# Bad exposed aggregate job?



## mawarren88 (Mar 20, 2018)

New homeowner here, and just had a large enclosed area of pea gravel replaced with a 12' x 32' exposed aggregate patio instead (with a half pergola to be used with sun sails across to house). I'm not sure if the quality is expected and my expectations are too high, or if it really is a poor job and should be fixed.

My main three concerns are there are

No control joints used, which from what I understand doesn't necessarily help with cracking, but helps to minimize visible cracks since they are likely going to be along the control joints and won't be easily seen.
The other part that I'm a little disappointed with is the various levels across the patio, where some pea gravel seems almost buried and only 1/5 of the rock is showing, yet in other areas it's the opposite and 4/5 of the rock is showing - it's not consistent. This gives off the appearance of color variation throughout the full patio.
There seems to be stains on the bottom of the posts, and I'm not sure if that's from the acid wash or not.















































Are my expectations too high? Is it damn near impossible to get consistency across this large of an area? Just seems like if I'm paying a couple grand to have this done, I want it to be high quality at the end. I definitely don't hate it, it's like a 85% satisfied kind of thing and just trying to figure out if it's worth bringing up with the company or if I'd just be that ******* customer at the red lobster who complains that their shrimp is taking too long during endless shrimp.


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## DR P (Dec 16, 2017)

we had this done a few years back & a little larger L shaped area 
I've got to say ours was a much more consistent color with no seams
gets fair amount of freezing and lots of heat; has held up well

maybe a few comparison views of other installs this provider has done
would help you decide if they could have provided a better product ?

Peace


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## mawarren88 (Mar 20, 2018)

I should also mention that this is a project that just got finished yesterday, and that's when they put the acid wash on. It looks a bit better now in the sunlight, it almost looked still wet in that first picture. Here's what it looks like now, but you can still see differences throughout.


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## mawarren88 (Mar 20, 2018)

Not sure why IMG tags aren't working now, here are the URLS to the above mentioned pictures.

https://imgur.com/d5W0cVO

https://imgur.com/aLuHHUr


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## alexnook1 (Mar 20, 2018)

Add my two cents, I worked with my cousin, a stone mason, for a couple of summers as a concrete laborer, acid washed a lot of aggregate walkways and patios. For one, it looks like way too much aggregate to be set properly in the concrete. In my option a bad job.


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

I agree,a pretty sloppy job.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Just learning/curious..

I've never done or had done an exposed aggrate job....

In brief, how's it done....???? Or how should it be done...???

TIA


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I'm guessing that more than one laborer was putting the aggregate on this, inconsistent spread. 

As for the stained posts, most likely acid staining, should have used some type of plastic sheath taped to them to stop the acid from staining.

As stated earlier by another, SLOPPY.


ED


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Someone when final washing the cement from the stones before it hardened too much, was not consistent in their method used. They sprayed too hard on some areas, exposing more of the sides of the rocks.


The pic is one of my projects I poured from a wheelbarrow using 5000 psi big box store 80 lb. bagged concrete and landscaping pebbles. It is tricky to get the stones down, cement up, and washed evenly.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Just learning/curious..
> 
> I've never done or had done an exposed aggrate job....
> 
> ...



Two ways...either the pebble aggregate can be ordered in the concrete truck order or hand mixed and poured in wheel barrow. With a truck order the slab is poured, screed, floated, just like it is going have a slick or broom finish and at the RIGHT time of the setting up hardness, the wash down of the stones are the final step. 

Or, with the Wheel Barrow. I chose to hand sprinkle my rock. This is when the tricky part comes.., sprinkling the pebbles down evenly on the concrete and float them down BEFORE the surface of the pour gets too stiff, yet not so soupy the pebbles will float too far down and not show. 

With either a truck pour or wheelbarrow pour, it is all about getting the right quantity of rock showing, know when its the right time to do the "wash down" to expose the rock, and as in the OP's case... not over washing and exposing the side of the rocks. JMO


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Just learning/curious..
> 
> I've never done or had done an exposed aggrate job....
> 
> ...


Most jobs are done using retarder, a small job can be done just washing with a hose, here's a link.


https://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/exposedaggregate/how_to_expose.html


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## DR P (Dec 16, 2017)

I presume you are going to have patio properly sealed once cured?

have you checked for low/high spots using a straight edge such as a board?
I wonder if your duller spots are/were simply lower spots where surface mortar resettled? or shinier spots are where the aggregate was high & more mortar was washed out?


that said, was this an existing (uneven) pad that was coated; or a complete new pour?

Peace


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

*i've never seen exp agg look great right after its comp'd - even ours,,, weakest part of conc's the paste so addl press wsh'ng MAY resolve the issue,,, greg sez 2 ways but there's really 3,,, guessing this was seeded rather'n agg added to the conc mix,,, same guy on the bull float all the time ? was retarder used or you don't know ?

long story short, IF poss, have them come back & press wash using 4K psi, 3.5gpm, & turbo nozzle,,, should be able to expose more agg in places*


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## mawarren88 (Mar 20, 2018)

DR P said:


> I presume you are going to have patio properly sealed once cured?
> 
> have you checked for low/high spots using a straight edge such as a board?
> I wonder if your duller spots are/were simply lower spots where surface mortar resettled? or shinier spots are where the aggregate was high & more mortar was washed out?
> ...


I don’t think they mentioned any sealing as a part of the process. Seemed like they poured, exposed, and did an acid wash. They come back tomorrow to fix a few things and add control joints (where I want them...they won’t even give advice other than one would be sufficient) and I can ask about sealer then.


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## mawarren88 (Mar 20, 2018)

Also, any advice on what tool he should use for the control joints? Want to make sure they are done right.


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## Msradell (Sep 1, 2011)

mawarren88 said:


> Also, any advice on what tool he should use for the control joints? Want to make sure they are done right.


The only way to make control joints.the concrete is cured it was a Masonary saw, preferably one with a diamond blade.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

At this stage the joints will be put in with a wet saw.

MESSY, MESSY. 


ED


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

*if control jnts weren't done when conc was fresh, its too late to 'tool',,, only thing to use now's a diamond saw - wet or dry,,, will still be difficult to cut straight as exposed agg causes wobble in the blade,,, walk-behind wet will give the best results tho,,, & no, its not 'MESSY',,, cutting dry's much worse imo - dust EVERYWHERE !,,, 1 can easily hose off the swarf*


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Not saying to use this sealer, but I did on both of our previous homes pea gravel walks/patios that I poured from a wheel barrow. It really makes the natural stone look "stand out" for a while. JMO 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eagle-Brown-High-Gloss-Waterproofer-Actual-Net-Contents-5-Gallon/3501774


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## mawarren88 (Mar 20, 2018)

What's the difference in purpose of the acid wash vs sealer?


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