Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 10/28/2008

Question
QUESTION: We just had our driveway redone(7 days ago) and the concrete has crack lines all over.  The contractor says that there is nothing to worry about.  I feel that it is something to worry about.  The driveway was redone because we wanted to get rid of all the tile that was broken from a previous bad job.($3,000) I don't know if this is useful or not, but we had 6 cans of powder paint applied to the concrete to give it a reddish color instead of just plain concrete.($150 per can) The contractor also had his men install two concrete beams to support the carport that was already existing. This is going to sound ridiculous, but we have spent over $15,000 on that driveway.  Are these crack lines common and are they something to worry about?  I have paid him almost all the money for the job and now I am worried about this.  Can you tell me what the situation really is?  He said that this was very typical and that beneath the concrete there were some kind of wires or something that would prevent it from cracking up or breaking  up.  He also said that he would take us to some of the driveways where the same thing happened and that they ended up making a design out of it. Am I supposed to believe him?  Also, the driveway slopes at an angle to the street so as not to get water up on the driveway area to stand still.  Please tell me what I should do asap as he's coming back on Monday for the rest of the money.

ANSWER: Hi Esther, unfortunately concrete does crack.  It is an unfortunate side effect of expansion and contraction which is brought on by external temperatures.  By cutting control joints in the concrete while it is still green (uncured) but as soon as you are able to walk on it will tend to force the concrete to crack in the straight lines of the cut.  Even when this is done it does not guarantee that the driveway will not crack in another location regardless of the control joint.

Slow curing helps keep concrete from cracking right away.  It is possible that the concrete cured too fast which caused it to crack immediately.  And it is even possible that the paint additive could have had a hand in the cracking, however I have done colored concrete before without significant uncontrolled cracking.

Your contractor apparently installed wire mesh in the driveway slab.  This will keep the concrete from separating too much when it does crack.  I wish I could be more helpful regarding this subject.  I have done hundreds of thousands of yards of concrete work in my lifetime and dealing with concrete cracking is an everyday occurence regardless of how painstakingly you try to control it and prevent it. As a homeowner I understand your concerns and it is possible that your driveway was improperly poured or cured so that you are suffering from more cracking than is usual.  I can't say without looking at it personally.  Perhaps you should go with your contractor and see how some of the other driveways look as compared to yours and then determine whether or not to retain final payment until any repairs are made.

I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The crack lines are very thin and were hardly noticeable, but as you look down on the driveway, you can see them.  Also, don't you think that $18,000 is too much for a driveway and small fence area? I also don't like the fact that the painting of the fence is being done so poorly. There are parts of the fence that don't have any paint and the contractor says he'll personally inspect the job when it's completed, but there are so many parts of it that need painting and that's going to mean going through the whole fence and porch to cover all the spots that are lacking paint.  Wouldn't it make more sense to paint it properly the first time so you won't have to go back and do the whole thing all over again. And it seems that I'm never going to finish buying paint.  I've already bought two primer gallons and four gallons of paint.($30 each gallon) and the job being done is so lousy(there are kids doing the job, and when I say kids, I mean 10 and 11 year-olds). And to top it off, the brushes are all bunched up and aren't brushes anymore.  Do you think this is right and I'm paying the contractor over $600 to do the painting. I am so dissatisfied with the job that I feel like telling them to just stop and not pay them all the money for the job that is not finished. What can I do or say that sounds fair to you?  And again I'll appreciate it if you could respond asap as these people are coming back tomorrow.

ANSWER: Hi again Esther, I hope this email is in time.  I don't know where to begin.  You are obviously the "customer".  The customer is always right.  If you are dissatisfied with the work then don't pay the contractor until you are satisfied.  If he tries to berate you or coerce you to pay and the work is substandard then you just have to say no.  I'm not an attorney and I don't know exactly what you contracted with this idividual to do and what the payment schedule is or anything so I am not going to give you legad advice.  But I do know that if you are not 100% satisfied with the work (and I mean reasonably satisfied) then you don't have to pay until you are reasonably satisfied.  The only thing you have over the contractor at this point is the money you owe him.  Pay him before the job is satisfactorily complete and you may not see him again.   I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Fortunately, your e-mail is in time.  The contractor showed up late today, so I was able to read your response before he got here.  Thank you so much for your advice.  Now he knows that we will not pay him anything until he's completely done. And regarding the concrete cracking job, he took us to see a cracked driveway where they did some kind of carving where the cracks were and it turned out like a stone driveway( sort of when you buy those frames that go over the concrete and it forms a stone pattern).  It actually looks good, but will there be any further cracking when the carving takes place?  He says that it is only on the surface and that it won't go deep all the way down.  What can you tell me about this?  He says it's going to be free since the cement cracked.  Should I take his offer or not?  I don't want further problems.  And again, I would appreciate it asap.

Answer
Hi again Esther, If you like the look of the concrete he showed you and he was the one that did the work then by all means feel free to accept his offer.  But remember that once that work is done and if you don't like it what will be the outcome of that arrangement?  As far as cutting  the grooves in the concrete goes, they will eventually crack inside the cuts in several places but the crack will be in the cut.  This is called a "control joint".  Concrete can be influenced to crack by cutting it and that's what cutting of the flag stone design will do.  This may be a good thing if you like the look.  I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com