[1sthomebuyer201]

I have new construction house that is building now and we have trouble with builder now. They put the patio slab to the wrong spot.
Since it's been laid already, the builder gave us alternate choice to add 18'' wide long extra concrete to make it what we want with no cost.
Here is my question. Is this choice OK? My husband is concerned that it may not look one piece of slab at the end and look funny, it may cause cracking at the seam between two slabs.
The original slab size is 14'x10' and additional part would be 18"x10'. We live VA and we don't have much worry about earthquake. But in the long term, would this seam make any problem?

 

[user1007]

Lots of potential problems not the least of which is that, if no others emerge, it will always look like someone screwed up, could not make up their minds, or whatever and added an 18" wide slab of concrete. I spell it GOOFY looking.

That extra slap will not settle, move or flex the same as if it were part of the piece next to it. Cracking is the least of your worries.

I would make them, *****ing cussing and swearing as they will, tear it out, reform it, and pour a new slab.

A few inches might be considered negotiable but 1.5 feet off?

 

[jomama45]

I won't match due to the fact that there will always be an obvious control joint between the two. Believe it or not, it will also likely take a few years for the color to match decent as well, even though the existing patio is "new".

A situation like this is generally a good time to consider making the addition an accent to the current patio so it looks like it was planned all along.

 

[user1007]

A situation like this is generally a good time to consider making the addition an accent to the current patio so it looks like it was planned all along.

Come on. How do you make a 1.5 foot, non color matched (as you pointed out), 10' wart of a slab of concrete look like a planned design element.

Contractor blew it, formed it in the wrong place--1.5 feet off by the way as a reminder. It needs to come out, be reformed in one place, and the situation is resolved.

Contractors who screwed up and have to remove concrete can be intimidating. Next offer will be to provide concrete gnomes and things to go on the 18" piece to make it look an art or design element.

Do not fall for this. Stand firm.

 

[carpitect]

Come on. How do you make a 1.5 foot, non color matched (as you pointed out), 10' wart of a slab of concrete look like a planned design element.

Contractor blew it, formed it in the wrong place--1.5 feet off by the way as a reminder. It needs to come out, be reformed in one place, and the situation is resolved.

Contractors who screwed up and have to remove concrete can be intimidating. Next offer will be to provide concrete gnomes and things to go on the 18" piece to make it look an art or design element.

Do not fall for this. Stand firm.

Agreed. It sounds like the patio should be redone correctly.

If the contractor is proposing the extra 18" to achieve some sort of proper alignment the control joint would mostly likely end up being highly visible and look like a mistake.

The question is - were construction documents misread, or was it a lack of communication on design intent?

 

[jomama45]

Come on. How do you make a 1.5 foot, non color matched (as you pointed out), 10' wart of a slab of concrete look like a planned design element.

Contractor blew it, formed it in the wrong place--1.5 feet off by the way as a reminder. It needs to come out, be reformed in one place, and the situation is resolved.

Contractors who screwed up and have to remove concrete can be intimidating. Next offer will be to provide concrete gnomes and things to go on the 18" piece to make it look an art or design element.

Do not fall for this. Stand firm.

I'm just trying to offer a level-headed approach to remedy the situation. I typically try not to read too far into a situation posed on the internet, and realize there's always at least 2 sides to every story.

There are numerous ways to add on to an existing slab and use the addition ad an accent. I'd suggest going around all 2 or 3 sides of it with something decorative. It's not really a big deal, we do it on a regular basis.

 

[carpitect]

I'm just trying to offer a level-headed approach to remedy the situation. I typically try not to read too far into a situation posed on the internet, and realize there's always at least 2 sides to every story.

There are numerous ways to add on to an existing slab and use the addition ad an accent. I'd suggest going around all 2 or 3 sides of it with something decorative. It's not really a big deal, we do it on a regular basis.

A good suggestion for a compromise and it never hurts to ask. Though, I'd be adamant that any addition to the slab be done to 'accent' the original - maybe a stamped or stained border? It may even be cheaper for the contractor to go around three sides than to tear out and repour.

 

[1sthomebuyer201]

Thanks for all your input!
I thought they can smooth out the seam between 2 slabs and it would look one piece...
Sounds like the contractor's suggestion is just a cheap way to cover up.

It started as the miscommunication. When we sigh the paper, it says "standard" patio, which is 14x10. And person A, who is the guy we are dealing with, didn't mention WHERE they lay the slab. When we went to the site last Tuesday to check the construction, slab was not laid yet and person B asked us to give an idea where to be exact we want them to lay the slab. (A was not available at that time due to her family emergency). We went back home that night to decide where we want to put the slab, and my husband sent an email A (we only have her contact info and she is the main person to deal with us).
Wednesday we got email from B asking as to give him a DRAWING with the specific instructions. and by the Sunday of that week, they laid slab in wrong spot...(I guess that is their "standard" position which is different from what we want).

Anyway, I got an answer from you guys and thank you very much.
Let's see what they will do for us besides just adding the slab!

 

[jomama45]

They're not going to be able to hide or blend the control joint in so it's not noticeable. They may need to saw additional control joints (unless of course it already has tooled control joints) to blend it together. They may also need to cut some of the existing slab off to make the control joints appear on similar spacing.

Good Luck.

 

[user1007]

I think how ever you negotiate this you should end up with what you want and what you thought you were getting with regard to this slab. And now is the time to fix the situation before you spend years annoyed at the strange concrete addition. And years down the road potential buyers will wonder about the strange concrete add-on also.

The site is still open now and the old slab can be removed and repoured now more easily than a year from now with fencing up and plants starting to grow.

Stand firm and don't let the big burly concrete guys intimidate you. Don't go out of your way to accept compromises on a brand new home. IMO anyhow.

I know what happened here. There was a truck with extra concrete in the truck already paid for. Someone raced to frame and pour to take advantage of the materials availed. Not sure drawings would have made a great deal of difference under such crunch circumstances.

It is not what you want though. Build your chanting mantra around that. It is not like you are just breaking the news either if you are telling the truth. The builder will not like it but eating a concrete slab is not going to put this project over the edge. Of course it is a pain to fix? Just break it up and get on with it!

 

[concretemasonry]

Since it is not where you wanted it and they put it in during consruction without knowing where is should have been, I would not approve it or sign off on the approval. A more formal drawing can easily eliminate the confusion, but that is just history.

It is only a couple yards of concrete and the sooner they get it out, the easier it will be. For such a small job, the concrete may have been the tail end of a load for another project to avoid the minimum load charge, which would same the contractor money.

I had a 20'x12' exposed concrete patio poured. Early the next morning (6:30 AM), when a man came to wash and brush off the surface to reveal the exposed surface, it became obvious the wrong retarder was applied (mis-labeled sray tank) and it had to go. By noon that day the contractor had removed the wrong concrete and reinforcement, regraded and poured a new patio. The next day, after brushing and washing it looked great. - I know exposed concrete is more sensitive for appearance, but a good contractor does have pride.

Bottom line - When working with concrete, correct it as soon as possible since it is cheaper and easier and life goes on and no one in the future will question the end appearance. Get it torn out and even pay the minor extra to get a bigger patio if you decide the one they poured is not big enough. The concrete is cheap once the contractor gets on the site.

This is a small part of a new house and you have to agree to sign acceptance. Any delay in signing can cost the contractor more money than the correction.

Dick