New Fiberglass install in Clarksville TN (Dig started Nov 16, 2020)

[Apsuhead]

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully the PB can make it right without digging up the concrete. Just sloppy work, the caps won’t even sit flush on the concrete at the bottom. When I looked at my surveillance footage, the worker started yanking on the handrail to try to level it up after he installed it ... so he could tell it wasn’t straight.

 

[Apsuhead]

My concrete was poured for my new fiberglass pool over a month ago and they added calcium. It looked great until they came back the next day and cleaned off the concrete mortar from the edge of my fiberglass shell. The cleaning solution left big runs and streaks all around the deck. The PB said it would fade away after a few weeks. Well, it is still very noticeable although it has lightened up a bit. I have read that I can pour hot water over the area and scrub. Another possible thing to try is to mix a solution of muriac acid with water and apply to concrete, scrub, and rinse. I really don’t want to have to get to that step.
I’m hoping it continues to lighten up and disappear. Maybe a light power wash next summer will completely remove my discoloration.
Here is a pic from a month ago on Dec 8, 2020 ...

Today on Jan 14, 2021 ...

 

[kimkats]

sigh...............that is not going to "fade away" with time or much of anything. Time to get your complaint in writing and start pushing him to tell you how he is going to fix it!

 

[Winger 03]

sigh...............that is not going to "fade away" with time or much of anything. Time to get your complaint in writing and start pushing him to tell you how he is going to fix it!

I agree if it is not gone by now..... Maybe a nice power wash will take care of it. Can you try that out in a small area? I do not know, however, if it is too soon to power wash concrete of that age.

 

[Apsuhead]

I’m in no rush to do anything during this cold weather. I plan to wait until spring before I would try anything. I probably wouldn’t try the power wash until summer after the concrete has had plenty of time to cure completely. I used a wire brush to lightly scrub off a few mud spots and the concrete lightened up easily so that gave me hope. It is just a very fine layer on top that has the discoloration. The PB has to come back in the spring to test the equipment, so that’s when I will press the issue if it’s still isn’t faded away.

 

[Apsuhead]

I went out and took the handrail off and tried to figure out if I could find an easy fix. The anchors are way out of level. Putting a wedge in the anchor didn’t really make much of a difference.

I also poured hot water on the this section of concrete and scrubbed it with a brush. We will see if it helped the concrete streaks after it dries.

 

[jimmythegreek]

That's too far off for a shim. Gonna need to bend the pipe with a hydraulic bender. Good muffler shop can do easily.
The longer it sits the harder its gonna be to clean. Fresh concrete is more porous

 

[Apsuhead]

I sent the installer a message this morning and also emailed the PB’s main office. I attached this website with pics of my issues with the concrete and the handrail with that email.

Pool

staffweb.cmcss.net

This is the text response I got from the installer ...
“On the streaks it will take a while to blend in because it is new concrete with cold weather but if it doesn’t blend in we can pressure wash the concrete. On the handrail is it leaning?
I can straighten that up by pulling back toward the fence. They have a little play in them.“

The PB’s office just replied that they would talk to the installer and the PB (the owner of the company). I figured by attaching the website with pics they would be more inclined to try to fix the problems.
I know there isn’t enough play in the handrail to fix it. I hope he doesn’t just try to bend the handrail himself to try to straighten it out. I will suggest a muffler shop and hydraulic pipe bender if needed.

 

[Apsuhead]

I just got this reply from the installer ...
“I will be down to your house Tuesday and straighten up the handrail and to pressure wash your concrete to get the streaks out. Thank you for bringing those issues to me. see y’all next week”
And this from the PB office ...
“He will be there next Tuesday to straighten the Handrail and to pressure wash the deck. We will see if that takes care of it.”

 

[kimkats]

That is a well done web site. Nothing they can say to overcome the pictures Seems as if they are going to try to fix it. Be there to watch over them to see what they do. It should be interesting to see them tugging on the handrail

 

[milesed]

Which PB did you use? I live about an hour away and prices here for the same job are $70-80k per quotes we have with concrete at $10/sq foot.

 

[Apsuhead]

@milesed C & W in Joelton. They have great reviews & I’ve been very pleased overall. Their prices seem to rise a little each year, they are probably a little higher now. My coworkers pool with them had extra concrete at $5 a sq ft in 2018. Like most PBs, they seem to have a long waitlist right now.

 

[Apsuhead]

They showed up this morning to power wash the concrete and level the handrail. I could see the 2 guys scrubbing and power washing on my cameras. The handrail looks great and level. The concrete still dried splotchy in some big areas, especially on the sides. He said he still thinks it is just the calcium, he implied he hasn’t had to use calcium in several years before my pool. He mentioned to my wife that he would pay to apply a deck coating with his own money if it doesn’t even out after drying. It looks like they took the top layer off the top in some spots but not in others. Still looks terrible and I don’t want any kind of paint or cool deck that I have to reapply every couple years. I’m not sure if they used any cleaner or acid, I will have to check my cameras. I updated my website with new pics.

Pool

staffweb.cmcss.net

 

[Apsuhead]

I just sent the installer the pics after it dried and he responded. “Ok let’s see what it looks like in a month, if it is not acceptable when I open the pool then we will pay to have it painted with concrete paint or cool deck on it at no charge. The calcium in the concrete did it because your sidewalk is starting to show calcium spots in it a little bit.”

 

[kimkats]

That is ALL on them! So you have a choose to make-go easy on them and let them cool deck it knowing you will have to redo it every once in a while OR make them make it right by ripping it all out and re-doing the whole thing again. Me? I would make the redo it!

 

[Apsuhead]

I am absolutely sick thinking about the concrete. I couldn't even look out there this morning. I refuse to put paint or cool deck on the concrete, I want finished concrete with no maintenance. Looking through the videos, they had buckets full of something that they would dip their brush into, and then scrub it on the concrete and power wash. They didn't put in all over the concrete it seems, because the the dark areas that still remain. Terrible, terrible, terrible ...

I'm open to suggestions on how to proceed @Dirk @jimmythegreek

Oh, and this is how they leveled my handrail ...

 

[monoptn]

I bet if you lightly acid wash it and let it sit, by summer it will look fine. I'm no expert, but that's my guess. Mine was a little splotchy and had some light/dark spots at first, and now, 1 year later, it is pretty uniform. I'll see if I can scare up photos. If the problem is the actual concrete vs the installation of the concrete, I would think the concrete plant might have some culpability to lighten the burden from the pool builder too.

 

[jonnyd91]

I am absolutely sick thinking about the concrete. I couldn't even look out there this morning. I refuse to put paint or cool deck on the concrete, I want finished concrete with no maintenance. Looking through the videos, they had buckets full of something that they would dip their brush into, and then scrub it on the concrete and power wash. They didn't put in all over the concrete it seems, because the the dark areas that still remain. Terrible, terrible, terrible ...

I'm open to suggestions on how to proceed @Dirk @jimmythegreek

Oh, and this is how they leveled my handrail ...

This is exactly how I pictured they would fix it, sad to say. As long as its still solid I wouldnt worry about it.

As for the concrete, I would wait till summer and have them acid etch it and see if that cleans it up. if not then proceed in a different direction with a fix you are happy with. I would def. exhaust all other options before i had them tear the concrete up.

 

[jimmythegreek]

I would try an acid wash amd then maybe a darker stain to uniform it somewhat. It will get better with time but may not even out consistently. Without knowing what they applied, you should find out. It could have just been masonry cleaner

 

[Apsuhead]

Thanks for the replies. It appears they might have used muriac acid, I will ask them tomorrow. They power washed half way around then got the buckets w acid and brushed it on and then sprayed it off. I could tell they didn’t put the acid on every bit of concrete or even uniformly. Didn’t neutralize it or anything afterwards. You can clearly tell on the pics where they didn’t apply the acid. I think this is what they used by looking at my cameras.

My neighbor is a firefighter and has a coworker who owns a concrete resurfacing company. He said I should get him to fix it, that he does quality work. The concrete guy saw my pics and replied that it looks terrible but he could fix it.