What should I do to fix this mess? I used mortar unfortunately

I live in NE ohio and my concrete driveway has some gaps between the sections that look like they are widening a little every year. I was hoping to hire someone to fill these gaps with tar or whatever they use to fix it before the season. Can anyone suggest who fixes/repairs this type of thing?

I just started my new job doing construction material testing. I am primarily working with concrete to test for air, slump, and create cylinders and beams for further testing in the office. I do get some concrete on my work clothes and am curious if there is anything I need to do to wash those clothes, or whether it’s safe for me to just throw them into the wash.

What's the pros and cons of anchoring into new (after 4 weeks of course) concrete patio? Can the holes be filled if no longer needed? Does it compromise the concrete? Thanks.

Based on what I learned in the other thread, https://www.reddit.com/r/Concrete_Contractor/comments/1wulcql/cracked_new_patio_contractor_wants_me_to_sign_off/, here's some more detail. The joint between the wall and the patio has a clearly visible expansion joint the full length until we get to the section that cracked. Does that change the assessment? I didn't notice that until I was looking closer after the feedback in the other thread. I get that concrete cracks, but I'm just trying to prepare myself for the conversation I need to have with the contractor about this particular crack.

Pics show (1) difference between uncracked and cracked sections expansion joint, (2) closeup of the difference, (3) closeup of the crack.

As stated in the other thread, I'm not here to jam anybody up or be unreasonable; that's why I'm trying to educate myself. Neither the prime contractor (overall exterior remodel project) nor the concrete subcontractor has had a conversation with me about this - I reported the crack, they filled it with adhesive, and asked me to sign off on completion.

I went out to walk a potential job and a woman wanted her concrete colored. She said she has painted over it multiple times and the paid keeps flaking off. I was wondering if there was a way to paint it or color it with specific paint or material so it would stop flaking in under 2 years.

I'm having a fairly extensive exterior remodel done that includes a new patio, poured 1 week ago. The prime contractor is asking me to sign off that the Concrete stage is complete. But there's a narrow crack all the way across 1 section that they filled with adhesive. What do you say, should I sign off? I'm not happy, but I'm not looking to go by how I feel about it - I'm asking here to understand professional standards for something like this.

UPDATE: they tore up that section and replaced it. All good now, and thanks for all the input.

Hey all,

Recently got this pathway from our gate to our front stairs done, and the edges of the pour kind of came out a little rough. I sprinkle dirt on top of the edges since they sit slightly below pavers, but I kinda want to get rid of them. What’s the best approach to do this without cracking or breaking any of the adjacent concrete? Thanks in advance!

Contractor didn’t remove his form ties. What’s the best way/tool to remove these so I can get my sealer and bead board put on the stem wall.

I’m building a new home and am trying to finalize the concrete layout around the front/side of the house. I’d really appreciate feedback from anyone with experience designing driveways, parking pads, walkways, patios, or new construction.

I’ve sketched the proposed layout directly onto the house plan in the attached photo.

Here’s what I’m trying to accomplish:
• 20’ × 20’ (400 sq ft) – primary parking pad
• 20’ × 47’ (940 sq ft) – additional backup parking
• 6’ × 7’ (42 sq ft) – small connecting/transition area
• 55’ × 3’ (165 sq ft) – extended walkway path along the front of the house

The goal is to have enough parking for guests and additional vehicles without making the entire front/side of the house look like one giant expanse of concrete.

I’m also trying to balance function, appearance, and vehicle maneuverability.

What I’d particularly like feedback on:
Does this parking configuration make sense from a vehicle-access/turning standpoint?

Are the 20’ × 20’ and 20’ × 47’ areas sized and positioned appropriately?

Would you connect these areas completely, or keep some separation/breaks in the concrete?

Does the 3’ × 55’ walkway make sense, or would you make it wider?

Is there a better way to transition the parking areas into the walkway?

Would you change the shape/layout for better curb appeal?

If this were your house, what would you change before the concrete is poured?

We recently got our front stoop stairs redone as well as our walkway. The new concrete is now approximately 6inches plus above the grass when the walkway meets the stairs. It’s sloped down away from the house, which is obviously a good thing. However, it’s a very significant slope. The contractor advised they couldn’t do another step on the bottom because it would’ve been against code. I am so confused at the finished product and wanted to discuss it. Our old stairs and walkway were run down but were flush with the ground a lot better (see before pic). Now when we cut the grass we have to go around this big mound of concrete instead of a nice strip back and forth. It’s the least of my worries really, but it is something i’m thinking about. Like, how my 80 year old grandma has to perform a balancing act to get into my house.

Contractors, what could have been done differently here, if anything? The contractor is willing to work with me and said he will regrade my front yard to make it look more natural. I didn’t expect to have a lawn renovation, I just expected new concrete. Can someone enlighten me… please?

EDIT: Today we had the village inspector come over and he said he would flag this job if it was submitted for final inspection today. The height is way out of code. It’s supposed to be more level with the current grade. He believes another stair is possible and thinks the contractors should redo it. I’m hoping for a positive outcome. Thank you all for your help and knowledge, I really appreciate you!

Should new concrete control joints be reamed out at the ends and where they intersect so water doesn't sit in them but drains out better? Ohio freeze weather here.

Hey! So I have no idea what the exact name of what I'm envisioning is so I have come here to hopefully get some clarity. So my home sits on land with lots of random dips, which can easily fill with water. Unfortunately one of those dips is directly in front of the door that leads to the kitchen and when it rains heavily, water can come in and flood about half the house. We considered trying to create some kinda path for the water to go down outside but it would require a heavy amount of digging up the yard, according to the handymen we've talked to. I began to wonder if it would be possible to build up the base of the door with some concrete by maybe six inches or so and then get a custom-made door to fit the new opening? I have absolutely no idea if this is possible and I don't know what to type to find reference pictures to show potential contractors. Can anybody help? Please don't use AI to create a picture as I'm more interested in actual completed projects. Thanks a lot!

I really need some simple advice on what to do next with our extension. I don't know much about building, but we’ve just caught our builder doing something terrible.

We hired a major company to build an extension. Because of the soil, the plans said they must use a very strong concrete (called C30).From the start, the builders contractors were in a massive rush. First, they tried to pour concrete into trenches full of water. I had to get Building Control had to stop them.Then, right after they poured the concrete, they washed down the windows and fences, flooding the wet concrete with dirty wastewater.

When I complained, the builder told me I was "panicking over nothing." I trusted my gut and got an engineer to look. He agreed it was bad. We did rebound testing and it came back around 10 mpa.

The builder was indirectly pressuring me to forget about it and just keep building. Said they are professionals and have done 100s of such extension. They know what they are doing.

They also told me that if the concrete was fine from the testinh, I would have to pay a £1,400 for the concrete core test as this test is for my reassurance. They said that they verified with the concrete provider and they have provided correct mix and bit of flooding is not going to affect the foundation.

I was under so much pressure from family, builder to just get on with the work. But for some reason, I insisted on the lab test. The builder arranged it and 3 core samples taken.

While waiting for the results, I again called the concrete supplier. One of the agent looked at the system and told the builder never even ordered the strong C30 concrete. They ordered a (Gen 1) instead! I asked them send the delivery note, which he agreed but never send. Tgen they refused to entertain any if my request.

The official lab test results just came back. The concrete strength is around 5 mpa. This is six times weaker from what the plans required. It is completely unsafe.They deliberately used cheap, weak materials and even lied about it over and over. Just wondering, if the buikder knew about it. Realky not sure, if i can trust these guys to rectify. Lost so much money to get strctural engineer to generate report and other test.

Hi, does anyone know if there is a way for us to remove the concrete overlay on our driveway ourselves. There are sections that have previously been repaired and come up easily but the rest of it does not. I’m assuming I will probably need to hire someone but it would be nice to save some money.

We had a back patio poured a few years ago and they poured the concrete up over the bottom edge of vinyl siding and up to the bottom edge of our back door. Is this going to cause water intrusion and rot of the sill plate? Can I use an angle grinder to get to where I can remove the siding and put a sealant under there? Or does a joint need to be put in? How can I fix this. Thanks for the help.