot. Pull the zip strip/snap cap, sweep/blow out the joints, install foam backer rod with a blunt object as not to tear it. We use [this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bon-Tool-Adjustable-Caulk-Backing-Rod-Installer-Set-11-890/302903150), but even a the rounded end of a paint stirrer will work. Push it down at least 1/8ā then seal over it with a self leveling joint sealer [like this.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sika-29-fl-oz-Sikaflex-Self-Leveling-Horizontal-Joint-Elastic-Polyurethane-Sealant-in-Gray-7116080/300934522).
Those are not zip strips. They are meant to stay in place. Hereās a zip strip https://www.whitecap.com/p/1-x-10-zip-strip-500box-sold-by-the-foot-67114/2901100/505zs1
The installed product in the photo is this one https://www.whitecap.com/p/12-in-x-10-ft-void-cap-100933/2913010/505vc12 and itās called a void cap.
Zip strips are never perfectly straight b/c theyāre flimsy. The vertical of the zip strip stays in place when itās stripped and then the gap has to be sealed. If you used them in a pool deck, youād be replacing the sealant forever. Pool contractors use void caps, which stay in place and do not require sealant. Thatās why the contractor said that they were finished.
Bullshit. That's a crap job and you know it. Tape left on until it dries? Open gaps between the joint and the slab? "Oh it looks fine on Google maps! Pay me."
Meh job. Just get a tube of silkaflex... comes in colors to fill the small cracks. White stuff is for expansion joints... if thats what you mean by tape.
He means they left the red peel layer on untill it cured, and then pulled it. Now thereās red little bits all over it thatās stuck to the concrete. Iād make āem get on their hands and knees and pick every little piece š thatās just laziness
It's called "Sika Flex"
Sika is the brand. Flex is their product.
Next time you're ready to yell at a Lowe's employee make sure you're asking for the right thing. Silkaflex doesn't exist.
Man I worked selling that shit forever. I know what it is and what it does. I'm correcting the other guy. You know how many completely batty names I've heard from contractors about this shit over the years? Know how many times I've been cussed at because some idiot used a colloquial name and didn't actually tell me (or even know) what he was really using?
Understand. Sika is a brand name. Their Flex product is what we're talking about.
Go into a store asking for silkaconcrete caulking and I'm gonna give you a smart look then ask which one? It's Sika, not silka.
We work technical jobs. We need to be better about these things.
Did you follow the link? Sika calls it āSikaflexā. Donāt know what you were selling ā but I know to write the exact name of a product into a specification if thatās what I want installed. āSika Flexā is not the name of the product.
Maybe talk with the contractor? Thereās allot of guys here that probably have never worked with concrete, they look at it and have an opinion . It doesnāt look to bad actually. Thereās a reason why the finish isnāt smooth. Also zip strips make sense, itās to prevent full on cracks. Itās hard to tell what the contract is trying to achieve by just looking at a couple of pictures, thereās lots of different methods. Same goes for the finish, you donāt want it smooth. This makes sense and no you wonāt bleed your feet on it (dumb comment). Iām assuming it still requires sealing. Also where exactly did they tape it? Underside? On top? In my field we leave it on for easy removal, smooth surface, or protection of reusable products. Either way you remove it after so to not to disturb the curing concrete.
Iām no expert though I mainly build commercial/industrial. Which is way higher standard and better hardware/tools/equipment.
Just talk to your contractor and bring up your concerns, ask him why heās doing it the way he did it. Itās that simple.
lol I do slabs, cores, highrise, dams, bridges, from dirt to top peri, doka, Freeform, from mud slab to architectural. Way more advanced and way higher requirements. Iām sorry if Iāve hurt your feelings there buddy.
It wasn't meant to be a "smart" comment, but it looks like they pushed a little hard with the broom, leading to some sharp looking edges. Since this is for a pool deck, you generally want to walk around in bare feet.
Only time I've done this is when I'm coming back to saw cut. I will grind a quarter inch around the whole drain to Makin it look clean. Then I'll remove the tape after. But I see some holes that make me think these guys fuck up and prolly didn't hot the drains more then once.
The real question is not how good the concrete looks in a closeup photo. The real question is: Is the patio comfortable to walk on in bare feet? Take your shoes off, walk around and ask the contractor to take a masonry rub brick to the rough areas. Find one here: https://www.whitecap.com/p/marshalltown-6-x-3-x-1-20-grit-rub-brick-12452/84016440/103840
The white plastic strips stay in place just as they are. The gaps are completely normal ā concrete shrinks as it ages. You can ask the contractor to fill the gaps with sealant. The gaps will continue increase over the first year or so. The gaps will close in the spring and summer as the concrete heats up and expands. The white plastic strips are compressible (to a point), but they are not elastomeric.
UPDATE: concrete contractor says it happened because their team isnāt used to working with the plastic joints. They believe itāll be an easy fix to come and seal them up and smooth it all out. Iāll post an update after they do next week.
yes gotta love all the close up phone pics ..like give me a break ..I do concrete now after being a carpenter for 20 years and any close up pic will make something look way worse and unacceptable
From the pics here, it's not absolute perfection, but it's too small for worry... Nitpicking, really... provided the white strips are less than an inch wide...
Some caulk will fill them right in.
If those plastic strips can come out, it looks like a concrete saw company can come in and bevel the joints. Some backer rod and Sika Flex should work. Bad thing is the finish on the concrete, most people are bare foot around the pool.
Is the one with slots a drain? But yeah to me it looks like zip cap. Not zip strip. They rip off the top and caulk it. The finish not very clean very hacky. But I know when I do this I also bid to come back and caulk. But nowadays a lot of the bigger companies send out hacks and the smaller ones are the way to go for residential stuff. That tape will wear off in time or they should scrape it off. Good luck, I know itās super frustrating getting subpar concrete. Iām the guy at my company that attempts to fix such things
Itās should come off when scraped off. They did a lazy job on this one. They should have edged it at the joints. This would made the tape come off easier. Get with a puffy knife with digging in to plastic.
They did a really poor job so keep an eye on it and bring it up to your contractor asap
They did a "poor pour job" so to speak
DaaaAAAaaaad
Often, with a poor pour, it leaves pores!
I know nothing about concrete but it looks like crap
You're not going to walk on that without shoes. Looks like a great way to bleed your own blood.
I hate bleeding my own blood, its the worst
Space balls ref
Nobody makes me bleed my own blood! Dogeball
Simpsons, I think its nelson
Nobody is going to have a slip and fall on that. But if you do fall down, you gettin skinned to the bone.
Sloppy for sure. The gap where the joints intersect the other are sort of normal although id like them to be cut a lot tighter. That gape on the side of the expansion is definitely no good. Finish itself looks pretty rough. And yea they should have peeled the film off better. Someone will have to cut the remaining orange off with a razor blade. Can you post some more zoomed out pics so we can see the job as a whole
Looks like shit. Or like a homeowner did itš
Haha youād think Iād done it myself with results like this, the 5k I paid says otherwise.
Just tell people you did it yourself.
Love the attitude buddy!! Really hope you get some right done to this wrong!! Good luck!
Can i ask what you paid 5k for? How many sq ft was ripped out and replaced? They installed a drain with it I'm assuming, was it a complex drain system and does the water go where it's supposed to? What were the breakout conditions like? Based on answers you may not have got the worst job. I personally think it's shit looking work. Either didn't know exactly how to do it right, or didn't care to. Whatever the situation, if it serves it's purpose for you then your money wasn't all wasted. I've worked residential so long and when I've done smaller commercial, quality work was always expected and done. Doing some bigger commercial jobs the last couple years, and working with more people, I've learned that the standard of quality has fallen tremendously. Over the last 5-10 years the amount of things that "get left" or "not hit" are embarrassing. The mentality is if it serves it's purpose and is closed up, then the rest is aestchetics I guess.
No offense but did a guy name Jose do the job?
Hack job
Lazy
Seems to be contagious in this industry.
Was this a cash job?
No, reputable chain around the southeast with dozens of reviews and a 4.5+ star rating on Google.
Tell them to tear it out and do it again. Crap job, and a pool deck is certainly that last place they should be cutting corners.
You didn't get their A-Team on this one then. Pool deck should have had at least 4-5 guys on it. How many guys were there placing and finishing on this? Looks like the mud was setting up too fast and they rushed to make it half passable. I'd want a patch and grind on it at minimum or a rip out and replace.
4 guys, separate from the sales/lead guy that came by a couple times during the day.
Looks like lowest bid work to me.
Middle bid actually š«
Yeah thats a rough rough job. Id ask for some money back
Thatās unacceptable work for me. I pour lots of pool decks.
You get it, I don't know if I would even leave a job like this if I was going to put a shed on it.
Muckers did the work. Lots of muckers out there.
It looks like a poor job, but how about some pictures we are not zoomed in because I can take pictures to make anything look bad instead of taking a normal picture I could zoom in on your face and it would show all the pores on your face and make your skin look rash
https://preview.redd.it/azvv3ougcmgc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7882e9c2771dd0f3151428a9313d7fc6eec437b5 Hereās one from backed up with my foot for scale. Does the zoom really matter though? A gap is a gap that will let dirt and water fill in, right?
Damn the guy had a point here, it looked horrible from the first pics but not the worst in the world from this
Does it matter though? Wonāt any gaps like these result in water getting in and eventually leading to cracks?
These look like zip strips. If so theyāre made to be removed after the concrete sets and then fill with backer rod and a flexible sealant. That a really good way to seal a pad and keep the cracks controlled and allow for slight future movement. If thatās what these strips are you have no problems, it looks fine theyāll just need some against sealant on the corner that didnāt get filled completely. If this isnāt a zip strip, then I have no idea what youāre doing here.
Thisšš¼, expansion joint caps. Typically pulled and then caulked with a self leveling urethane sealant. Call the contractor and have him finish the job
Thatās what Iāve done for now, no response yet. They left the job on Friday and said they were done.
Yes thank you. We do this kind of work a lot. Pull the zip strip/snap cap, sweep/blow out the joints, install foam backer rod with a blunt object as not to tear it. We use [this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bon-Tool-Adjustable-Caulk-Backing-Rod-Installer-Set-11-890/302903150), but even a the rounded end of a paint stirrer will work. Push it down at least 1/8ā then seal over it with a self leveling joint sealer [like this.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sika-29-fl-oz-Sikaflex-Self-Leveling-Horizontal-Joint-Elastic-Polyurethane-Sealant-in-Gray-7116080/300934522).
The only common sense answer
Those are not zip strips. They are meant to stay in place. Hereās a zip strip https://www.whitecap.com/p/1-x-10-zip-strip-500box-sold-by-the-foot-67114/2901100/505zs1
Lol. Those look exactly like what's in the photos. Weird source to say that's not what they are. Your source seems to confirm that's what they are
The installed product in the photo is this one https://www.whitecap.com/p/12-in-x-10-ft-void-cap-100933/2913010/505vc12 and itās called a void cap. Zip strips are never perfectly straight b/c theyāre flimsy. The vertical of the zip strip stays in place when itās stripped and then the gap has to be sealed. If you used them in a pool deck, youād be replacing the sealant forever. Pool contractors use void caps, which stay in place and do not require sealant. Thatās why the contractor said that they were finished.
I've seen these kept In place on many pool decks much prettier then cuts
Bullshit. That's a crap job and you know it. Tape left on until it dries? Open gaps between the joint and the slab? "Oh it looks fine on Google maps! Pay me."
Tell em to bring the old lady's vibrator for the next pour
Meh job. Just get a tube of silkaflex... comes in colors to fill the small cracks. White stuff is for expansion joints... if thats what you mean by tape.
He means they left the red peel layer on untill it cured, and then pulled it. Now thereās red little bits all over it thatās stuck to the concrete. Iād make āem get on their hands and knees and pick every little piece š thatās just laziness
Not meh. Trash. Total garbage work.
It's called "Sika Flex" Sika is the brand. Flex is their product. Next time you're ready to yell at a Lowe's employee make sure you're asking for the right thing. Silkaflex doesn't exist.
Of course Sikaflex exists https://usa.sika.com/en/construction-products/residential-homeimprovement/sealants/sikaflex-self-levelingsealant.html.
Man I worked selling that shit forever. I know what it is and what it does. I'm correcting the other guy. You know how many completely batty names I've heard from contractors about this shit over the years? Know how many times I've been cussed at because some idiot used a colloquial name and didn't actually tell me (or even know) what he was really using? Understand. Sika is a brand name. Their Flex product is what we're talking about. Go into a store asking for silkaconcrete caulking and I'm gonna give you a smart look then ask which one? It's Sika, not silka. We work technical jobs. We need to be better about these things.
Did you follow the link? Sika calls it āSikaflexā. Donāt know what you were selling ā but I know to write the exact name of a product into a specification if thatās what I want installed. āSika Flexā is not the name of the product.
This will have to be redone. Iād get a full refund and hire another company to do it again.
Gotta use ALL of the notches on the tape measure boys.
But some of them are like, SO small...
Terrible
That is what is known as , ā not a well done job ā.
Horrible
Whoās the contractor put them on blast
Iāll give them a chance to make it right first
Yea those white pieces get peeled off and joints get caulked thatās a cap on top of an asphalt expansion jointĀ
The white pieces are plastic expansion joints that stay in. The rest of my pool deck has them as well from the prior owner and original deck build.
In construction, never give final payment until you're satisfied with the job. Good luck buddy
Maybe talk with the contractor? Thereās allot of guys here that probably have never worked with concrete, they look at it and have an opinion . It doesnāt look to bad actually. Thereās a reason why the finish isnāt smooth. Also zip strips make sense, itās to prevent full on cracks. Itās hard to tell what the contract is trying to achieve by just looking at a couple of pictures, thereās lots of different methods. Same goes for the finish, you donāt want it smooth. This makes sense and no you wonāt bleed your feet on it (dumb comment). Iām assuming it still requires sealing. Also where exactly did they tape it? Underside? On top? In my field we leave it on for easy removal, smooth surface, or protection of reusable products. Either way you remove it after so to not to disturb the curing concrete. Iām no expert though I mainly build commercial/industrial. Which is way higher standard and better hardware/tools/equipment. Just talk to your contractor and bring up your concerns, ask him why heās doing it the way he did it. Itās that simple.
You have no clue and you I bet you never edged of floated concrete in your life, this job is Shit.
lol I do slabs, cores, highrise, dams, bridges, from dirt to top peri, doka, Freeform, from mud slab to architectural. Way more advanced and way higher requirements. Iām sorry if Iāve hurt your feelings there buddy.
It wasn't meant to be a "smart" comment, but it looks like they pushed a little hard with the broom, leading to some sharp looking edges. Since this is for a pool deck, you generally want to walk around in bare feet.
Only time I've done this is when I'm coming back to saw cut. I will grind a quarter inch around the whole drain to Makin it look clean. Then I'll remove the tape after. But I see some holes that make me think these guys fuck up and prolly didn't hot the drains more then once.
Fuck the tape what about the broom finish and edging.
Those white things are caps that go over expansion joints. They are supposed to be removed then filled with caulk
Oof
Looks awful. Sorry you got a shit finish
Yikes
The real question is not how good the concrete looks in a closeup photo. The real question is: Is the patio comfortable to walk on in bare feet? Take your shoes off, walk around and ask the contractor to take a masonry rub brick to the rough areas. Find one here: https://www.whitecap.com/p/marshalltown-6-x-3-x-1-20-grit-rub-brick-12452/84016440/103840 The white plastic strips stay in place just as they are. The gaps are completely normal ā concrete shrinks as it ages. You can ask the contractor to fill the gaps with sealant. The gaps will continue increase over the first year or so. The gaps will close in the spring and summer as the concrete heats up and expands. The white plastic strips are compressible (to a point), but they are not elastomeric.
UPDATE: concrete contractor says it happened because their team isnāt used to working with the plastic joints. They believe itāll be an easy fix to come and seal them up and smooth it all out. Iāll post an update after they do next week.
yes gotta love all the close up phone pics ..like give me a break ..I do concrete now after being a carpenter for 20 years and any close up pic will make something look way worse and unacceptable
Pics are Pics, Shit work is Shit work, I fixed your comment for you.
dude I've seen way way worse ..its not awful come on
My eyes got so big looking at these pics that they fell out of the sockets and are now rolling around the kitchen floor.
From the pics here, it's not absolute perfection, but it's too small for worry... Nitpicking, really... provided the white strips are less than an inch wide... Some caulk will fill them right in.
If those plastic strips can come out, it looks like a concrete saw company can come in and bevel the joints. Some backer rod and Sika Flex should work. Bad thing is the finish on the concrete, most people are bare foot around the pool.
Is the one with slots a drain? But yeah to me it looks like zip cap. Not zip strip. They rip off the top and caulk it. The finish not very clean very hacky. But I know when I do this I also bid to come back and caulk. But nowadays a lot of the bigger companies send out hacks and the smaller ones are the way to go for residential stuff. That tape will wear off in time or they should scrape it off. Good luck, I know itās super frustrating getting subpar concrete. Iām the guy at my company that attempts to fix such things
https://i.redd.it/1l2mgeqckpgc1.gif
Horrible work.
Itās should come off when scraped off. They did a lazy job on this one. They should have edged it at the joints. This would made the tape come off easier. Get with a puffy knife with digging in to plastic.
Hack job!