Some things that worry people about new concrete are normal, and some are real defects. This page separates the two. It is general information. For a job we did not pour, we can look at it and tell you what we see, but we cannot speak for another contractor.
Why is my new concrete already cracking, and is the contractor responsible?
Thin hairline cracks in new concrete are common and mostly harmless. Concrete shrinks as it dries, and joints are there to steer that shrinkage into straight lines. A crack that is wide, that has one side higher than the other, or that keeps growing points to a base or thickness problem. Whether the contractor is responsible for a crack that turns up weeks later depends on your contract and on the cause. Take dated photos, measure the width, and write to the contractor.
Why does my new concrete have dark and light patches?
Uneven drying is the usual cause. Shaded parts under Atlanta's tree cover stay damp and dark while sunny parts dry pale. Different truckloads, extra water added on site, or hard troweling in some spots also leave marks. Much of it fades over the first months. Blotches that are still there after a full season are probably permanent, and a stain or tinted sealer is the normal remedy.
What happens if it rains on fresh concrete?
Rain in the first few hours can wash cement off the surface and leave it weak, pitted or dusty. After the slab has been finished and has stiffened, a shower does little harm and can even help curing. Summer storms build fast here, so a crew should have plastic sheeting on site. If it rains on fresh concrete at your house, look for a sandy or scarred top once it dries and raise it straight away.
There are footprints, rough spots and low places, and the pad looks out of level. Is that acceptable?
Footprints and trowel marks are workmanship faults, not normal wear. A slight slope is intended, because outdoor slabs are tilted to drain. A pad that is out of level in the sense that water ponds on it, or runs toward a building, is a defect. Flood it with a hose, photograph where the water stands, and send the pictures to the contractor. Small flaws can be ground. Large ones can mean a section is redone.
Are control joints really necessary? My contractor says he will saw-cut them a week later.
Yes, control joints are necessary on nearly every slab. They are planned weak lines that let the concrete crack neatly in the groove. A saw-cut joint is fine, but a week is too late. Cuts are normally made within about a day of the pour, and sooner in summer heat, since the slab starts cracking on its own soon after it hardens. If the joints were cut after random cracks had already appeared, the cuts did not do their job.
My slab was poured without rebar or mesh and I only found out afterward. Is that a problem?
It depends on what was agreed. Steel does not stop concrete from cracking. It holds the pieces together and level after they crack. A patio on firm, well-compacted ground can perform without it. A driveway on a slope or over fill is a greater risk. If your written quote listed rebar or mesh and the slab was poured without rebar, the contractor did not deliver what you paid for and you should put that in writing to them.
What can I do if the contractor will not come back to fix it?
Put the complaint in writing with photos and dates, and give a clear deadline. If there is still no reply, Georgia's consumer education office lists these routes: a complaint to the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, the Better Business Bureau's dispute service, and magistrate court for claims up to $15,000. Do not release money that is still owed until the problem is settled. For a large loss, speak with a Georgia attorney. This is general information and not legal advice.
My new stamped concrete is slippery when wet. Can that be fixed?
Yes. Stamped concrete gets slippery when a glossy sealer fills in the texture. The cure is a grit additive mixed into the next sealer coat, or a change to a low-sheen sealer. In Atlanta, shaded stamped slabs also grow a film of algae in humid months, which makes them slicker still, so a wash once or twice a year helps.
Why is my stamped concrete cloudy, fading or peeling?
A cloudy or white haze is moisture caught under the sealer. It happens when sealer goes on too thick, or onto a slab that was still damp, and our humid summers make it more likely. Peeling has the same root. Fading is sun and wear on a sealer that needs renewing. Most of these are sealer faults, not concrete faults, and are corrected by stripping or re-working the sealer.
The surface started flaking in the first winter. Why?
A new slab that flakes in its first winter usually had a weak top layer. It may have been finished while water was still rising to the surface, sprayed with water to make troweling easier, or not cured. Deicer on concrete less than a year old speeds it up. Atlanta's cold snaps are short but they do come after rain. Photograph the area with a coin for scale and report it to the contractor promptly.
My concrete was poured in extreme heat and now it looks bad. What went wrong?
Concrete poured in summer heat sets very quickly. In a Georgia July the crew has far less working time, and the surface can dry before the body of the slab does. That leaves fine surface cracks, rough or torn patches, and visible lines where one load met the next. Starting at first light, dampening the base, having enough hands on the job and curing right away prevent it. Surface crazing is mainly cosmetic. Deeper cracking should be looked at.
The stamped pattern is crooked and uneven. Should I pay the final balance?
Talk before you pay. Photograph the pattern lines against a straight edge and send the photos with a written list of what is wrong. Holding back the final balance until the two of you agree on a fix is reasonable when the contract ties payment to completed work. Read your contract first, since it sets out what you may withhold. A crooked stamp cannot be straightened afterward, so the remedy is usually a price reduction or a redo of that part.
The crew left ruts in my lawn, washout and splatter, and the forms are still on. Who deals with that?
The contractor does, unless your contract says otherwise. Ruts from the truck or buggy, concrete washout dumped in the yard and splatter on siding or brick should be cleaned up and repaired at the end of the job. Forms are normally pulled a day or two after the pour. Forms left on for weeks can stick and stain the slab edge. Ask in writing for a date for removal and cleanup.
The real price for your property comes from a free on-site estimate and a written quote. Call (678) 736-8780 or send us a photo of the concrete.