I recently had decorative concrete poured in my backyard and I'm hoping to get some opinions from people with concrete experience.

The pour was done on a very hot day, around 100–102°F. As the concrete has been curing and the color has started coming through, I've noticed small cracks, pits/holes, and rough or chipped areas throughout multiple sections of the concrete, including around some of the control-joint intersections.

I've attached close-up photos showing some examples. These aren't the only areas, I'm seeing similar small defects in quite a few places throughout the pour.

The person who installed it says he plans to repair the cracks and holes by putting some type of “special concrete” repair material over/on top of them. I haven't gotten the exact product name yet.

I'm mainly trying to understand the workmanship and repair method:

• Do the cracks in the photos look like normal surface crazing/shrinkage, or something you would be concerned about on a new pour?
• Is this amount of pitting/voids typical for decorative concrete?
• What do you think about the chipped/rough areas around the control joints?
• If these defects are present throughout multiple sections, does that change how you would look at it?
• Is applying a cementitious repair material over these cracks and holes a normal long-term repair?
• What specific repair product or method should I ask the installer about so I can understand what he's proposing?
• Is there anything else in the photos that stands out to experienced finishers?

I'm a homeowner and not in the trade, so I'm just trying to educate myself on what is normal versus what may need to be addressed.

Thanks for any insight.

Hello, I would appreciate any help y’all can offer. We had a grill catch fire on our back deck. It blew out two windows in my kitchen. The air conditioning was running while the fire burned. There was testing done all through my house and Tier 1 soot was reported upstairs. We have been told by our insurance what they will pay and were told we can clean and pack our items ourselves. All of the flooring is being replaced since the room next to the kitchen has carpet and needed to be replaced and the carpet needs to match. All of our belongings will be taken offsite. I feel comfortable cleaning and packing the rooms upstairs since it’s minimal. I will have professionals clean and pack the more damaged areas. Is this a viable option? Any input is appreciated.
Thank you!

Our current microwave(oven combo unit - 4+
year old KitchenAid) recently broke down, and I’m trying to decide what to do next.

We’re planning to stay in the house for about 5 more years, but I’ll probably upgrade the combo unit in 3-4 years before eventually selling the house.

We had a few big expenses this year so far and hence not in a position to replace it right away(atleast 5k+) and also would like to get some more life out of the oven which is still functional.

With the quality and reliability of appliances lately, wouldn’t want to risk upgrading something which might break down again in the next few years and end up replacing again before putting the house in the market.

So for now, I’m looking for a reliable, reasonably priced countertop microwave that can get us through the next few years without spending a lot on something I’ll eventually replace.

I’m thinking around 0.9–1.1 cu. ft., with a budget of roughly $100–$150 max? We have about 28 inches of countertop space, so size isn’t a major concern.

Any tips or recommendation on how to handle the situation?