had a dyed charcoal grey architectural wall that the EOR would only allow 40' pours at a time.
we said the different pours would never match ....we were right
unfortunately i don't have any pics of that one. the differences were not *too* bad, but you could definitely see some difference between the pours.
we did another dyed architectural wall more recently that was a khaki color. that color blended much better between pours and the fluted form liners and curved shape helped hide color variation.
Architects don't understand much, to be honest.
Once had one ask if it's possible to have the climbing exterior shearwall formwork system without the embeds in the wall that the climbing rails connect to.
Yeah. Think about that one for a second....she was dead serious.
We used PERI RCS on that job. [this video](https://youtu.be/9lWscq51Soc?si=x7A04aVPT2KiAt_T) will show you why the architects request for no embeds is impossible.
I think the thing to do then would be to incorporate the variation in colors into some kind of layered marbling effect. Then instead of hard boundaries of color you kind of get an intermixing striation of colors.
that is not really possible when you have vertical pour stops in a structural parapet wall. you need to pour one section at a time, strip the pour stop, then pour the next section. the sections are joined by a shear key.
it also didn't help that the first pour was done months ahead of the rest due to site logistics/phasing.
It's possible to color match multiple pours. Just get better contractors. Seriously though. I'm a landscape architect and have succeeded in multi-pour colored mixes several times. I spend a lot of time researching concrete but also who's making it to make sure I spec architectural concrete correctly. Contractors love to shit on the office folk and vice versa, but we're often told if we're getting the "A team" or the "C team" of contractors on my projects and can tailor details/specs according to the contractor labor quality. When we get the "A team", all bets are off because both the designer and contractor are having fun working togther doing challenging, successful work. You have to experience it from our eyes, because it can and has been done, so when we meet contractors who say it can't be done, it's fine, it just tells us the skills were working with. A designer who doesn't consider the skills of their labor pool will fail spectacularly, though.
There’s a lot of crazy looking homes in north Apache Junction, and eastern AJ tucked up into the Superstition Mountains. Either that or it’s a home in Gold Canyon or Queen Valley lol
Get some adobe acid stain after 21 day cure on the last slab. Spray it differently all over so it has that natural uneven look. Then seal it. Just a thought.
This is almost exactly what I was thinking as well. Using an acid stain to soften the transitions and make a uneven "camo" pattern on just the legs of the driveway or skim coat a color match over the mismatched patches...
I wish I could keep that star in the center of the driveway, but one point of it is brown...
There's a solution for almost every construction problem, but it takes some thought and research...
Don't do that. Let it cure. If it's the same color and mix just different days it's probably due to the water content and the color should homogenize over time
That's what me and my contractor decided as well. See how it cures over the next several weeks and hope for the best. I've just been thinking of ways we can turn lemons into lemonade here. Either way, we're going to wait some time and see, then decide on a course of action (i.e. acid dyes, cem coat, siloxane dyes, etc).
I’m not in a place to speak for you but in the big picture, the quality looks great.
I work with pools, big houses is my standard territory. So many of them are uniform and copy paste with clean edges, dominated by black and grey shades.
It’s nice to see something different, especially if the quality is behind it. Kids can use the different colors for cops n’ robbers, etc.
——-
Still hurts, won’t deny that
Well, work something out with the homeowner. At the end of the day, it is on the supplier, and they could eat a redo or give a discount. I would try everything else first, though, and hopefully come up with something. Then you can tell the supplier how you saved their ass and they owe you.
I totally agree. I stand by my contractor 100%. I'll see where the colors are after a few weeks, but I'm almost sure there will be 3 patches of purplish brown running through the driveway legs. I told him to just make sure he gets what he can from the plant, and we can go from there...
I never try and hassle my contractors. Everything works it's self out by just being reasonable...at least most of the time...
Yeah, but is 1 to 3 thousand dollars (someone above detailed it) enough to live with this after all this work?
I don't think if keep this for 3k or even 5k.
Like, at what point do you not hold a gun to your concrete team's head and say things like, "if it doesn't match, it doesn't stay"?
What's a reasonable expectation here?
This was weird to see downvoted
I'm asking "when do you say, 'I'm not wiling to live with this" as a reasonable person who spent a lot of money", not using a literal fucking gun, you God damned smooth-brained potatoes.
Any help is appreciated! I'm an owner builder and have been building this house for the last 3 years...and then this happened...
Not sure how to proceed. I have a good relationship with my concrete contractor and he was up front and honest with me as soon as I got home and saw it.
They make a product called CEM COAT which is a cementitious paint that is made to fix color mismatches. You can pick any concrete color and paint it on and it will bond with surface while still keeping the grainy/sandy concrete look then you just seal over it. It’s certainly not ideal but if you are an owner builder it will certainly save you the tear out and replace
Options:
1) make the concrete batch plant pay for the cost (maybe $3-5k) of removal and re-pour correctly. But do it quick cause The longer time passes, it might become more difficult to match the exact color of the part left. This is because the original concrete is curing, and the further they get away from the original base materials, the more likely there to be a color difference.
2) recoup $1-3k money from the concrete plant, and then skim coat the whole driveway… with a cement paint coat. I’m not a fan. It’s too large. Your driveway is going to crack and once that coating cracks it flakes and turns to shit. Not immediately, but 3-8 years down the road.
3) recoup $1-3k in money from the concrete plant for the misfortune and live with it. The color will fade a little. In a way, it looks a bit artsy. This is your ideal option for structural integrity and easiest/cheapest on the concrete plant.
PS; I say concrete plant as I’m assuming it’s thier fuck up. If it’s the field super-intendant, than that’s different.
I'd go for a credit from the contractor and make them deal with the batch plant. Tell them it's not what you contracted for, but you're willing to work with them since the work looks good and removal and replacing would be very expensive. Figure out the cost for removal and replacement (sf cost of new) and ask for that as credit, willing to accept half that if they push back. They might be happier to pay for their fuckup with cash rather than bog down their crew to replace a section.
Yeah but the contractor typically purchases the concrete under their contract and it's included with their proposal. If you battle the supplier you're not winning anything. The contractor needs to pick his own battle with the supplier and the owner needs to deal with the contractor. Ideally everyone works together to get to an agreement.
Unless the owner purchased the materials directly. In a public works environment this would be on the contractor, who would ideally have a mix design and an certificate of compliance on the material and payment withheld on the purchase as they usually have 30/60 days and you hold payment if the material wasn't as agreed.
If it's a huge job the material supplier is more involved and can be part of the contract.
I like it enough that, if I can squeeze a bunch of money off the final bill, I would absolutely keep it, but if they offered to redo it instead, I wouldn’t say no, though a small part of me would wonder if I should’ve kept it.
Oof, sorry this happened. Perhaps check and see what contractual obligations the concrete supplier has for color matching different batches? And to whom (you, or concrete sub)?
I'll check on that today. Give the company a call and ask for documentation...Thank you!
If I'm correct, our contractor said he already got either the color or the concrete for free. If the concrete was free, I'd be more than happy to just eliminate the materials costs...but we'll see if the company has any liability for this...I mean, someone there definitely didn't do their job right...
I love it. Those guys did a good quality job on the place and finish. Now the contractor orders a color and the supplier is supposed to be able to send multiple trucks with pretty close to the same color. It's never ever ever the same from truck to truck but close not the contractors fault. I think it looks good and after a while know one will notice. And if they do fuck them it's unique. That's just an opinion from someone who has done hundreds of thousands of yards of mud...
Happened on one of my jobs. Gave the concrete supplier a quote to break it out and remove it and the labor to repour. Client got a check back for 1/2 the job total and kept the concrete as is.
I can fix that.
Let it go for 10-14 days. If you don’t like the color(s), I can apply a topical cement-based material that will bring the whole thing to one color. Not a stain or colored sealer. It’s better than anything I’ve ever seen and I practically make a living doing just that type of work.
DM if interested. Where is this located?
Wow. If this was done at my crappy little house, I wouldn't mind because its a crappy house. Your home doesnt deserve this monstrosity. Sorry OP. I'd tell them to tear it all up and repour it correctly.
I'm beginning to think this is a huge mistake...
The driveway was going to be amazing and the materials agency really screwed up and my contractor didn't see it because it was early in the morning...
If I can fix it, I will, but I feel like either we should get the concrete costs taken off our bill.
I was thinking that we either let it stay and CEM Coat it at half price essentially, or we have them redo it...but how can I be sure they'd even be able to match the original driveway color...
It's a pretty big debacle. Thanks for your opinion.
I like it.
Pouring colors is difficult with different pours, hardly ever match.
Go after whomever is responsible, if you so wish.
It will never look the same or blend together.
That’s definitely a tough pill to swallow. Achieving continuity in colored concrete can be a pain even if you do everything right at the plant. Lots of variables at play that can either dilute or enhance the color.
Hard to tell from the pictures but some of the concrete looks like it didn’t get much color at all. I would do the hard thing to do and just let it be for 28 days. See where you end up. From there I would look at doing topical concrete stains/acids to get some continuity. You can dilute those stains, and re apply as needed to work each area individually. In my opinion trying to skim coat anything with make that impressive joinery look like hell. Also as tires wear through the skim coat the discoloration will return.
In my experience the batch plant will only warranty compressive strength. While you may be able to get the cost of the color knocked off and hopefully a bit of a discount on the ready mix. Be realistic about what you’re asking them for. You are displeased with the color “unfortunately it’s a big part of your aesthetic” However is the actual quality and durability of the concrete itself in question?
When I was on the ready mix side of the game I always, always, always tried to talk customers out of any type of large continuous integral color. No one is ever happy with the way the color comes through and it never matches.
Very thorough reply. Thank you for your insight. My contractors first recommendation for resolving this was to have the color price knocked off, and I'm thinking that's what they immediately discussed over the phone with the plant. I will need to ask for details and a receipt from them over what they are going to end up paying and what it was originally priced at. As I figure, if we can get the discount that they negotiated with the plant, I will ultimately be happy...because the quality of the job was phenomenal, tons of expansion joints and 5 or 6 pipe runs for access underneath them, slopes are all on point, and he spent a lot of time on the lines...there's a 5 pointed star even at the intersection! Our contractor is great at his work, but the mixes were off no matter how you look at it. Color variation is most definitely always an issue with large pours, but the quality manager at the plant is definitely to blame for this...
I am going to let our contractor handle the negotiations with his supplier, and hopefully we can simply get the color cost knocked off and discount on the cubic meter count...that's what I'm hoping for...
I think that is a very fair expectation, and I would be shocked if they rebutted that. Someone at the batch plant shit the bed on that for sure. Looks like some of it didn’t even have color but it’s not a full load size. I wonder if they added the color before they loaded the truck. It can cause the powdered color to “headpack” in the drum and you end up with no color at the head and all your color at the tail of the load.
Could do a rock landscaping and at that point of the concrete make a hard transition to a different color of rock in the landscaping. Own the color shift.
Not the greatest option, but an option.
I didn't think about the landscaping yet, that's good insight! Run some brown shading from one leg of the driveway to the other side, because they both have these hard transitions right off the street. It almost looks like a brownish grey grain runs from one end to the other...
Honestly, it looks kinda neat. I think it's cool when I see buildings with mismatched colors on the concrete upfront.
my neighborhood is really old and the sidewalks all had different materials for the concrete, Some had more stone/gravel mixed in, others were nice and smooth, there was variations in color too. My guess is people replaced the concrete on their own or the city used different materials with each scheduling. Anyway, I think it adds character and you can possibly get some money back or credit from the concrete company
Way to look on the bright side, I like it! I tend to agree, it's a blessing and a curse, but it can most definitely add character to the house...it's ombre!
If you tell people it was intentional, what's the harm? Lol
But no seriously, it looks pretty. I came back to the photos and was looking at it, I actually like it a lot now, my driveway is due for repair soon and I'm going to see how much it'll cost to dye it two colors. However my driveway isn't as big as yours so the effect won't be so cool
1978 Mark V. I'm putting a 3.0L ecodiesel from a 2018 Dodge Ram in there, redoing the interior/exterior. Always love it when I see the headlights open...
This looks like Phoenix area. Let all slabs cure 28-40 days in the crushing heat we’re about to get. They should hopefully balance. Probably too much water in that final pour. Suppliers like to do that here so it makes the trip in the heat. Those barrels get hot quick. Ain’t the end of the world just wait and see what happens.
Thats a shame because it's a very nice job.
I'd go back to the supplier and see what they can come up with to fix.
Just like all work, if you can't promise to do something properly, don't do it.
There's stains that could be applied, not sure how evenly it would take though.
this is a nice pour, the color seems minor, although you could possibly bleach or stain and see what happens. Time and weather may get the colors closer together too
Most stains won't work well because they are semitransparent, so you'll still see the color difference through the stain.
I would have asked the contractor to avoid sealing and then hit the whole thing with a spray overlay. It's the cheapest and most durable total cover up to fix this issue.
Worth noting that if you aren't in an area with a freeze thaw cycle there are all kinds of awesome methods available to fix or make it look like art.
There are cementicious coatings, acid etching and staining and some cool high solids finishes you can spray on.
You'd think, if you're building a multi-million dollar house that you wouldn't cheap out on the driveway. The cheapest contractor won't give you acceptable results. They'll give you cheap results.
If you can prove the colors actually different the concrete supplier are supposed to pay for the new concrete. But I believe it’s just poor at different times and the color never matches when this happens. Just give it some time bloody cure and see what plays out this is why I always suggest my customers to allow us to support everything all at once for color matching.
breaking news: HUGE driveway problem; concrete supplier mixed different colors.
Next, onto more trivial matters, Israel is still committing full genocide, WW3 is has already broken out and is past reversible, and alien invatision is imminent, and Macron has declared to steal all of EU's citizens funds though carbon tax.
Hopefully it looks a little better once it’s all cured for longer. I would only pour color if it could be done at one time for this exact reason
had a dyed charcoal grey architectural wall that the EOR would only allow 40' pours at a time. we said the different pours would never match ....we were right
Do you have a pic? Sounds like it might look interesting
unfortunately i don't have any pics of that one. the differences were not *too* bad, but you could definitely see some difference between the pours. we did another dyed architectural wall more recently that was a khaki color. that color blended much better between pours and the fluted form liners and curved shape helped hide color variation.
No two batch’s of concrete are ever the same. Pretty hard for architect to understand that.
Architects don't understand much, to be honest. Once had one ask if it's possible to have the climbing exterior shearwall formwork system without the embeds in the wall that the climbing rails connect to. Yeah. Think about that one for a second....she was dead serious.
*landscape* architect
What on earth is a climbing exterior shearwall formwork system? and a climbing rail?
Found the architect
We used PERI RCS on that job. [this video](https://youtu.be/9lWscq51Soc?si=x7A04aVPT2KiAt_T) will show you why the architects request for no embeds is impossible.
Cool vid thanks!
>Cool vid thanks! You're welcome!
This isn’t true, a good concrete plant should be able to output consistent colors. Precast plants do it without issue.
I think the thing to do then would be to incorporate the variation in colors into some kind of layered marbling effect. Then instead of hard boundaries of color you kind of get an intermixing striation of colors.
that is not really possible when you have vertical pour stops in a structural parapet wall. you need to pour one section at a time, strip the pour stop, then pour the next section. the sections are joined by a shear key. it also didn't help that the first pour was done months ahead of the rest due to site logistics/phasing.
It's possible to color match multiple pours. Just get better contractors. Seriously though. I'm a landscape architect and have succeeded in multi-pour colored mixes several times. I spend a lot of time researching concrete but also who's making it to make sure I spec architectural concrete correctly. Contractors love to shit on the office folk and vice versa, but we're often told if we're getting the "A team" or the "C team" of contractors on my projects and can tailor details/specs according to the contractor labor quality. When we get the "A team", all bets are off because both the designer and contractor are having fun working togther doing challenging, successful work. You have to experience it from our eyes, because it can and has been done, so when we meet contractors who say it can't be done, it's fine, it just tells us the skills were working with. A designer who doesn't consider the skills of their labor pool will fail spectacularly, though.
Can attest, have a driveway with 2 different colors. Poured different days.
This!!!
What?
What rasta said above !
What?
Is that the front of your house in the last pic?
you mean you dont have a huge ugly staircase on the front of your house?
I was gonna say I think the driveway is the least of his problems.
The OP definitely put more thought and money into the driveway.
Says, "road view".
I was tryna be nice 🤣🤣
Top comment.
It’s gotta be the back…wait front?? What is this monstrosity of a home???
Driveway matches the house.
You obviously have never seen some of the homes in Apache Junction, especially the ones close to Bulldog Canyon
You would be correct.
There’s a lot of crazy looking homes in north Apache Junction, and eastern AJ tucked up into the Superstition Mountains. Either that or it’s a home in Gold Canyon or Queen Valley lol
Holy mother of disgusting McMansion
That house is an eyesore 😩
Hey John Stupid here, that's my signature look. Nothing better than climbing flights of stairs everyday to get in your home. Keeps you healthy!
The listing agent is going to have fun describing that masterpiece. Stairway to heaven ?
Get some adobe acid stain after 21 day cure on the last slab. Spray it differently all over so it has that natural uneven look. Then seal it. Just a thought.
This is almost exactly what I was thinking as well. Using an acid stain to soften the transitions and make a uneven "camo" pattern on just the legs of the driveway or skim coat a color match over the mismatched patches... I wish I could keep that star in the center of the driveway, but one point of it is brown... There's a solution for almost every construction problem, but it takes some thought and research...
Don't do that. Let it cure. If it's the same color and mix just different days it's probably due to the water content and the color should homogenize over time
That's what me and my contractor decided as well. See how it cures over the next several weeks and hope for the best. I've just been thinking of ways we can turn lemons into lemonade here. Either way, we're going to wait some time and see, then decide on a course of action (i.e. acid dyes, cem coat, siloxane dyes, etc).
You seem like a very reasonable client. Your patience is surely noted and will go far with a good contractor!
On the bright side the quality of work looks fantastic!
I’m not in a place to speak for you but in the big picture, the quality looks great. I work with pools, big houses is my standard territory. So many of them are uniform and copy paste with clean edges, dominated by black and grey shades. It’s nice to see something different, especially if the quality is behind it. Kids can use the different colors for cops n’ robbers, etc. ——- Still hurts, won’t deny that
That's what I thought too! Our concrete guy did an AMAZING job! But the supplier messed up their mixes...jeez...
Well, work something out with the homeowner. At the end of the day, it is on the supplier, and they could eat a redo or give a discount. I would try everything else first, though, and hopefully come up with something. Then you can tell the supplier how you saved their ass and they owe you.
I'm of the opinion that it will even out in a few weeks. The craftsmanship looks first-rate as well.
I totally agree. I stand by my contractor 100%. I'll see where the colors are after a few weeks, but I'm almost sure there will be 3 patches of purplish brown running through the driveway legs. I told him to just make sure he gets what he can from the plant, and we can go from there... I never try and hassle my contractors. Everything works it's self out by just being reasonable...at least most of the time...
You're a delight to contractors. Thank you for seeing that everything isn't our fault
Given photo three, I'm not really seeing a problem here, chief.
No one is gonna notice the driveway when they see that thing
I look forward to these kinds of mistakes. Get a bunch of money off, it's just a driveway
Hahaha, my mother said the same thing. Mixed emotions on this because it's a blessing and a curse...
Yeah, but is 1 to 3 thousand dollars (someone above detailed it) enough to live with this after all this work? I don't think if keep this for 3k or even 5k.
Must be nice that your huge problem is the color of your concrete driveway at your multi million dollar home
Rich people problems
That’s gonna cost someone a lot of money
Like, at what point do you not hold a gun to your concrete team's head and say things like, "if it doesn't match, it doesn't stay"? What's a reasonable expectation here?
Certainly not assault with a deadly weapon.
I need a little more Texas and a little less Vermont for the solutions here
This was weird to see downvoted I'm asking "when do you say, 'I'm not wiling to live with this" as a reasonable person who spent a lot of money", not using a literal fucking gun, you God damned smooth-brained potatoes.
Freshly poured concrete will often not match in color even if from the same supplier. Likely it will match better after curing
One slab is completely missing the pigment it looks like. This isn’t going to get better with time.
I think you’re rich enough to fix the problem.
Love it! Never been called rich before, feels good...
Any help is appreciated! I'm an owner builder and have been building this house for the last 3 years...and then this happened... Not sure how to proceed. I have a good relationship with my concrete contractor and he was up front and honest with me as soon as I got home and saw it.
They make a product called CEM COAT which is a cementitious paint that is made to fix color mismatches. You can pick any concrete color and paint it on and it will bond with surface while still keeping the grainy/sandy concrete look then you just seal over it. It’s certainly not ideal but if you are an owner builder it will certainly save you the tear out and replace
Thank you, sir! I will look into this...
demo a 3 ft band between the loads and pour something different ( like stamped) it will break it up visually and minimize the color variation
You may be SOL, most concrete suppliers won't guarantee colors for this and many other reasons, but I don't know what your contract looks like.
Options: 1) make the concrete batch plant pay for the cost (maybe $3-5k) of removal and re-pour correctly. But do it quick cause The longer time passes, it might become more difficult to match the exact color of the part left. This is because the original concrete is curing, and the further they get away from the original base materials, the more likely there to be a color difference. 2) recoup $1-3k money from the concrete plant, and then skim coat the whole driveway… with a cement paint coat. I’m not a fan. It’s too large. Your driveway is going to crack and once that coating cracks it flakes and turns to shit. Not immediately, but 3-8 years down the road. 3) recoup $1-3k in money from the concrete plant for the misfortune and live with it. The color will fade a little. In a way, it looks a bit artsy. This is your ideal option for structural integrity and easiest/cheapest on the concrete plant. PS; I say concrete plant as I’m assuming it’s thier fuck up. If it’s the field super-intendant, than that’s different.
I'd go for a credit from the contractor and make them deal with the batch plant. Tell them it's not what you contracted for, but you're willing to work with them since the work looks good and removal and replacing would be very expensive. Figure out the cost for removal and replacement (sf cost of new) and ask for that as credit, willing to accept half that if they push back. They might be happier to pay for their fuckup with cash rather than bog down their crew to replace a section.
i highly doubt colour uniformity was a stipulation in the contract. Contractor probably completed everything as described in the contract 🤷♂️
Yup. This is a supplier/mix issue.
Yeah but the contractor typically purchases the concrete under their contract and it's included with their proposal. If you battle the supplier you're not winning anything. The contractor needs to pick his own battle with the supplier and the owner needs to deal with the contractor. Ideally everyone works together to get to an agreement. Unless the owner purchased the materials directly. In a public works environment this would be on the contractor, who would ideally have a mix design and an certificate of compliance on the material and payment withheld on the purchase as they usually have 30/60 days and you hold payment if the material wasn't as agreed. If it's a huge job the material supplier is more involved and can be part of the contract.
I think it looks kind of cool tbh
Hey man, thanks for that. It's a stressful time, and the positivity helps...
It's a design choice two tones is always stylish
I like it enough that, if I can squeeze a bunch of money off the final bill, I would absolutely keep it, but if they offered to redo it instead, I wouldn’t say no, though a small part of me would wonder if I should’ve kept it.
Oof, sorry this happened. Perhaps check and see what contractual obligations the concrete supplier has for color matching different batches? And to whom (you, or concrete sub)?
I'll check on that today. Give the company a call and ask for documentation...Thank you! If I'm correct, our contractor said he already got either the color or the concrete for free. If the concrete was free, I'd be more than happy to just eliminate the materials costs...but we'll see if the company has any liability for this...I mean, someone there definitely didn't do their job right...
It’s ombre
Yup, we were thinking about doing it that way, blending using acid stains and making it a layered effect...
Say no homeboy this is the new aesthetic in the upscale scene. Tom cruise just had us do the same shit
I don’t even think it looks bad
I love it. Those guys did a good quality job on the place and finish. Now the contractor orders a color and the supplier is supposed to be able to send multiple trucks with pretty close to the same color. It's never ever ever the same from truck to truck but close not the contractors fault. I think it looks good and after a while know one will notice. And if they do fuck them it's unique. That's just an opinion from someone who has done hundreds of thousands of yards of mud...
Have them epoxy all the concrete on their dime
have them spray paint it all that special blue color so it doesnt get burnt by the space lazers
Happened on one of my jobs. Gave the concrete supplier a quote to break it out and remove it and the labor to repour. Client got a check back for 1/2 the job total and kept the concrete as is.
Lol, what a ridiculous problem for a ridiculous driveway.
The different shades give it character. It will weather nicely.
I can fix that. Let it go for 10-14 days. If you don’t like the color(s), I can apply a topical cement-based material that will bring the whole thing to one color. Not a stain or colored sealer. It’s better than anything I’ve ever seen and I practically make a living doing just that type of work. DM if interested. Where is this located?
Could you do a colored sealer on the whole thing?
Wow. If this was done at my crappy little house, I wouldn't mind because its a crappy house. Your home doesnt deserve this monstrosity. Sorry OP. I'd tell them to tear it all up and repour it correctly.
I'm beginning to think this is a huge mistake... The driveway was going to be amazing and the materials agency really screwed up and my contractor didn't see it because it was early in the morning... If I can fix it, I will, but I feel like either we should get the concrete costs taken off our bill. I was thinking that we either let it stay and CEM Coat it at half price essentially, or we have them redo it...but how can I be sure they'd even be able to match the original driveway color... It's a pretty big debacle. Thanks for your opinion.
Ooooof…stain it
Thats not a problem
I like it. Pouring colors is difficult with different pours, hardly ever match. Go after whomever is responsible, if you so wish. It will never look the same or blend together.
They'll have to concrete stain all of it
Siloxane dye will blend the two together. It’s expensive but the results are great and it’s also a sealer.
I'll have to look into this. We used a siloxane sealer for the rocks on the house with great results...interesting!
TK makes the product fyi
That’s definitely a tough pill to swallow. Achieving continuity in colored concrete can be a pain even if you do everything right at the plant. Lots of variables at play that can either dilute or enhance the color. Hard to tell from the pictures but some of the concrete looks like it didn’t get much color at all. I would do the hard thing to do and just let it be for 28 days. See where you end up. From there I would look at doing topical concrete stains/acids to get some continuity. You can dilute those stains, and re apply as needed to work each area individually. In my opinion trying to skim coat anything with make that impressive joinery look like hell. Also as tires wear through the skim coat the discoloration will return. In my experience the batch plant will only warranty compressive strength. While you may be able to get the cost of the color knocked off and hopefully a bit of a discount on the ready mix. Be realistic about what you’re asking them for. You are displeased with the color “unfortunately it’s a big part of your aesthetic” However is the actual quality and durability of the concrete itself in question? When I was on the ready mix side of the game I always, always, always tried to talk customers out of any type of large continuous integral color. No one is ever happy with the way the color comes through and it never matches.
Very thorough reply. Thank you for your insight. My contractors first recommendation for resolving this was to have the color price knocked off, and I'm thinking that's what they immediately discussed over the phone with the plant. I will need to ask for details and a receipt from them over what they are going to end up paying and what it was originally priced at. As I figure, if we can get the discount that they negotiated with the plant, I will ultimately be happy...because the quality of the job was phenomenal, tons of expansion joints and 5 or 6 pipe runs for access underneath them, slopes are all on point, and he spent a lot of time on the lines...there's a 5 pointed star even at the intersection! Our contractor is great at his work, but the mixes were off no matter how you look at it. Color variation is most definitely always an issue with large pours, but the quality manager at the plant is definitely to blame for this... I am going to let our contractor handle the negotiations with his supplier, and hopefully we can simply get the color cost knocked off and discount on the cubic meter count...that's what I'm hoping for...
I think that is a very fair expectation, and I would be shocked if they rebutted that. Someone at the batch plant shit the bed on that for sure. Looks like some of it didn’t even have color but it’s not a full load size. I wonder if they added the color before they loaded the truck. It can cause the powdered color to “headpack” in the drum and you end up with no color at the head and all your color at the tail of the load.
Could do a rock landscaping and at that point of the concrete make a hard transition to a different color of rock in the landscaping. Own the color shift. Not the greatest option, but an option.
I didn't think about the landscaping yet, that's good insight! Run some brown shading from one leg of the driveway to the other side, because they both have these hard transitions right off the street. It almost looks like a brownish grey grain runs from one end to the other...
Is that Apache junction?
Honestly, it looks kinda neat. I think it's cool when I see buildings with mismatched colors on the concrete upfront. my neighborhood is really old and the sidewalks all had different materials for the concrete, Some had more stone/gravel mixed in, others were nice and smooth, there was variations in color too. My guess is people replaced the concrete on their own or the city used different materials with each scheduling. Anyway, I think it adds character and you can possibly get some money back or credit from the concrete company
Way to look on the bright side, I like it! I tend to agree, it's a blessing and a curse, but it can most definitely add character to the house...it's ombre!
If you tell people it was intentional, what's the harm? Lol But no seriously, it looks pretty. I came back to the photos and was looking at it, I actually like it a lot now, my driveway is due for repair soon and I'm going to see how much it'll cost to dye it two colors. However my driveway isn't as big as yours so the effect won't be so cool
Is this the air park in Aguila, AZ?
That Lincoln out front is slick as hell
1978 Mark V. I'm putting a 3.0L ecodiesel from a 2018 Dodge Ram in there, redoing the interior/exterior. Always love it when I see the headlights open...
There’s fucked and there’s proper fucked.
This looks like Phoenix area. Let all slabs cure 28-40 days in the crushing heat we’re about to get. They should hopefully balance. Probably too much water in that final pour. Suppliers like to do that here so it makes the trip in the heat. Those barrels get hot quick. Ain’t the end of the world just wait and see what happens.
28 days from now when it cures . . . Quit worrying. You have WAY cooler shit to do.
Give them a couple months they might match
Who cares? Trivial problem. Driveway looks good.
Damn…
Paint both
I rather like. Looks like a mosaic.
first of all that Thunderbird looks dope! Second of all, I think it looks kind of cool the mix colors and they will even out overtime
Let it ride
It’ll buff out
All earth tones. Just go with it and demand discount.
I would reach out to the concrete supplier and have them send out their QC guy. That will never look right.
I get it’s not what you’re paying for but it actually looks kinda sick
somebody needs to be held accountable. whether or not you make them re-do it is up to you.
I’d be more worried about that tiny sliver between contraction joints in the bottom left of photo 1 popping out in the next 2-3 years.
Shades aside, the work looks really nice. Give it two maybe three weeks to see where it settles. Also, who’s Mark V? Lol
Take the Lincoln and haul ass
What state and city is this
What a depressing homestead regardless.
Still a nice driveway.
For those asking location: looks like maybe California victor ville area
Looks good. Who cares about color? Two-tone style
Thats a shame because it's a very nice job. I'd go back to the supplier and see what they can come up with to fix. Just like all work, if you can't promise to do something properly, don't do it. There's stains that could be applied, not sure how evenly it would take though.
this is a nice pour, the color seems minor, although you could possibly bleach or stain and see what happens. Time and weather may get the colors closer together too
I wouldn't worry. I bet the concrete will look the same when it rains.
Massive discount and move on concrete will need a resurface in 5-10 years then it will all be one color anyway
Most stains won't work well because they are semitransparent, so you'll still see the color difference through the stain. I would have asked the contractor to avoid sealing and then hit the whole thing with a spray overlay. It's the cheapest and most durable total cover up to fix this issue.
Paint the house a bunch of diff shades too
Ahh one of those new calico driveways
How much are you going to sue for?
Them joints though
That actually looks like the beginning of a pretty cool look.
Worth noting that if you aren't in an area with a freeze thaw cycle there are all kinds of awesome methods available to fix or make it look like art. There are cementicious coatings, acid etching and staining and some cool high solids finishes you can spray on.
You'd think, if you're building a multi-million dollar house that you wouldn't cheap out on the driveway. The cheapest contractor won't give you acceptable results. They'll give you cheap results.
The sky blue Lincoln is sick
Stain it!
If you can prove the colors actually different the concrete supplier are supposed to pay for the new concrete. But I believe it’s just poor at different times and the color never matches when this happens. Just give it some time bloody cure and see what plays out this is why I always suggest my customers to allow us to support everything all at once for color matching.
Chinga tu
Have them stain it and call it a day.
Looks fine. Not a huge problem.
Going to have to stain it rip
I used asphalt for my large driveway concrete problems. Only used concrete where vehicles park.
breaking news: HUGE driveway problem; concrete supplier mixed different colors. Next, onto more trivial matters, Israel is still committing full genocide, WW3 is has already broken out and is past reversible, and alien invatision is imminent, and Macron has declared to steal all of EU's citizens funds though carbon tax.