How long before we can walk/drive on our new concrete? 
This is the most common question we get asked.  And the real answer is this; concrete is fully cured and has reached its full compressive strength at 28 days, period. However most situations do not allow for that kind of cure time.  So after years of experience and many jobs offering a variety of different conditions, we have developed the following as a guideline for our customers to be able to use their concrete without adversely affecting the finish.
Walking: We request you not walk on your concrete for at least 24 hours after the concrete has been finished. Thereafter if  it is used or walked on it will scuff and scratch easily for at about 3 days. So avoid dragging your feet and keep pets off for this duration as their nails may scratch or gouge the new concrete. After 3 days normal foot traffic may resume but avoid dragging heavy items such as trash cans for 7 days.  For stamped and decorative finishes this time frame will likely increase. 
Driving: We request that you not drive on the new concrete for 7 days.  We have had plenty of customers who did not want to wait that long and drive on the concrete 3 days after it was placed without having any problems.   So it can be done with small cars and light trucks but we recommend 7 days.The full 28 days for heavy equipment or large heavy trucks(ex: a concrete truck).  Propane, U.P.S. trucks of that nature should be fine after 7 days.  There are different concrete mix designs available that allow us to substantially increase the psi. or compressive strength of the concrete which will allow for a faster curing time and earlier use. We can discuss this and any other questions you may have when we come to provide your free estimate.

Why is your estimate higher than some of our other estimates?
There are a variety of ways to place and install concrete. Some people like to cut corners to get the job.  We don't. We use quality materials, have a quality work crew, are licensed, bonded, insured, and as a result have a higher over head than contractors who don't. However we have found our prices to be lower or very competitive against other licensed contractors.

Why is my concrete cracking?
Concrete expands and contracts with temperature. It moves with the ground when an earthquake occurs and feels pressure when driven on by heavy things.   We do our best to control the cracking by: 1:Evaluating the sub grade and either removing it if the soil is bad and replace it with a good base material, or properly compacting the existing sub grade.  2:Placing rebar. 3:Pouring new concrete at an adequate thickness. (varies depending on desired use) 4:Placing an adequate number of control joints. 5:In some situations, when the weather is over 92 degrees we will request a chemical retarder supplied by the concrete delivery company to slow down the cure time. If concrete cures to fast it is prone to cracking. After all that your concrete still might crack.  We have had a crack start in the bottom of the control joint where it belongs and then jump out the side and go right across the deck. If driven on too soon cracks are more likely to occur.  Most times all the cracking stays in the control joints and the job is flawless. However, concrete cracks and sometimes it's not where we want it to, that's why we do not warranty cracks.

Why is my stamped concrete turning white and flaking?
Because an inferior sealer was used, or a good sealer was used but improperly applied. Sealing concrete is very similar to painting, the most important part is the preparation. Most companies use a lacquer or solvent based sealer for all applications because it is most common and they provide a high gloss, shiny finish. We have found that after 1 to 2 years when applied in an outdoor application where sun, water and heavy use occurs, these sealers will break down and begin to flake off if they are not properly maintained . (ex. Re-sealing before sealer failure.) To avoid this we only apply a water based sealer for outdoor situations which provides a semi-gloss finish at a low cost, unless the customer desires a high gloss finish in which case proper maintenance is essential.

What is a vapor barrier?
A vapor barrier is simply a sheet of heavy gauge (6 mil) plastic placed 2 inches below the sub grade. It is required on all interior applications to prevent moisture from coming up through the concrete and creating mold under carpet,ext. It is required in any batched colored concrete for the color consistency warranty. On 95% of our exterior jobs we do not place a barrier because it adds to the cost and most of the time there is no problems with the color. This decision will be made by each customer.

Should I spray water on my concrete after it is poured?
Generally NO. If it is hot out and your concrete is natural gray with no color then you can and it may help with the curing without affecting color. If your concrete is colored than definitely no water for at least 4 days. Rain water is fine but processed city water or high mineral well water is not good for newly placed colored concrete.

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