Color on stamped concrete pool deck-should we pay for this?

last year

Please help. The color on our brand new stamped patio is uneven, dark and very blotchy. Does anyone know if this is fixable?

Poured on 6/13 and sealed with solvent sealer on 6/18. I understand that natural stone has variations but this is a little crazy right? The last pic is one small area that came out good and ironically was where they started. We haven’t paid the contractor the last installment yet; trying to see what our options are. We told him we wanted a light grey stamped concrete patio and this is what we got. No color chart offered. It rained about 9 hours after the pour for 1/2 hour and the release powder was in large clumps in different areas afterwards. Not sure if this is part of the issue or not. We asked about covering the concrete because rain was in the forecast and the contractor said he’d keep an eye on the weather, but it was never covered. We asked the contractor to take another look and he basically said wait a year and if will look lighter, and perfection isn’t the goal with stamped concrete. He said the process of stripping the sealer off to correct is messy and doesn’t want to do it. He also said two different batches of concrete were used; the first place didn’t have enough so the second truck came from somewhere else. We can also see brush marks on the patio from the sealer application. We then asked a different concrete guy to take a look and he said also that it will lighten up over time, but he also said he would offer his customer a discount or a free seal the following year, something to show he cares and would admit this didn’t come out the way he’d hoped. So what do we do now? We spent a lot of money on this and need to either accept it for what it is or get the contractor to work with us somehow…

Featured Answer

dan1888

last year

It's plenty much an art with skill an important factor. You can bring in a person with the necessary gallery, experience and reviews to be a true pro. Ask that new person for a recommendation. The guy you've used doesn't appear to have the focus or skill to produce the finished product you want. You're not going to impart that to him now.

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Comments (9)

Lyn Nielson
last year
the black smudges appear to be the release powder, but since you sealed it, I doubt that will fade, or lighten.

Years ago, I am guessing 20+ my husband tried a DIY concrete stamping on out patio, we actually liked the smudging coloration. But, you are right, your professional should have shown you all the options and gotten your approval before progressing, and especially before sealing it. You may have been able to scrub off some of the residue.

Have you had a civil conversation with him?

Don't be too aggresive, Let him talk... see what he will offer.
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Beth Bickel
Original Author
last year
I agree. I think if he were to offer to fix it now it would give us more anxiety.
discount. .
Beth Bickel
Original Author
last year
@Lynnielson, yes, he offered to come back out in a year if it hasn’t lightened up by then. Basically said he likes it.
dani_m08
last year
Of course he likes it - he doesn't want to have to fix it!

Question - did you ask for a light gray stamped patio with dark release? I don't understand how this job would even be started without an agreement as to what the final result was supposed to be.

slate style with light gray release:

Another slate style with light gray release:

This one below looks more similar to what you received - it's specified as a specific slate style with charcoal release. However, it still doesn't look like yours - except for maybe the bottom right corner of the last photo that you posted.

I had a paver patio added three years ago - I've always had a deck or paver patio - never a stamped patio. However, after taking a quick look, there are many styles/colors/release colors apparently. Yours does not look like any of the ones I saw during my quick search.

Your patio is too light to have the dark release powder - especially when it looks like it's only in a few spots vs. blended across the face of the faux rocks.

I would be very unhappy to have that as my patio - but I'm not sure what your patio was supposed to look like when finished.
chispa
last year
That is why I like to use pavers! You order exactly what you want.

Unfortunately your patio looks ugly, old and dirty.

I would probably tell him he can walk away and you aren't going to pay the last installment OR he can make it look like one of the photos posted by Dani_m08 above. I bet he will walk away.

Then live with it until you decide you want to replace it at a later date.
Beth Bickel
Original Author
last year
Dani_m08 thanks so so much for those pics-this helps a ton! Chispa, you’re right, not going to pay. No way. Thx!!
dan1888
last year
If you're not going to pay and when you show him the above pictures, he's not going to redo it, get another contractor out and fix it now. Even if that means replacing it. Maybe the surface can be ground down.
tracefloyd
last year
last modified: last year
I would sandblast all the colorant off the surface. It will still have the stamped pattern which is nice.

Stain the fence dark charcoal gray so it recedes visually.