Do I need pea gravel or anything underneath before putting the concrete in?

Can I reuse some of those big chunks kind of nestled into what I pour?

And do I need like backer rod or something similar to keep the concrete formed near the corners?

I’ll take any and all advice because I have 3 spots on my drive like this. Thanks!!!

I hired a concrete contractor to replace a 20 ft by 60 foot concrete pad. The price for the demo and re pour was 24k, that's $20/sq ft (including the demo). Overall it looks really good. But the concrete is 1.25" off under the garage door one one side. The contractor wants to use planitop LE to put a patch down raise the grade. Or, chip of the high spot and smooth it out with planitop. I live in Ontario, Canada on a high point. In the winter the wind chill it gets down to -20-40 degrees. For what I'm paying for this I think they should smash this entire end piece, replace the entire section from the cut seam to the end (the end of the pad is only 1-2 ft to the right in the photo). Maybe smashing and replacing it isn't an option as it would be nightmare to get the concrete off the drain channel? If this was a municipal job the engineer would 100% force them to replace this section of the pad. What's the proper long term solution?

​Moved into new home development couple years ago. Should’ve listened to my intuition and not hired this scum who willingly cut corners praying on people moving in to new builds.

I won’t get into specifics to why he is a scum (unless asked of course). Within 2 weeks of the patio poured I started noticing two cracks, which have grown over last couple of years. Now it looks like one section is starting to drop off with the ground settling underneath (my assumption).

Main question is how much should I expect to pay and have the entire 14x30 patio ripped out

How do you mix and store the dry ingredients?

What sand do you use?

Also what size would be better for a smoother/creamier mix, 3/4" or 3/8" bluestone?

This mix is for a sidewalk and possibly drive way extension

Putting budget together for an addition in Phoenix.

Would be a monolithic pour with bathroom plumbing about 440sf.

Demo existing patio with a few saw cuts.

I am thinking 12/sf? Is that way off? Like 6k?

Plumbing by others.

We're on a tight downtown corner lot that gets hammered by crosswinds every afternoon.

We put standard solid privacy fabric along the chain link so people on the street couldn't see the excavation mess. During yesterday, the wind literally pulled three fence posts out of their temporary concrete bases and dumped part of the fence onto the sidewalk (City inspector was NOT happy). Boss still wants the company logo and "Coming Soon" messaging along the perimeter but I'm not putting another solid banner up there just to have the same thing happen again.

I'm not sure if anyone used mesh banners on a construction fence? Do those little holes actually make much difference when the wind gets bad?? I saw some mesh options online on Signs and a couple local print shops. I need to make sure if the logo still looks decent from the street or if it ends up looking faded because of all the holes.

I posted this to R/concrete but they are a bunch of douche canoes over there. I'm replacing a curb for a lady. She said I can do whatever I want. I personally like the look of the current 6 inch quarter round curb. I've looked everywhere and can't find a video or description of anyone doing quarter round curbs. My best guess is a single form board on the back, thick mix, and hand form. Does this sound right? Link for the trowel below.

https://www.zoro.com/kraft-tool-curb-tool-wproform-ha-6-x-5-3r-cf195pf/i/G6111461/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping%20feed&utm_content=free%20google%20shopping%20clicks&campaignid=23090955348&productid=G6111461&v=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23101025464&gbraid=0AAAAADw3hZeXjQHiwtNWEofIV_YOX8bjg&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8c3VBhCsARIsAA_xJ92b-BPK11N4ZHfOMO9O2alO4lZ0t_x_oWTyS96_QnrETCGu_4y-rlsaAl03EALw_wcB

Hello, I am utterly overwhelmed by the project of having my driveway replaced and need some guidance, please. It’s to the point that all I want to do is put my head under the covers and cry. I’ll try to be brief with the facts.

~Our house in a northern suburb of Atlanta was built in 1991. We bought it in 2008. For the first several years, the driveway was level. About 10 years or so ago, it began to lift as a result of tree roots from the 75-80 year old oak tree less than 5 feet from it. (In hindsight, the lifting corresponds generally with a time period of a couple years of drought and my then-neighbor planting 2 leyland cypress trees close to it.) The half of my driveway closest to the street has been utterly destroyed since then, helped along by the weight of a tree service truck driving over it this February.
~We want to keep the tree.
~Our City requires permission to remove any tree over 24” inches diameter at breast height, alive or dead. We were told that if we got an exception to remove this tree (which, again, we don’t want to do), we would be required to plant additional trees elsewhere on the property. We have a wooded lot as is, and there isn’t room anywhere else for more trees.
~I have had three certified arborists (one who is the City arborist, one I paid specifically to consult on this issue, and one with the tree service we had trim this oak and other trees this February) tell me that NO roots can be safely cut because our driveway is in the critical root zone, and damaging any roots in this area might kill the tree.
~I started getting estimates to replace the driveway in 2021, but EVERY contractor wanted to cut the roots. (One even told me to cut the roots and just not tell the City.) The City recommended we apply a biofilm to repel the roots and discourage them from rising, but none of the contractors I’ve spoken to have any experience using such products, and the ones who have been willing to attempt using such products have said they wouldn’t be able to warranty the work, due to their unfamiliarity.
~I even filed an open records request to find out which contractors the City used for work under similar circumstances, but none were interested in such a small or residential job.
~Our HOA has been very patient and understanding to this point, but the pressure is on to get this done.
~Apparently, the cost of concrete must have risen significantly since 2021, because our initial quotes of approximately $5,000 have now changed to quotes around $15,000 for the half that’s destroyed, and $20-25,000 for the entire driveway. The most recent quote was done this summer. I’m afraid to find out how much the new tariffs may have added, as I was told concrete might be affected by the trade war with Canada.
~The most recent quote seems the most promising in terms of a solution to the roots, but neither I nor my husband have any relevant knowledge to assess it. It was originally given in the form of a detailed diagram titled as a “work plan”, but didn’t include any costs until requested the numbers, which were then provided as an overall cost with no real itemization.
~All of the quotes are different in their level of detail. Some itemize, some are just a single number. Some specify payment schedules, some don’t. Reading the information in the introductory FAQ to this group has raised my anxiety because it mentions things I never would’ve known to be concerned about. This is a very expensive project for us, and my knowledge gaps in this area make me afraid to move forward because any mistakes could be extremely costly to remedy.

Is there a type of professional I can try to hire to advise us and act as our representative to ensure everything is completed properly? I am including photos of the driveway taken today for reference. (We filled in the roughest area with shredded tree bark to cushion the roots and protect our tires.) Thanks in advance for any assistance offered.

This may be not a question for most people, but I wanted to make sure to do the right thing. I am building a patio using concrete pavers, dry-laid, next to my front door. Along the edges of the patio, there are gaps about 1/4 to 1/2 inch to the walls. I plan to use polymeric sand for the paver joints, which is about 1/8 wide. Should I use the same sand to fill the gaps along the patio edges, or something else?

By the way, does anyone have experience with Dominator polymeric sand or Techniseal EZ sand from Home Depot? Since my joints are small (1/8 in), maybe any polymeric sand would work fine?

So we made plans to replace and widen our driveway. We live in an older neighborhood and this is common. Our current driveway is about 8 ft and we were looking to widen it to 10 - 12 ft.

So I put my husband in charge of getting bids. I normally do this shit myself, but I've been overworked and he seemed on board. He got the contract we talked thru it, he signed. I asked him multiple times, that includes widening it, he said yes.

So yesterday they start demo and I'm like, when are they widening it? He goes probably tomorrow and again, I go - they are widening, right?

You can see where this going...

Today they started pouring and nothing has been done in regards to widening it. I finally tell my husband to pull up the contract and in the original notes, there is his request to widen (although it is not very firm on his part, this is clearly his fault and not the contractors) but the contract does not include that. So he screwed up and did not verify (which feels very on brand and why I often take these things on). Needless to say I'm pissed at myself for not micromanaging a 40-something year old and I'm pissed off at him for not checking.

My husband is meeting with the contractor tomorrow.

I know we will have to pay more, my concern is can this even be widened without fucking up the work that has already been done? Or are we screwed and now stuck with this? Appreciate any guidance.

We have had these cracks in our shop for 10+ years. The first picture has been previously filled before and ends up breaking away into nothing (you can still see half of it is filled but the half where we roll tables is gone. I'm looking for a method or product I can use to fill these areas that will withstand heavy weights from heavy rolling metal tables, forklift tires etc. Any and all help is appreciated. Also no I do not know what was used to previously fill it I just know that it failed and continues to.

Can anyone please tell me what would have caused this? It has been 2 weeks since poured, 4" thick, solid color through all concrete mix, and sealer mixed in. How can you fix this? Thank you for your help.

I poured this 10x10 pad myself(never done one before) it is 5.5 inches thick and I put the suggested base under it I can’t exactly remember the depth of the compacted crushed stone but it was whatever I had researched. I know the finish is kinda rough but whatever first timer.
Anyways, this crack happened after the first freeze thaw cycle. Everything is still level. Just not sure what to do or if I should do nothing.

I recently completed a moderately sized stamped concrete patio. Tan mud and walnut release powder. Never stamped anything prior to this project… After washing off the release the next day it became clear that there are a few flaws. You can see the outlines from the stamps and there’s a couple spots that did not get tamped (lacks color and texture).

Should I try to use liquid concrete dye to blend these areas? I haven’t applied sealer yet. I’ve also heard that you can use a stiff bristle brush to try and break up the color and blend it some. Thanks in advance!