A contractor had to cut into my basement floor, and filled the gap with new cement. Where the new cement meets the old there's a thick brown line. He said this is impossible to avoid, it's a moisture issue when the cement cures.

Right or wrong?

On Jan 20, 8:11*pm, wrote:
A contractor had to cut into my basement floor, and filled the gap with new cement. Where the new cement meets the old there's a thick brown line. He said this is impossible to avoid, it's a moisture issue when the cement cures.

Right or wrong?

How about a photo?

Okay, it's he
http://www.brainchampagne.com/Comedy/tempphoto.jpg

The new cement is on the top of the photo, below the drain, then the brown line, then the old cement.

On 1/21/2012 2:10 PM, wrote:
Okay, it's he
http://www.brainchampagne.com/Comedy/tempphoto.jpg

The new cement is on the top of the photo, below the drain, then the
brown line, then the old cement.

Looks like either dirt or perhaps some iron or other soluble
contamination was in the region at the edge and got floated to the top...

It's not owing simply to moisture/water; the color is not that of the
concrete/cement (as you're aware and why you're asking).

However, it's highly unlikely that it's going to do any harm and while
somewhat visually distracting I doubt you'll have any luck at all
getting the guy to break it out and redo it (at least w/o paying him for
the labor) as I don't think it is serious enough of a defect to justify
or be able to win if you have to try to force the issue.

You might wait a while 'til it finishes curing then try a little etching
and see if it is only a very thin surface layer if you'd like to
minimize the color difference. A sweeping of just plain portland cement
over the top w/ a little damp could also help camouflage it as well
simply like face powder to fill in the tiny pores a little w/ some
lighter-colored material.

All in all, I'd not worry about it.

--

On 1/21/2012 3:10 PM, wrote:
Okay, it's he
http://www.brainchampagne.com/Comedy/tempphoto.jpg

The new cement is on the top of the photo, below the drain, then the brown line, then the old cement.

How long has it been since the new "concrete" (not cement) was done?

By the way, from the little I can see, the drain looks like he did a
nice job.

On 1/21/2012 2:10 PM, wrote:
Okay, it's he
http://www.brainchampagne.com/Comedy/tempphoto.jpg

The new cement is on the top of the photo, below the drain, then the brown line, then the old cement.


I assume you just had an intake drain installed in an existing slab or
driveway. The workmanship looks top notch to me. How long ago was this
done? You do know it takes concrete 28 days for the initial dry. This
is looking like moisture wicking at the joint, quite normal in my
experience. I may have been inclined to run an edger on the new work
just to disguise the joint and to make it easier on me rather than the
obvious time spent getting a good finish between new and old. The new
concrete and the old concrete will never bond, there will be at least a
hairline crack at the joint. Again, it looks like good work to me.

--


___________________________________

Keep the whole world singing . . .
Dan G
remove the seven

On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:38:40 -0600, DanG wrote:

On 1/21/2012 2:10 PM, wrote:
Okay, it's he
http://www.brainchampagne.com/Comedy/tempphoto.jpg

The new cement is on the top of the photo, below the drain, then the brown line, then the old cement.


I assume you just had an intake drain installed in an existing slab or
driveway. The workmanship looks top notch to me. How long ago was this
done? You do know it takes concrete 28 days for the initial dry. This
is looking like moisture wicking at the joint, quite normal in my
experience. I may have been inclined to run an edger on the new work
just to disguise the joint and to make it easier on me rather than the
obvious time spent getting a good finish between new and old. The new
concrete and the old concrete will never bond, there will be at least a
hairline crack at the joint. Again, it looks like good work to me.

I had a clogged p-trap. pulled by the plumber I ended up working for.
He used a diamond saw to cut straight lines.
If the poster's plumber had done that the line would be less
noticeable. Cosmetics.
But I agree it looks like good work.

--Vic

It's been a month and a half.

And as far as not doing any harm, it may be cosmetic but it's my house! The floor looked fine before this. Otherwise they seem to have done a neat job, but I wasn't watching and have no idea how good a job they did under the cement.

On Jan 21, 6:29*pm, wrote:
It's been a month and a half.

And as far as not doing any harm, it may be cosmetic but it's my house! The floor looked fine before this. Otherwise they seem to have done a neat job, but I wasn't watching and have no idea how good a job they did under the cement.

You have to be a f***king troll...

Short of breaking up your entire basement slab and pouring a new
one after whatever work was done with that drain it will never look
"just like it did" before the floor was cut open to do the work...

That looks like an excellent job...

The old concrete and the new were made in different batches
with different water sources at different times making them
slightly different in color -- seriously if you are that uppity
about it looking all the same it is time to call a different
contractor out to coat the entire floor with grey epoxy paint...

~~ Evan

On Jan 21, 3:29*pm, wrote:
It's been a month and a half.

And as far as not doing any harm, it may be cosmetic but it's my house! The floor looked fine before this. Otherwise they seem to have done a neat job, but I wasn't watching and have no idea how good a job they did under the cement.


A few comments & questions......

Looks like you had some sort of drainage system installed.

It's in the basement not the living room.

Cement is a constituent of concrete, cement is the glue that holds all
the aggregate together.
The basement floor is made of concrete not cement.

Matching the "look" from batch to batch of concrete is difficult.

I agree with dpb .............. "Looks like either dirt or perhaps
some iron or other soluble
contamination was in the region at the edge and got floated to the
top... "

The drain install looks decent (from the single photo provided),
It looks to me that the contractor broke the concrete out rather than
doing a saw cut ,
so (imo) cosmetics were a secondary consideration below speed & cost.

Again, it's an unfinished concrete floor in a basement, not an oak
floor in your living room.

Did you competitively bid the job out? Was this guy the low bidder?
DId you beat him down on his price?



Ckeck this like out........ How to remove stains from concrete...
good luck.

http://www.structuremag.org/article.aspx?articleID=512


cheers
Bob

No, a troll is a guy who uses nasty words to indicate that he didn't read the original posting and is just trolling for a fight.

Couple of things:

1. NOT the lowest bidder. Possibly the highest one- I went with a reputable contractor because I wanted the job done correctly. I've already learned my lesson that the lowest bidder is often the lowest bidder for a reason! I sometimes have to compete with low bidders in my business and I say something like "Yeah, you can get a car for $500, too..."

2. I know the difference between cement and concrete, and when I called it concrete they corrected me and said it's cement, there's no aggregate in what they used.

3. They did tell me the color wouldn't match- but of course they told me that when they started the work, not when they bid the job.

4. I'm not talking about slightly different color between old and new (although why they wouldn't at least try to match I have no idea- when I've stained wood I've mixed stains together to try to match). I'm talking about the brown line between old and new, and maybe the photo doesn't reflect it well but it looks horrible.

5. As far as whether it's my living room or basement? It's a finished basement and it's up to me to decide whether it needs to look nice. It's still my house. I'd paint the floor but I asked about that and they said that due to moisture it would have to be redone every three or so years, and there's no way I'm doing that.

6. If dirt was in the region and floated up, couldn't they have put a piece of plastic underneath to prevent that? They told me this ALWAYS happens and I've never heard of it before. For what it's worth, the photos in their brochure don't show a brown discoloration between old and new.

Thanks for the help.

On 1/23/2012 12:15 PM, wrote:
....

6. If dirt was in the region and floated up, couldn't they have put
apiece of plastic underneath to prevent that? They told me this ALWAYS
happens and I've never heard of it before. For what it's worth, the
photos in their brochure don't show a brown discoloration between old
and new.

Well, more than likely it was actually on the face of the broken old
work and yes, they _could_ have cleaned it more thoroughly but they didn't.

The thing is, it's not a material defect so your choice is to either pay
to have it redone or see if you can clean the present surface, cover it
w/ either paint or a surface coating or live with it.

--

On Jan 23, 3:04*pm, dpb wrote:
On 1/23/2012 12:15 PM, wrote:
...

6. If dirt was in the region and floated up, couldn't they have put
apiece of plastic underneath to prevent that? They told me this ALWAYS

happens and I've never heard of it before. For what it's worth, the
photos in their brochure don't show a brown discoloration between old
and new.

Well, more than likely it was actually on the face of the broken old
work and yes, they _could_ have cleaned it more thoroughly but they didn't.

On 1/23/2012 2:24 PM, wrote:
....

... Looks like some kind of iron
presence to me...

My initial thought/suggestion as well as the likely culprit causing the
particular coloration.

--

On 1/23/2012 1:15 PM, wrote:
No, a troll is a guy who uses nasty words to indicate that he didn't
read the original posting and is just trolling for a fight.

Didn't see who called you a troll, but you didn't strike me as one.


2. I know the difference between cement and concrete, and when I
called it concrete they corrected me and said it's cement, there's no
aggregate in what they used.

No aggregate? Not even pea gravel? Not even sand? Well then I change
my opinion of the guys work! Sounds like crap to me. Sounds like it
will be falling apart soon, so the dark stain is the _least_ of your
problems!

Actually I find it difficult to believe it's just cement and water. Not
saying it's not possible, but I've never heard of such a thing done by a
professional.

On 1/23/2012 3:00 PM, Tony Miklos wrote:
....

Actually I find it difficult to believe it's just cement and water. Not
saying it's not possible, but I've never heard of such a thing done by a
professional.

I'd be quite certain it isn't...maybe only sand mix for the patch to
make it easier to finish, but certainly they wouldn't have paid the bill
to mix it w/o any aggregate at all--that would be quite pricey,
comparatively.

--

Maybe sand, not aggregate.

And as far as how bad it is, I wouldn't call it an 'immaterial defect.' It may be cosmetic, but if an electrician opened a wall to add an outlet and said he'd make it look like it was always there and didn't paint the wall, well, I'd say that's wrong. The difference is, it's easy to paint a wall...

And the floor isn't smooth, either, there's small bumps and valleys in the concrete they poured. I probably can't do a better job, but it's not what I do for a living (FYI these guys pretty much ONLY install drains into concrete floors).

On 1/23/2012 4:17 PM, wrote:
Maybe sand, not aggregate.

Sand _IS_ (a form of) aggregate...

And as far as how bad it is, I wouldn't call it an 'immaterial
defect.' It may be cosmetic, ...

That means it is _not_ material defect. It doesn't prevent the poured
portion of the floor from performing its intended function in any way.

If you think it is material, file in a small claims court and see if you
can convince a judge. Good luck w/ that.


And the floor isn't smooth, either, there's small bumps and valleys
in the concrete they poured. I probably can't do a better job, but
it's not what I do for a living (FYI these guys pretty much ONLY
install drains into concrete floors).

There you're again probably on shaky footing...did the contract specify
the level of finish, specifically? If not, unless you trip over it or
it doesn't drain, unlikely a small variation will be considered a defect
by an impartial judge.

There's no point in belaboring the point here any further; from what we
can see it doesn't look significant enough that you're going to get much
sympathy and even if did it doesn't solve your perceived problem. If
the contractor doesn't think there's a problem and the work functions
per intent, I really do think you've no recourse but the small claims
court and there's just no chance you're going to win based on what
you've shown.

--

Well then maybe the electrician analogy is flawed, because as I mentioned, I can paint a wall.

I didn't come here looking for an argument and clearly that's not true of everyone... I wanted to know if this always happens, because that's what the contractor told me. And clearly the answer is no, it can happen, but it isn't the rule.

So, while you all say don't ask them to redo it, I think I can ask them about doing something to remedy it, either use a chemical to get rid of the stain, or maybe cut it down a fraction of an inch and try a little more concrete... we'll see what they say.

On 1/24/2012 5:25 PM, wrote:
....

So, while you all say don't ask them to redo it, I think I can
ask them about doing something to remedy it, either use a chemical to
get rid of the stain, or maybe cut it down a fraction of an inch and
try a little more concrete... we'll see what they say.

I'll take a guess...bring your checkbook to the conversation.

--

On Jan 24, 6:25*pm, wrote:
Well then maybe the electrician analogy is flawed, because as I mentioned, I can paint a wall.

I didn't come here looking for an argument and clearly that's not true of everyone... I wanted to know if this always happens, because that's what the contractor told me. And clearly the answer is no, it can happen, but it isn't the rule.

So, while you all say don't ask them to redo it, I think I can ask them about doing something to remedy it, either use a chemical to get rid of the stain, or maybe cut it down a fraction of an inch and try a little more concrete... we'll see what they say.


No, you can not ask them... You accepted the work and paid for it
already... You have been told several times that your complaint is
one of cosmetics... It was a totally legitimate and common effect
that happens -- concrete wicks and soaks up water -- in your case
there was either something going on with iron deposits in or near
the soil that was disturbed to do the work...

The failed drain pipe that was replaced wasn't by any chance
cast-iron was it ?

Your issue with the appearance factor of this floor is totally
unreasonable and is not within the realm of being legally
actionable unless you clearly specified how the floor finish
should appear when the work was completed... You did not,
most such contracts are concerned with functionality and
workmanlike manner of technique in residential jobs...

You were told that the only way that your floor would ever
look like it did before the concrete was cut for the work
to be done was if it was all one unified pour which is
totally ridiculous to even attempt to assert that a plumber
should ever do such a thing in a drain replacement project...

The contractor is not going to cut the concrete down a
little and re pour it... Not just because you don't like the
way it looks... If YOU don't like the way your floor looks
you can have it painted... You keep harping on this but
the work the plumber did to the drain is functional and
the repaired floor is in compliance with code... That is
all you paid for and all you are entitled to get...

~~ Evan

On Jan 23, 2:17*pm, wrote:
Maybe sand, not aggregate.

And as far as how bad it is, I wouldn't call it an 'immaterial defect.' It may be cosmetic, but if an electrician opened a wall to add an outlet and said he'd make it look like it was always there and didn't paint the wall, well, I'd say that's wrong. The difference is, it's easy to paint a wall....

And the floor isn't smooth, either, there's small bumps and valleys in the concrete they poured. I probably can't do a better job, but it's not what I do for a living (FYI these guys pretty much ONLY install drains into concrete floors).

I think the whole crux of the issue is your lack of facility with
English & preparation of specifications,
coupled with rather unrealistic expectations as to the final result.

This is why there are general contractors.... good ones "translate"
between the trades & the owner.

as an example, you translated "not a material defect" into
"I wouldn't call it an 'immaterial defect.' "
not an expression of the same concept.

Unfortunately you & the drain installer had a series of
miscommunications..... live & learn.
That's why it's called "experience".

btw what do you do for a living?

cheers
Bob.

On Jan 24, 6:34*pm, dpb wrote:
On 1/24/2012 5:25 PM, wrote:
...

So, while you all say don't ask them to redo it, I think I can
ask them about doing something to remedy it, either use a chemical to
get rid of the stain, or maybe cut it down a fraction of an inch and
try a *little more concrete... we'll see what they say.

I'll take a guess...bring your checkbook to the conversation.

--

Seems a hell of a lot easier to get some
CLR or similar rust remover for $5 and try it.
I doubt anyone doing concrete work guarantees
how the color of the job is going to turn out in
the area where the old meets the new.

Also what I don't get is the refusal to paint the
floor of a finished basement. I've yet to see
what I'd call a finished basement where the
floor is bare concrete. Most of the bare concrete
basement floors I've seen have been far from
uniform in color appearance, even those that
have not been cut and patched.

On Jan 25, 1:41*am, "
wrote:
On Jan 24, 6:34*pm, dpb wrote:

On 1/24/2012 5:25 PM, wrote:
...

So, while you all say don't ask them to redo it, I think I can
ask them about doing something to remedy it, either use a chemical to
get rid of the stain, or maybe cut it down a fraction of an inch and
try a *little more concrete... we'll see what they say.

I'll take a guess...bring your checkbook to the conversation.

--

Seems a hell of a lot easier to get some
CLR or similar rust remover for $5 and try it.
I doubt anyone doing concrete work guarantees
how the color of the job is going to turn out in
the area where the old meets the new.

Also what I don't get is the refusal to paint the
floor of a finished basement. *I've yet to see
what I'd call a finished basement where the
floor is bare concrete. *Most of the bare concrete
basement floors I've seen have been far from
uniform in color appearance, even those that
have not been cut and patched.

better to intall tile, vinyl tile is cheap.

perhaps this floor has a water problem too?

On 1/24/2012 9:17 PM, Evan wrote:
....

No, you can not ask them......

He can _always_ ask...

--

On Jan 25, 12:49*pm, dpb wrote:
On 1/24/2012 9:17 PM, Evan wrote:
...

No, you can not ask them......

He can _always_ ask...

--

Asking to do a change order AFTER accepting and paying
for the work is akin to engaging in another contract...

The floor is done and was accepted as complete and that
is that... Concrete work short of pouring a whole new slab
will not accomplish what this OP wants...

He can paint or tile the floor to achieve his objective...
I am starting to think a psychiatric hospital might be more
appropriate in meeting his needs though...

~~ Evan

On 1/25/2012 3:38 PM, Evan wrote:
On Jan 25, 12:49 pm, wrote:
On 1/24/2012 9:17 PM, Evan wrote:
...

No, you can not ask them......

He can _always_ ask...
....

Asking to do a change order AFTER accepting and paying
for the work is akin to engaging in another contract...
....

I think you missed the inflection, there...

I didn't say there was any chance he would get any satisfaction in response.

--

On Jan 25, 4:45*pm, dpb wrote:
On 1/25/2012 3:38 PM, Evan wrote: On Jan 25, 12:49 pm, *wrote:
On 1/24/2012 9:17 PM, Evan wrote:
...

No, you can not ask them......

He can _always_ ask...

...

Asking to do a change order AFTER accepting and paying
for the work is akin to engaging in another contract...

...

I think you missed the inflection, there...

I didn't say there was any chance he would get any satisfaction in response.

--

Actually, the OP might get satisfaction. The
contractor might stop by with that $5 container
of CLR or similar rust remover. Of course, if iit
were you or I, we'd just go to the local hardware
store and spend the $5 instead of trying to get
the contractor to deal with it.

Wow some of you are nasty even by internet standards...

Never said it was anything other than cosmetic, but so what? They said they'd put in a sump pump drainage system, they didn't say they'd leave it looking way worse than it started.

I didn't come here accusing the contractor of anything. Feel free to actually read the initial posting- where I simply asked if the discoloration was normal.

Nobody 'accepted the work and paid for it' because when they poured the concrete there was no discoloration, it happened after it cured. If my floor collapsed later would you call that acceptance also? (and no, I'm not equating the severity of the two)

There was no failed pipe that was replaced; as far as I know there's no iron around unless it's in the foundation (and the sewer lines are on the other side of the house).

Legally actionable? Why are you jumping to the incorrect conclusion that any legal action is even being considered? Again, I simply asked if discoloration was normal.

Since none of you read the contract you don't know what I contracted for and paid for. Their marketing materials promise a clean finish and their photos do not show any discoloration.

Oh, and I did ask the contractor about painting the basement floor (and before some of the nastier posters here jump to conclusions, I meant my painting it, not asking them to do it). He said that because concrete is porous and moisture comes through it, paint on a basement floor lasts only around 3 years, then it starts to bubble and needs to be repainted. That wouldn't work for me, I wouldn't want to have to move everything around every 3 years to repaint.

On Jan 25, 11:38*pm, wrote:
Wow some of you are nasty even by internet standards...

Never said it was anything other than cosmetic, but so what? They said they'd put in a sump pump drainage system, they didn't say they'd leave it looking way worse than it started.

I didn't come here accusing the contractor of anything. Feel free to actually read the initial posting- where I simply asked if the discoloration was normal.

Nobody 'accepted the work and paid for it' because when they poured the concrete there was no discoloration, it happened after it cured. If my floor collapsed later would you call that acceptance also? (and no, I'm not equating the severity of the two)

There was no failed pipe that was replaced; as far as I know there's no iron around unless it's in the foundation (and the sewer lines are on the other side of the house).

Legally actionable? Why are you jumping to the incorrect conclusion that any legal action is even being considered? Again, I simply asked if discoloration was normal.

Since none of you read the contract you don't know what I contracted for and paid for. Their marketing materials promise a clean finish and their photos do not show any discoloration.

Oh, and I did ask the contractor about painting the basement floor (and before some of the nastier posters here jump to conclusions, I meant my painting it, not asking them to do it). He said that because concrete is porous and moisture comes through it, paint on a basement floor lasts only around 3 years, then it starts to bubble and needs to be repainted. That wouldn't work for me, I wouldn't want to have to move everything around every 3 years to repaint.


I did read your posting...

Sir, respectfully, your issue with the appearance and color of the
floor is absolute baffoonery... Period... You can not even attempt
any rationalization of your position which would not be viewed as
craziness by an uninterested third party...

If the stain really bothers you try to clean it off yourself or you
paint it to make it look "better" to you... "Looking way worse
than it started" is in your highly biased, subjective, and totally
inexperienced opinion... You will not win any sort of legal
argument with only that to stand on as it is not legally sufficient
evidence, it is your opinion and only that...

"Nobody 'accepted the work and paid for it' because when they
poured the concrete there was no discoloration, it happened after
it cured. If my floor collapsed later would you call that acceptance
also? (and no, I'm not equating the severity of the two)"

Yes, you accepted the work and paid for it... The job was for
functionality of the drain, not the color of the floor... If the
floor
collapsed later that would be a functional defect... You are
complaining about the coloration of your floor which was a
result of the unique conditions present in your home...
As someone else here said, for what you paid for it and in
a contract which doesn't involve concrete engineering specs
and recipes which are precisely described and agreed upon
no one will guarantee what a cured pour of concrete will look
like appearance wise for color...

Legally Actionable: Legally sufficient to support a lawsuit in itself.

You don't even have an issue with which you could make a
valid consumer report/complaint about let alone something which
would result in anything other than a quite terse "case dismissed"
from the hearing officer/judge after you try to explain your side of
the issue in a small claims proceeding...

Your definition of a "clean finish" and what is the industry
acceptable
definition and standard working practices are definitely not in
agreement... The industry standard applies here, not yours...
If you thought you were going to end up with something that looked
_exactly_ like the picture in the marketing materials in a brochure
you definitely are in need of psychiatric services...

You were sold a drain system, you received a drain system...
It is the functional ability of the installed devices which is the
important factor here, not the exact coloration of the concrete
nor the specific external appearance of the drain grating, etc...

As to the floor, if you can't paint it - which I highly doubt, because
there are paints designed for garage floors that are wet both on the
surface and underneath that endure that moisture and the physical
abrasions of vehicle tires crunching grit on the painted surfaces
which last quite a bit longer than 3 years when properly applied,
then you will need to get over yourself and accept that if you can
not clean whatever minor discoloration away with chemicals and
you are not prepared to pay a concrete contractor to break up your
slab and pour you a new perfectly clean and uniformly finished
one that you will just have to accept what is and that is all
there is to it...

This is why I *really* think you are either a troll, crazy or both...

~~ Evan

On Jan 26, 4:00*am, Evan wrote:
On Jan 25, 11:38*pm, wrote:

Wow some of you are nasty even by internet standards...

Never said it was anything other than cosmetic, but so what? They said they'd put in a sump pump drainage system, they didn't say they'd leave it looking way worse than it started.

I didn't come here accusing the contractor of anything. Feel free to actually read the initial posting- where I simply asked if the discoloration was normal.

Nobody 'accepted the work and paid for it' because when they poured the concrete there was no discoloration, it happened after it cured. If my floor collapsed later would you call that acceptance also? (and no, I'm not equating the severity of the two)

There was no failed pipe that was replaced; as far as I know there's no iron around unless it's in the foundation (and the sewer lines are on the other side of the house).

Legally actionable? Why are you jumping to the incorrect conclusion that any legal action is even being considered? Again, I simply asked if discoloration was normal.

Since none of you read the contract you don't know what I contracted for and paid for. Their marketing materials promise a clean finish and their photos do not show any discoloration.

Oh, and I did ask the contractor about painting the basement floor (and before some of the nastier posters here jump to conclusions, I meant my painting it, not asking them to do it). He said that because concrete is porous and moisture comes through it, paint on a basement floor lasts only around 3 years, then it starts to bubble and needs to be repainted. That wouldn't work for me, I wouldn't want to have to move everything around every 3 years to repaint.

I did read your posting...

Sir, respectfully, your issue with the appearance and color of the
floor is absolute baffoonery... *Period... *You can not even attempt
any rationalization of your position which would not be viewed as
craziness by an uninterested third party...

If the stain really bothers you try to clean it off yourself or you
paint it to make it look "better" to you... *"Looking way worse
than it started" is in your highly biased, subjective, and totally
inexperienced opinion... *You will not win any sort of legal
argument with only that to stand on as it is not legally sufficient
evidence, it is your opinion and only that...

"Nobody 'accepted the work and paid for it' because when they
poured the concrete there was no discoloration, it happened after
it cured. If my floor collapsed later would you call that acceptance
also? (and no, I'm not equating the severity of the two)"

Yes, you accepted the work and paid for it... *The job was for
functionality of the drain, not the color of the floor... *If the
floor
collapsed later that would be a functional defect... *You are
complaining about the coloration of your floor which was a
result of the unique conditions present in your home...
As someone else here said, for what you paid for it and in
a contract which doesn't involve concrete engineering specs
and recipes which are precisely described and agreed upon
no one will guarantee what a cured pour of concrete will look
like appearance wise for color...

Legally Actionable: Legally sufficient to support a lawsuit in itself.

You don't even have an issue with which you could make a
valid consumer report/complaint about let alone something which
would result in anything other than a quite terse "case dismissed"
from the hearing officer/judge after you try to explain your side of
the issue in a small claims proceeding...

Your definition of a "clean finish" and what is the industry
acceptable
definition and standard working practices are definitely not in
agreement... *The industry standard applies here, not yours...
If you thought you were going to end up with something that looked
_exactly_ like the picture in the marketing materials in a brochure
you definitely are in need of psychiatric services...

You were sold a drain system, you received a drain system...
It is the functional ability of the installed devices which is the
important factor here, not the exact coloration of the concrete
nor the specific external appearance of the drain grating, etc...

As to the floor, if you can't paint it - which I highly doubt, because
there are paints designed for garage floors that are wet both on the
surface and underneath that endure that moisture and the physical
abrasions of vehicle tires crunching grit on the painted surfaces
which last quite a bit longer than 3 years when properly applied,
then you will need to get over yourself and accept that if you can
not clean whatever minor discoloration away with chemicals and
you are not prepared to pay a concrete contractor to break up your
slab and pour you a new perfectly clean and uniformly finished
one that you will just have to accept what is and that is all
there is to it...

This is why I *really* think you are either a troll, crazy or both...

~~ Evan

Anyone else wondering why the OP is still bitching instead
of buying a $5 bottle of CLR or similar rust remover? I've
recommended that about 3 times now and wasn't nasty
either. But I might be working up to it soon.....