Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Concrete Patio advice
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Concrete Patio advice
Pete OldNavy
06-11-07, 01:14 PM
Looking for advice on what I can / should do and how to handle it professionally.
Around the 25th of last month I had a concrete patio poured. The contractor that was did the work said we can walk on by the weekend and we can place our grill on it for Memorial Day. But I waited a week and a half before putting the grill on the patio. I still have not placed the AC unit on the patio because of vibrations. With that said it is now less than a month since the concrete was poured and I have one long crack (12 feet) and three small (3 to 4 feet) in my main slab. The wall and lower slab are fine.
I had an old brick patio and landscaping timber retaining wall and I wanted to replace it with a concrete patio. No more weeding no more bugs in the wood.
Here are links to show where the crack are depicted by yellow lines in the photo’s…
http://www.dotphoto.com/GuestViewImage.asp?AID=4561986&IID=159994910&INUM=25&ICT=25&IPP=16
http://www.dotphoto.com/GuestViewImage.asp?AID=4561986&IID=159994910&INUM=25&ICT=25&IPP=16
What should I do? Am I over reacting?
Around the 25th of last month I had a concrete patio poured. The contractor that was did the work said we can walk on by the weekend and we can place our grill on it for Memorial Day. But I waited a week and a half before putting the grill on the patio. I still have not placed the AC unit on the patio because of vibrations. With that said it is now less than a month since the concrete was poured and I have one long crack (12 feet) and three small (3 to 4 feet) in my main slab. The wall and lower slab are fine.
I had an old brick patio and landscaping timber retaining wall and I wanted to replace it with a concrete patio. No more weeding no more bugs in the wood.
Here are links to show where the crack are depicted by yellow lines in the photo’s…
http://www.dotphoto.com/GuestViewImage.asp?AID=4561986&IID=159994910&INUM=25&ICT=25&IPP=16
http://www.dotphoto.com/GuestViewImage.asp?AID=4561986&IID=159994910&INUM=25&ICT=25&IPP=16
What should I do? Am I over reacting?
Concretemasonry
06-11-07, 02:30 PM
Could not bring up the pictures without joining some group.
It could be shrinkage cracks. - How big is the slab and wahat was done for crack control? - (sawed joints, formed joints?) and what was done for reinforcement (rebar, welded wire, fiber mesh?)
Dick
It could be shrinkage cracks. - How big is the slab and wahat was done for crack control? - (sawed joints, formed joints?) and what was done for reinforcement (rebar, welded wire, fiber mesh?)
Dick
Pecos
06-11-07, 05:31 PM
Like Dick, I couldn't get in without a user name/password. Does your patio have joints cut in it, or is it just a big slab with no cuts? If no joints, there's your problem. The joints are to make the concrete crack where you want it to instead of randomly.
Some other possible causes of cracks:
1) Concrete poured too wet (lack of joints would greatly compound this problem.
2) If there are joints, they may be improperly spaced (too far apart) or improperly placed (it makes a difference WHERE you put them too)
3) If there are joints, they may be too shallow. A joint should be at least 1/4 as deep as the slab is thick (e.g. a 4" thick slab should have joints at least 1" deep, a 6" slab should have 1.5" deep joints, etc.)
If your slab is over 12x12 feet without joints, your contractor did not know what he was doing.
Pecos
Some other possible causes of cracks:
1) Concrete poured too wet (lack of joints would greatly compound this problem.
2) If there are joints, they may be improperly spaced (too far apart) or improperly placed (it makes a difference WHERE you put them too)
3) If there are joints, they may be too shallow. A joint should be at least 1/4 as deep as the slab is thick (e.g. a 4" thick slab should have joints at least 1" deep, a 6" slab should have 1.5" deep joints, etc.)
If your slab is over 12x12 feet without joints, your contractor did not know what he was doing.
Pecos
Pete OldNavy
06-12-07, 12:18 PM
I hope the following links work.
The slab is 13' x 15' it has a 2" - 3" packed fine crushed stone (stone dust?)
The long crack is only thick enough to slip some thing like greeting card paper stock in to. The others are hair line cracks. I will take a close up picture after I'm done typing.
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/C9/CF/8A/iC9CF8A0F-15FE-4BD9-8B74-A6529F2DE266.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/F9/1B/1D/iF91B1DED-4938-422A-94F8-6CC83B777863.jpg
The next link is the album with all the photos.
http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=Luv+My+02+TDI&P=&AID=4561986&IID=159994910&CID=583644&T=1&E=Y&ILD=3439179
The concrete guy did not put in any lines or joints. I do not know if he placed any reinforcing material in the slab.
How would you approach this problem with the contractor?
The slab is 13' x 15' it has a 2" - 3" packed fine crushed stone (stone dust?)
The long crack is only thick enough to slip some thing like greeting card paper stock in to. The others are hair line cracks. I will take a close up picture after I'm done typing.
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/C9/CF/8A/iC9CF8A0F-15FE-4BD9-8B74-A6529F2DE266.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/F9/1B/1D/iF91B1DED-4938-422A-94F8-6CC83B777863.jpg
The next link is the album with all the photos.
http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=Luv+My+02+TDI&P=&AID=4561986&IID=159994910&CID=583644&T=1&E=Y&ILD=3439179
The concrete guy did not put in any lines or joints. I do not know if he placed any reinforcing material in the slab.
How would you approach this problem with the contractor?
Pete OldNavy
06-12-07, 12:42 PM
I hope the following links work.
The upper slab is 13' x 15' it has a 2" - 3" packed fine crushed stone (stone dust?)
The lower slab that is fine no cracks is 15' x 4.5' attached to a 21" high retaining wall.
The next link is the album with all the photos.
http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=Luv+My+02+TDI&P=&AID=4561986&IID=159994910&CID=583644&T=1&E=Y&ILD=3439179
CRACK photo's
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/F1/E6/4B/iF1E64B3F-88F2-45F7-BD23-2405C1A8C71E.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/2D/E0/16/i2DE0168B-2B45-451C-84CA-4ADA0E705EAC.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/8D/D3/40/i8DD3408C-45C9-4472-9DE8-151DDF1DCFFF.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/DA/4D/D2/iDA4DD2A3-41D8-448B-957C-CAAE102EB905.jpg
The upper slab is 13' x 15' it has a 2" - 3" packed fine crushed stone (stone dust?)
The lower slab that is fine no cracks is 15' x 4.5' attached to a 21" high retaining wall.
The next link is the album with all the photos.
http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=Luv+My+02+TDI&P=&AID=4561986&IID=159994910&CID=583644&T=1&E=Y&ILD=3439179
CRACK photo's
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/F1/E6/4B/iF1E64B3F-88F2-45F7-BD23-2405C1A8C71E.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/2D/E0/16/i2DE0168B-2B45-451C-84CA-4ADA0E705EAC.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/8D/D3/40/i8DD3408C-45C9-4472-9DE8-151DDF1DCFFF.jpg
http://www.dotphoto.com/SAN1/DA/4D/D2/iDA4DD2A3-41D8-448B-957C-CAAE102EB905.jpg
Concretemasonry
06-12-07, 02:08 PM
To me that looks like a shrinkage crack and not a structural crack.
The slab cracked exactly where it should have cracked. - Concrete will crack and the purpose of the control joints is to make the cracks occur where you want them to and to make them look designed. Control joints can be formed or sawed the next day.
It sounds like you did not have a contract that laid out any plans and requirements like control joints and reinforcement, all of which increase the cost.
He should have known a crack was possible and you should have done some research on his references and performance.
Dick
The slab cracked exactly where it should have cracked. - Concrete will crack and the purpose of the control joints is to make the cracks occur where you want them to and to make them look designed. Control joints can be formed or sawed the next day.
It sounds like you did not have a contract that laid out any plans and requirements like control joints and reinforcement, all of which increase the cost.
He should have known a crack was possible and you should have done some research on his references and performance.
Dick