Greetings all!

This is a long story that I'll make short: My wife and I are putting
in a pool and a hot tub, and the concrete guy the pool contractor got
to do the deck work (his third choice, by the way, as the first two
were too busy) did a decent job with most of the stamped concrete, but
an absolutely horrible job with the finish work around the pool and
spa. So we told him to fix it to our satisfaction, but his "repair"
work was so bad that we just paid him to go away. I am in the middle
of a nervous breakdown, and don't feel up to pursuing a lawsuit, so
that part of the story is over and I am not interested in revisiting my
nightmarish experience with this vile concrete guy.

However, I would be willing to pay a concrete craftsman, who takes real
pride in his finish work, to come out and repair the rotten finish work
done by the first guy. This would probably entail some sanding around
the edge of the pool and spa, some buttering (or "creaming"?...not sure
of the correct term) of some of the worst areas, and staining the edge
work so there is at least SOME consistent color (ANYTHING is better
than the current haphazard job). Probably only one day for one skilled
craftsmen...not a gargantuan job.

But how do I find such a craftsman? If I call someone in the yellow
pages...even the guy who did the crappy job I am trying to
repair...they will all of course assure that they do great finish work,
but I know from previous experience that this is not always the case.
Are there any buzzwords I should use, like "concrete restoration"? Do
some concrete professionals specialize in finish work (like a relief
pitcher in baseball specializes in finishing games)? I have asked my
friends in my area for advice, but nobody has had any useful
information.

I live in the Santa Ynez, California, USA, and the communities that are
nearby include Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Maria, San Luis Opisbo,
and...maybe an hour north of us...Atascadero. If anyone knows anyone
in my area that does great "pride in workmanship" concrete finish work,
PLEASE let me know!

If I don't find someone, I'll have to learn to do it myself, but I'd
prefer to get a professional to do it.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Chuck

Chuck wrote:
... This would probably entail some
sanding around the edge of the pool and spa, some buttering (or
"creaming"?...not sure of the correct term) of some of the worst
areas, and staining the edge work so there is at least SOME
consistent color (ANYTHING is better than the current haphazard job).
Probably only one day for one skilled craftsmen...not a gargantuan
job.

I suspect you will not be happy with anything that repairs what is
there. You might get some help by staining and some grinding, but the
results are not going to look really good. The idea of topcoating is not
wise in my opinion as the color and finish is not likely to match what you
have and it may not be structurally sound and flak off.



--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Chuck wrote:
I live in the Santa Ynez, California, USA, and the communities that are
nearby include Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Maria, San Luis Opisbo,
and...maybe an hour north of us...Atascadero. If anyone knows anyone
in my area that does great "pride in workmanship" concrete finish work,
PLEASE let me know!

I'd put a plug in for my service pro directory company but I checked and
I don't have any concrete contractors listed in your area

So instead I'll put in a plug for another directory. Checkout
angieslist.com they might have someone.

Good Luck!

--
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