Expert: Dan Griffin - 9/2/2008

Question
Had a new home built between Sept. 2007 and Feb. 2008. the driveway, basement, and garage were poured the same day. sometime later the front porch was poured. then later the sidewalk from the front porch to driveway was poured. the color difference is incredible. is this a normal practice and any advise on approaching the contractor.  i have already had the builder, the flat worker and the concrete people out. of course i get the "well thats just the way it is, we don't guarantee the colors to match". they make it sound as if , OH WELL YOUR SOL. is this the case or should there be some type of degree of color difference..... second question,,, in regards to my front porch, when it is wet it looks like snake skin, again the concrete person called it "alligator". i would guess this is not structural but is this a normal occurrence. at a loss home owner.. thank you for taking the time to read this and hope it makes some sence.

Answer
Jason, I assume we are talking about conventional grey Portland cement work, not stained or integrally colored concrete.  I also assume you still feel like the color diffrerence is substantial now in September after being poured in February.  I've not ever run into anyone who objected to the varying shades of concrete before.  Concrete that was rained on the same day it was poured will be very white by comparison.  This difference is evident for several years after being poured, but usually only noticeable in something large like a parking lot pour.  If a different supplier was used they may have different design mixes which may use more fly ash and other chemical additives.  I am afraid my reaction would come a lot closer to the SOL side of the issue.

The alligatoring is usually caused by wind on the day of the pour.  It is not usually harmful to the concrete, but a sealer would be good to prevent deicing salts entering the concrete.

I assume when you use the term contractor that you mean the builder rather than the concrete contractor who was probably a subcontractor to your builder.  You could discuss your unhappiness and ask what the contractor's feelings are about staining and sealing the concrete.  If he were to split the cost with you, I would see it as a generous offer on his part.  I assume you are fairly happy with the house and this concrete color is your only major frustration.  Brag on his work, express your appreciation for his attention to detail, and express you one big lament - the color of the concrete.  Stress your reliance on his expertise and opinion in the matter of the coloring.