Browse Forums Paving & Concreting 1 Mar 08, 2009 10:39 pm We have recently had an exposed aggregate driveway installed, however it has not yet been sealed. We are not happy with the level of exposure, as well as a large number of chunks taken out of the driveway and a poor finish around the drains, etc.
The aggregate has been exposed with a high pressure hose and has been hosed down by us (as we were told to do) several times. We have been told that the concrete will look better once it has been washed down with hydrochloric acid, then sealed... however we are pretty doubtful that it will do anything except make the concrete look shinier. What do you think? Did anyone's look anywhere near as bad as this? The third photo is of a neighbour's driveway. How it is meant to look when finished... Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 2Mar 08, 2009 10:49 pm Show the builder both your photo and the neighbour's photo. Ask them how yours is going to be make to look like your neighbour's. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 3Mar 08, 2009 11:06 pm That's crappola big time...there's not enough of the paste blown off...either he hasn't sprayed enough cure retarder on the surface, waited too long to put the retarder on, or his high pressure cleaner...well isn't!...there's a couple of genuine experts on here who maybe can identify the exact reason.
Here's ours which is a similar mix https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=13540 last photo of the set. mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 4Mar 08, 2009 11:10 pm Hubby is concreter.. he says it should have had sugar rubbed into it before it was hard ( yes household sugar), which would have exposed it properly. Your concreter may have done this, but if he did, he has done it too late. We don't think it will come up any better than this once it has acid and sealed.. sorry.. Not only that.. the edges are done very messy.
-Sha edit.. brown sugar is what hubby uses as retarder. Have you paid for this job? Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 5Mar 08, 2009 11:17 pm Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess now we just have to convince the concreter of this! The concrete in the third pic I posted was the same mix installed by the same guy... that's why we picked him!
Fotunately we haven't paid because we were waiting to see what it would come up like when sealed. It's so dissapointing though... the whole reason we wanted aggregate was for the look (which we definitely don't have!) and at twice the cost of paving, we're feeling pretty peeved atm. So what do we do next? The concreter knows we aren't happy, however we are yet to hear back from him. Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 7Mar 08, 2009 11:32 pm sha Hubby is concreter.. he says it should have had sugar rubbed into it before it was hard ( yes household sugar), which would have exposed it properly. Your concreter may have done this, but if he did, he has done it too late. We don't think it will come up any better than this once it has acid and sealed.. sorry.. Not only that.. the edges are done very messy. Yes...sugar is a set retarder...but I think most driveway concretors would use chemical set retarders nowadays because it's a more consistent and predictable than rubbing sugar. Matrix The aggregate has been exposed with a high pressure hose and has been hosed down by us (as we were told to do) several times. We have been told that the concrete will look better once it has been washed down with hydrochloric acid, then sealed... however we are pretty doubtful that it will do anything except make the concrete look shinier. Incidentally you can have "acid etched" finishes but I don't think that removes as much of the paste as using a set retarder and blasting the living cr*p out of it...technical term...! mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 8Mar 08, 2009 11:40 pm DH has been concreting for many years with many different companies, and he has always used sugar.. i guess its personal preference. Anyway.. back to the point..
Twice the price? OMG I think you were duped there as well.. Paving on concrete would be dearer than aggregate, and paving on sand and cement mix would be about same as exposed aggregate.. (dependant on price of pavers) well thats what we charge anyway.. We would make your concreter rip it up and start again! -Sha Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 10Mar 08, 2009 11:53 pm The mix looks like multi-grain which is a standard range here. Different in other states I imagine.
i wish you all the best in getting it fixed. Please keep us updated. -Sha Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 11Mar 09, 2009 12:03 am Wow what a huge let-down for you...especially since you picked the exact same mix and concretor as your neighbours!
I don't know anything about the in's and outs of exp agg, but it looks like yours has less than half the amount of stones than your neighbour. I hope you can get it fixed to your satisfaction... Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 12Mar 10, 2009 9:19 am We just had our driveway acid washed and were assured all would come up well....
AND IT LOOKS THE SAME! We're contacting the concreter again to let him know it still looks like crap. Has anyone ever demanded the work be redone, or not paid for unsatisfactory work? Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 13Mar 10, 2009 10:00 am I tell Ya that is a crap job! and you guys ened to take this concreter right to the bank. Gowd you payed enough for it. And you have to live with it as well tell him you want it fixed. Or you will talk to consumer affairs. John, Tarin and the Kids Built and moving in to the Regent Grande with Masterton homes http://thebrownsaremovingtothecountry.blogspot.com Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 16Mar 10, 2009 9:25 pm the industry standard for expossed agg. is a chemical concrete retardent
which i also use , spray mbt or rigasol after all trowel work is done ie :final fresno trowel mbt is a 24 hr retardant rigasol is not nor is sugar i use mbt, after spraying the concrete , cover it with poly plastic to keep moisture in the crust, and high pressure expossure the next day it looks like the concretor sprayed the driveway a little late hence the under exposure the clouding will totally disappear with high pressure acid clean the small blow outs next to expansion foam looks like when the concretor chopped out his profiles he did not hand trowel, all edges should be hand troweled when profiles are chopped (before main screeding) and the retardent penetrated to deep whilst it is not as expossed as the neighbours wait to see it sealed and then decide what you will do one way to obtain a little more expossure is to sand blast it but this rounds of the aggregate and is expensive Da Vinci Outdoor Living Architectural landscaping http://www.davincioutdoor.com Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 17Mar 12, 2009 12:37 pm UPDATE: Our concreter went at looked at the job and has apologised. He is going to attempt to improve the exposure of the stones using some sort of machinery and chemicals. We'll see how it comes up! Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 18Mar 12, 2009 2:31 pm If you are still not happy with the job, I would tell him you are only paying for the labour and not the product. And if he wants it back, he can have it and come and rip it up himself Blog: http://bluemistkids.blogspot.com "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, and professionals built the Titanic." Re: Should our driveway look like this?!? 20Mar 20, 2009 5:34 pm That's not too good at all...
It needs to come up for sure. That edge work is crud, and you had to wash it down They don't seal it! What, how much was the labour and how much conc did you need for the job...Find the ticket. Don't pay if the edges are that inferior I'llbet it is full of air too. Acid needs to turn the surface green with bubbles Not how is should be at all Sealing from around $7 sq mtr. Ex agg should be about 80sq +gst as a base price, more if it is bordered or inlays No the fireplace doesn’t work. It’s been enclosed. I’m not sure what was removed, as it was done quite some time ago - well before what I can see with photos online… 2 9119 The estate Covenants (design requirements) must be included in the land contract. If you purchased a resale block then the vender is required to provide/include a copy… 2 9194 Interested in getting either the Polytec Boston Oak or Palace Peak for kitchen cabinets. Looking at the Boston Oak ones, it appears that the colour varies significantly… 0 1791 |