Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - new concrete has stains

Help,
I have had a real problem with staining on my new concrete walk. The mason poured it just last fall and everything that lands on it makes a stain. Also, I have seen a progression of pitting. The contractor and mason came out at my request and insisted that nothing was wrong with the pour and that I just needed to be patient while the concrete cured. By the time they left, I thought maybe I was just being picky. But it got worse. Every little bit of dirt, mud, leaf, or whatever leaves a stain. Even worse, I have a black walnut tree shedding its dye. I power washed it and used a citrus cleaner that I bought from the local concrete supplier. The stains remained but did get lighter. I used merratic acid and that left a stain too. Finally, I just sealed even though it didn't get completely clean. After 2 coats of sealer, it still stains. Any suggestions?

What sealer did you use?
Do you live in an area with snow/ice and salted roads?

Bob,
Yes, we live with snow and ice here in Wisconsin. But, the walk way is by the house and not the road. The contractor asked me if I wanted rebar put down or reinforced fiber. I said reinforced fiber because it was cheaper. I believe that maybe the fiber in the concrete catches everything. But, would that explain the pitting? Would he lay concrete without a sealer? The mason said that because it was a late pour in Novemeber just before we get freezing weather, he did not order a mix with sealer. I actually used 2 different sealers on the top. One I purchased from my local concrete dealer (it did not cover evenly at all and looked spotchy) and the other I bought from the big box store H.D. which covered much, much better. The water now beads up, but the debris from trees continues to stain. Thanks

The leaves are going to stain. period. Not the contractors fault.
Now the pitting...who knows. Its concrete. Concrete cracks,pops and discolors. Most likely cause was a "hot mix".
If your worried about the leaves buy a leaf blower and blow them away each and everyday.

don't know if this article will help: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/ConcreteStains.html

Pitting - usually called "scaling" - has two major causes:
1 - a concrete mixture containing too much water can lack strength throughout when it dries causing the parts of the top layer to crumble and pit.
2 - if the concrete is subjected to freezing and thawing before it has a chance to cure properly it may pit.

The condition described may be exacerbated by overworking/over-troweling.

There are a lot of variables that can affect concrete, as you can see.

Best wishes.

Rick

The sealer from the concrete store was the better sealer. The cheaper stuff was more even because of the first sealer you put down. A second coat of it would look even better. The cheap stuff also was more even because it had fewer solids to distribute, ie) it was diluted much more than the first sealer.

Sealing is left up the h/o.

Does anyone know if etching the concrete next spring would look better? I was thinking of shades of brown and natural because of the "natural" color of the stains. I don't want to paint since I know that it would wear off quickly. Am I being too particular since it's just a front walk?

by etching you mean "staining". Only problem with that is you already sealed it. If you still want to stain it you'll have to remove the sealer so the stain can work. If you didnt seal it staining would be a very good solution.
Next best solution is go to you local Sherwin Williams store and ask them for some tinted concrete sealer. They will basically take their regular seal and add a pigment to it. This will not be as good as the stain but your next best solution (cheapest) if you want to change the color.

Good Luck