Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This letter is in regards to the response to Ultimate Concrete LLC owner Cameron Gardner. I want to start by telling you that my husband did not want me to pursue this matter about the patio. Upon reading Cameron's letter he was appalled by the dishonesty and was in favor of me writing a letter in response.
Cameron writes in his letter that in 2010 he started construction on the patio which took a period of 3 days to complete. When finished like I stated in my letter it was beautiful when completed and I was satisfied. After the After the winter the patio showed some spotting where the patio meets the sidewalk. He said due to my husband shoveling snow at that particular spot that it scratched it. It was spotted not scratched. There was a fiberglass shovel used and according to [redacted] that couldn't do that kind of damage. Before he resealed it in May of 2011 not even a year later the patio has the appearance like it did after it has been poured before putting sealer on it. It looked dull and flat. I accepted the way it looked after he sealed it again but was not satisfied because the spots still showed through the sealer. I had hoped it wouldn't get any worse and gave him the benefit of the doubt.
2012- more spotting occurred. Like he said he sealed it again and said I was satisfied. I was not satisfied and at that point told him if this continued I wanted the patio take out. I paid him $50.00 in cash for sealing it. I had bought the sealer at [redacted] prior to him sealing it. I still have half a bucket of sealer. He said in his letter he didn't charge me. The only time he wasn't paid was the last time he attempted to fix the patio. My husband and I told him to send us a bill and he never did.
2013-after numerous calls he told me when he would come work on the patio but was a no show and didn't call me to let me know he wasn't coming. Finally I called and left a message on his phone that I wanted him to contact me because I had a letter I felt he may want to read. He immediately called me back and wanted me to mail the letter to him. I told him I was informed not to do and I made this clear to him. He said he would let me know when he could come read it. He hung up and in a matter of moments called me back and said he'd be at my house in 10 minutes. The rest you can read in my past letter. He finally got the powder and proceeded to try to fix the problem which I truly believe he knew it wouldn't fix it. He said in his letter he as very upfront with all his customers about time delays because of weather and other issues that are out of his control. If that's the case there's no excuse for promising to come do work and not show up or call.
Cameron said in his letter the problem with the patio was due to fertilizer being applied to the yard. What happened to the excuse that the first spots were due to shoveling snow at the one particular spot. I assure you this is not the case because if any particles got on the patio they were swept or blown off with a blower. According to [redacted] that with sealer being on the patio this would not affect the patio. What Cameron did not explain in his letter was why the stamped sidewalk was not at all affected. That sidewalk was more exposed to the yard than the patio. The stamped sidewalk was the only thing in the whole job that turned out good. As you can see in the pictures spotting, scaling occurred over halfway up the patio.
The first sidewalk poured next to the disconnected garage (just plain concrete) was the one Cameron left his men to do the job so he could go finish up another job. This sidewalk was off by one and a half inches. I stated in my first letter it was off by three fourths of an inch which is acceptable not one and a half inches. My husband was not very happy with this as it was too much of a slant. My husband told Cameron he didn't have to take it out as it would cost much to do so and just to let it go. I have included pictures of this along with patio pictures.
I didn't feel he went above and beyond the call of duty as he stated in his letter. He continuously put me off and the only thing he did until 2013 was to keep spraying sealer on the patio each of those two years which didn't resolve the problem with the continuous spotting & scaling.
Several times when I called him he wouldn't return my calls. I realized he recognized my name and number. Once I went to my mother's house to call him after calling him ten minutes earlier. Not recognizing the name and number he answered the call. Another time same thing and I called him from my sister's house and he answered. A third time I called from my work phone. Again he didn't recognize the number so he answered. Tell me this wasn't avoiding my call and putting me off. I paid him $5,950.00 in full for a job that went bad. Yes, I am very upset. one of these problems were due to anything we did wrong. Just read [redacted]'s letter. I want Cameron to pay for the removal and replacement of my patio.
[redacted] &[redacted]
In August of 2010 my company, Ultimate Concrete, LLC was contracted by a client to pour a patio and two sidewalks at their home. Due to the extensive amount of concrete being poured and the nature of stamping large areas of concrete, the job was completed over several days. The...
process involved in each job I am contracted to complete includes laying out and marking where work will be completed, digging out and prepping for concrete to be poured (which can include reinforcement being placed in the foundation of the concrete), pouring the concrete, finishing the concrete (including stamping), and then returning after the concrete has set to wash and seal the patio or sidewalk. This process is the same for every job I complete and the client in question was treated no differently in regards to that timeline or finishing techniques. At the completion of this job I was paid in full by the client and complimented on the quality of my work. The client indicated in their compliant that the first sidewalk completed for their home was 3/4" off, basically saying there was too much slant in the sidewalk. I addressed this issue with the client and explained to them that concrete placed directly in contact with a home's foundation is required to be poured and set at a slight angle to prevent water from pooling against the home's foundation and leading to a leak or water damage from standing water. The client was satisfied with this response at the time and I left their home with the impression and knowledge that they were highly satisfied with the work I completed.
In April of 2011, almost a year after I completed the sidewalks and patio, I was contacted by the client in regards to some scratching that had occurred on the patio due to the client shoveling snow off of the patio with a snow shovel. I agreed to come and attempt to repair the scratches left on the surface of the patio by the client's snow shovel. I indicated to the clients that the patio would need to be cleaned prior to my coming and resealing it in an attempt to repair the damage that had been done. The client agreed to clean the patio and pay my company to come and reseal and repair the damaged area. While I was resealing the client's patio they brought to my attention some spotting that had become present on one area of the patio. I asked the client if any fertilizer or salt had been spread on or around the patio as this can result in the sealer being broken down and give the appearance of the concrete looking scaly. The client indicated that they did spread fertilizer but that it had not been in contact with the surface of the patio. I reiterated to the client that it would cause damage to the surface of the concrete if fertilizer was inadvertently left on the surface of the patio. The client was pleased with the repair and resealing work that I completed at this time and I was paid in full.
In 2012, two years after I completed the sidewalks and patio at the clients home, I was once again contacted in regards to spotting issues on the stamped patio. I again, in an attempt to ensure that the client was pleased, returned to their home and resealed the patio to cover the spotting that had appeared on the patio during the previous winter. Again, the client was pleased with the end result and in an attempt to retain a good working relationship with the client and to show good faith, I completed this work at no cost to the client.
In 2013, three years after the initial completion of the client's sidewalks and patio, it was again brought to my attention by the client that spotting still existed on their back patio. I explained to the client that I would again come by their home and see what repair work could be done to resolve this issue. I also let the client know that I was currently in the busiest season for concrete work and I would have to work them into my schedule. The client persistently and repeatedly contacted me regarding this issue and I continued to let the client know that I would resolve the issue as soon as time allowed. The client even went as far as to show up at my personal residence on a Saturday morning and inquire to my wife as to my whereabouts and the reasons beh from work. I contacted the client that evening and assured them that I would be at their home as soon as I could and do whatever it took to resolve this issue. After examining the patio I decided the best course of action to take would be to order colored powder in the same color as the patio and apply that directly to the discolored spots and seal in the new color by applying sealer with a paint roller to the damaged areas. Because the powder had to be ordered and because I was currently booked out for concrete work at least four weeks, the client was required to wait to have their patio
repaired. Because concrete work is so heavily affected by the weather, during the spring and summer months, it is not uncommon for clients of mine to have to wait several weeks or even longer to have me complete their concrete work. I did not treat the clients in question any differently than I treated new customers who inquired about work during this timeframe. I am very upfront with all of my customers regarding the amount of time it could take me to initiate and complete my work. I am also very upfront about time delays that can occur because of weather and other issues that are out of my immediate control. The clients in question, as far as I am concerned, were treated fairly in this regard and I completed the repair work required for their patio as soon as I was able to.
For the third time, in September of 2013, I went to the client's home and repaired the spots on the patio. I applied the colored powder and resealed the patio to the clients approval. At the time the repairs were made I spoke to the client about what could be causing the issues we were seeing. The client let me know at that time that they had hired an engineering firm to examine the patio and that the engineering firm believed the patio had been overworked and the concrete was scaling because of that. I indicated to the client that I did not believe that was what was causing the spotting on their patio. The type of spotting that was showing on their patio is usually linked to damage caused by salt or fertilizer being placed on the patio's surface, something that I had already discussed with the client and warned them about. I even demonstrated to the client that the concrete was not peeling up, it
was just the sealer that was flaking off of the surface of the concrete. I also tried to explain to the client that stamped concrete (which is the finish they chose for their patio) is worked very little. You actually must not overwork the concrete or the stamps will be unable to leave a definite impression in the patio. As you can see from the pictures provided by the client, their patio has a very defined stamp stone pattern and that would indicate that the concrete was not overworked and was soft enough to have the impression left in it's surface.
While I was completing the repair in 2013, the client also indicated to me that the only solution they saw for fixing the spotting issue with their patio was for the patio to be demolished and a new patio to be poured in it's place. I told the client that I would not be able to do this free of charge because I do not have a warranty in place for my concrete work and I did not believe I should be held liable for damage caused to their patio over three years, especially since the clients were satisfied at the initial completion of their patio. The client then indicated that she believed that I meant I did not stand behind the work I completed. I told the client that while I did not have a warranty in place for my concrete work that I did stand behind my work by returning to their home every year for the past three years and doing everything in my power to fix a problem that I believed had nothing to do with my
finishing techniques or the materials used for their patio. I indicated to the client that I use the same concrete company, brand of sealer, and finishing techniques for every job I complete and I suspected that the spotting on their patio was due to circumstances beyond my control. I left the clients home with the spots covered and the patio resealed to their approval and no other mention was made to removing and replacing the patio. Again, in an attempt to show good faith to the client I completed this repair work free of charge.
In the beginning of the summer of 2014, four years after I completed the clients sidewalks and patio, I was again contacted by the client and told that the spots had reappeared on the patio during the winter months. The client indicated to me that she would like to have her patio replaced due to the spotting. I decided it was in my company's best interest to allow the client to proceed with whatever legal action she deemed necessary and that I would not agree to return to the client's home on a yearly basis and reseal their patio free of charge. In my opinion I have gone above and beyond to try and resolve the issues this client is having with their stamped concrete patio. I 100% stand behind my company and the work that I complete, in fact in the 8 years that I have owned and operated Ultimate Concrete, LLC, I have never received another complaint of this nature from any other customer. I have repeatedly tried to resolve any perceived issues that this particular customer has with the patio I poured for them in 2010. It is my opinion that this customer's underlying motive is to have their patio replaced free of charge due to the damage that they themselves caused by shoveling snow and spreading either salt or fertilizer on or near their patio the first winter after the patio was poured.
In August of 2010 my company, Ultimate Concrete completed a stamped patio and sidewalk for the client. At the completion of my work, as stated by the client, the patio "was beautiful when completed and I was satisfied". Over the winter of 2010 the client's husband shoveled snow off of the patio and sidewalk and in the spring of 2011 I was called to repair the damage that action caused to the surface of the patio. A fiberglass snow shovel should be used with caution on stamped concrete because the shovel has a metal edge that can cause damage to the sealer on the surface of the concrete and in turn to the concrete itself. The client did not deny the use of the snow shovel at the time I made the repair & even acknowledged causing the scratches and surface damage. At no time did the client express to me any concern over the quality of my work or the materials used. She simply called me to fix cosmetic damage that was caused by shoveling snow from the patio that winter. I resealed the patio in order to fill the scratches and the client was pleased with the final result. This was the only repair work that the client was charged for and I was paid to complete this work.
Every spring for the past three years I have received a call from the client regarding spotting on the stamped patio. I have tried to resolve this issue by resealing the patio numerous times and also attempted to apply a colored powder to the spots in question. The client indicated in her letter that I made these repairs knowing they would be unsuccessful. On the contrary, I employed techniques to repair the spotting on the patio that were taught to me in numerous stamping seminars, from experts in the field of concrete, in the hopes of resolving this issue for the client. The technique of applying a colored powder was done because I believed, and was taught, that this would restore color to the damaged areas without leaving a drastic change in color on the surface of the concrete.
In response to the letter submitted by [redacted] of [redacted], it is my belief that his assumption that the concrete on the patio was overworked and this caused the spotting in question is completely unfounded and false. In order to come to this conclusion, Mr. [redacted] would have had to have been present at the time the concrete was poured to test the slump and the air in the concrete delivered to the job. Mr. [redacted] would have also needed to be present at the time the concrete was finished in order to declare that the concrete was damaged due to finishing techniques. As stated in my previous letter, stamped concrete is worked very little. In order to get a definite impression of the stamp pattern, the concrete must be soft enough for the stamp to be firmly pressed into the surface. If the concrete was overworked, the finished product would not have a distinct and defined pattern. In the pictures provided by the client, it is clear that the patio has a defined stamp pattern in the surface, which would lead to the conclusion that the concrete was soft enough at the time the stamps were applied, and therefore not overworked. Furthermore, the same finishing techniques were used on the stamped sidewalk that was poured in conjunction with the patio. One would assume the same damage would be present on the sidewalk if finishing techniques were actually the cause of the damage seen on the patio.
It is my belief that the damage seen on the stamped patio was initially caused over the winter/spring of 2010/2011. I believe that in addition to the damage caused by the snow shovel, some type of chemical (either salt to aide in snow/ice removal or fertilizer spread over the yard) was left on the surface of the concrete and ultimately led to the sealer on the concrete being damaged and caused the spotting that is seen in the pictures provided by the client. If the damage was caused by any action I took in placing and finishing the concrete, I believe the damage would be uniform over the patio and sidewalk and the progression of the damage would not have coincided with the arrival of spring each year. I believe I made every effort to repair the patio to the client's satisfaction even though I believe the damage caused to the patio was completely out of my control and not caused by any of my direct actions.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This letter is in regards to the response to Ultimate Concrete LLC owner Cameron Gardner. I want to start by telling you that my husband did not want me to pursue this matter about the patio. Upon reading Cameron's letter he was appalled by the dishonesty and was in favor of me writing a letter in response.
Cameron writes in his letter that in 2010 he started construction on the patio which took a period of 3 days to complete. When finished like I stated in my letter it was beautiful when completed and I was satisfied. After the After the winter the patio showed some spotting where the patio meets the sidewalk. He said due to my husband shoveling snow at that particular spot that it scratched it. It was spotted not scratched. There was a fiberglass shovel used and according to [redacted] that couldn't do that kind of damage. Before he resealed it in May of 2011 not even a year later the patio has the appearance like it did after it has been poured before putting sealer on it. It looked dull and flat. I accepted the way it looked after he sealed it again but was not satisfied because the spots still showed through the sealer. I had hoped it wouldn't get any worse and gave him the benefit of the doubt.
2012- more spotting occurred. Like he said he sealed it again and said I was satisfied. I was not satisfied and at that point told him if this continued I wanted the patio take out. I paid him $50.00 in cash for sealing it. I had bought the sealer at [redacted] prior to him sealing it. I still have half a bucket of sealer. He said in his letter he didn't charge me. The only time he wasn't paid was the last time he attempted to fix the patio. My husband and I told him to send us a bill and he never did.
2013-after numerous calls he told me when he would come work on the patio but was a no show and didn't call me to let me know he wasn't coming. Finally I called and left a message on his phone that I wanted him to contact me because I had a letter I felt he may want to read. He immediately called me back and wanted me to mail the letter to him. I told him I was informed not to do and I made this clear to him. He said he would let me know when he could come read it. He hung up and in a matter of moments called me back and said he'd be at my house in 10 minutes. The rest you can read in my past letter. He finally got the powder and proceeded to try to fix the problem which I truly believe he knew it wouldn't fix it. He said in his letter he as very upfront with all his customers about time delays because of weather and other issues that are out of his control. If that's the case there's no excuse for promising to come do work and not show up or call.
Cameron said in his letter the problem with the patio was due to fertilizer being applied to the yard. What happened to the excuse that the first spots were due to shoveling snow at the one particular spot. I assure you this is not the case because if any particles got on the patio they were swept or blown off with a blower. According to [redacted] that with sealer being on the patio this would not affect the patio. What Cameron did not explain in his letter was why the stamped sidewalk was not at all affected. That sidewalk was more exposed to the yard than the patio. The stamped sidewalk was the only thing in the whole job that turned out good. As you can see in the pictures spotting, scaling occurred over halfway up the patio.
The first sidewalk poured next to the disconnected garage (just plain concrete) was the one Cameron left his men to do the job so he could go finish up another job. This sidewalk was off by one and a half inches. I stated in my first letter it was off by three fourths of an inch which is acceptable not one and a half inches. My husband was not very happy with this as it was too much of a slant. My husband told Cameron he didn't have to take it out as it would cost much to do so and just to let it go. I have included pictures of this along with patio pictures.
I didn't feel he went above and beyond the call of duty as he stated in his letter. He continuously put me off and the only thing he did until 2013 was to keep spraying sealer on the patio each of those two years which didn't resolve the problem with the continuous spotting & scaling.
Several times when I called him he wouldn't return my calls. I realized he recognized my name and number. Once I went to my mother's house to call him after calling him ten minutes earlier. Not recognizing the name and number he answered the call. Another time same thing and I called him from my sister's house and he answered. A third time I called from my work phone. Again he didn't recognize the number so he answered. Tell me this wasn't avoiding my call and putting me off. I paid him $5,950.00 in full for a job that went bad. Yes, I am very upset. one of these problems were due to anything we did wrong. Just read [redacted]'s letter. I want Cameron to pay for the removal and replacement of my patio.
[redacted] &[redacted]
In August of 2010 my company, Ultimate Concrete, LLC was contracted by a client to pour a patio and two sidewalks at their home. Due to the extensive amount of concrete being poured and the nature of stamping large areas of concrete, the job was completed over several days. The...
process involved in each job I am contracted to complete includes laying out and marking where work will be completed, digging out and prepping for concrete to be poured (which can include reinforcement being placed in the foundation of the concrete), pouring the concrete, finishing the concrete (including stamping), and then returning after the concrete has set to wash and seal the patio or sidewalk. This process is the same for every job I complete and the client in question was treated no differently in regards to that timeline or finishing techniques. At the completion of this job I was paid in full by the client and complimented on the quality of my work. The client indicated in their compliant that the first sidewalk completed for their home was 3/4" off, basically saying there was too much slant in the sidewalk. I addressed this issue with the client and explained to them that concrete placed directly in contact with a home's foundation is required to be poured and set at a slight angle to prevent water from pooling against the home's foundation and leading to a leak or water damage from standing water. The client was satisfied with this response at the time and I left their home with the impression and knowledge that they were highly satisfied with the work I completed.
In April of 2011, almost a year after I completed the sidewalks and patio, I was contacted by the client in regards to some scratching that had occurred on the patio due to the client shoveling snow off of the patio with a snow shovel. I agreed to come and attempt to repair the scratches left on the surface of the patio by the client's snow shovel. I indicated to the clients that the patio would need to be cleaned prior to my coming and resealing it in an attempt to repair the damage that had been done. The client agreed to clean the patio and pay my company to come and reseal and repair the damaged area. While I was resealing the client's patio they brought to my attention some spotting that had become present on one area of the patio. I asked the client if any fertilizer or salt had been spread on or around the patio as this can result in the sealer being broken down and give the appearance of the concrete looking scaly. The client indicated that they did spread fertilizer but that it had not been in contact with the surface of the patio. I reiterated to the client that it would cause damage to the surface of the concrete if fertilizer was inadvertently left on the surface of the patio. The client was pleased with the repair and resealing work that I completed at this time and I was paid in full.
In 2012, two years after I completed the sidewalks and patio at the clients home, I was once again contacted in regards to spotting issues on the stamped patio. I again, in an attempt to ensure that the client was pleased, returned to their home and resealed the patio to cover the spotting that had appeared on the patio during the previous winter. Again, the client was pleased with the end result and in an attempt to retain a good working relationship with the client and to show good faith, I completed this work at no cost to the client.
In 2013, three years after the initial completion of the client's sidewalks and patio, it was again brought to my attention by the client that spotting still existed on their back patio. I explained to the client that I would again come by their home and see what repair work could be done to resolve this issue. I also let the client know that I was currently in the busiest season for concrete work and I would have to work them into my schedule. The client persistently and repeatedly contacted me regarding this issue and I continued to let the client know that I would resolve the issue as soon as time allowed. The client even went as far as to show up at my personal residence on a Saturday morning and inquire to my wife as to my whereabouts and the reasons beh from work. I contacted the client that evening and assured them that I would be at their home as soon as I could and do whatever it took to resolve this issue. After examining the patio I decided the best course of action to take would be to order colored powder in the same color as the patio and apply that directly to the discolored spots and seal in the new color by applying sealer with a paint roller to the damaged areas. Because the powder had to be ordered and because I was currently booked out for concrete work at least four weeks, the client was required to wait to have their patio
repaired. Because concrete work is so heavily affected by the weather, during the spring and summer months, it is not uncommon for clients of mine to have to wait several weeks or even longer to have me complete their concrete work. I did not treat the clients in question any differently than I treated new customers who inquired about work during this timeframe. I am very upfront with all of my customers regarding the amount of time it could take me to initiate and complete my work. I am also very upfront about time delays that can occur because of weather and other issues that are out of my immediate control. The clients in question, as far as I am concerned, were treated fairly in this regard and I completed the repair work required for their patio as soon as I was able to.
For the third time, in September of 2013, I went to the client's home and repaired the spots on the patio. I applied the colored powder and resealed the patio to the clients approval. At the time the repairs were made I spoke to the client about what could be causing the issues we were seeing. The client let me know at that time that they had hired an engineering firm to examine the patio and that the engineering firm believed the patio had been overworked and the concrete was scaling because of that. I indicated to the client that I did not believe that was what was causing the spotting on their patio. The type of spotting that was showing on their patio is usually linked to damage caused by salt or fertilizer being placed on the patio's surface, something that I had already discussed with the client and warned them about. I even demonstrated to the client that the concrete was not peeling up, it
was just the sealer that was flaking off of the surface of the concrete. I also tried to explain to the client that stamped concrete (which is the finish they chose for their patio) is worked very little. You actually must not overwork the concrete or the stamps will be unable to leave a definite impression in the patio. As you can see from the pictures provided by the client, their patio has a very defined stamp stone pattern and that would indicate that the concrete was not overworked and was soft enough to have the impression left in it's surface.
While I was completing the repair in 2013, the client also indicated to me that the only solution they saw for fixing the spotting issue with their patio was for the patio to be demolished and a new patio to be poured in it's place. I told the client that I would not be able to do this free of charge because I do not have a warranty in place for my concrete work and I did not believe I should be held liable for damage caused to their patio over three years, especially since the clients were satisfied at the initial completion of their patio. The client then indicated that she believed that I meant I did not stand behind the work I completed. I told the client that while I did not have a warranty in place for my concrete work that I did stand behind my work by returning to their home every year for the past three years and doing everything in my power to fix a problem that I believed had nothing to do with my
finishing techniques or the materials used for their patio. I indicated to the client that I use the same concrete company, brand of sealer, and finishing techniques for every job I complete and I suspected that the spotting on their patio was due to circumstances beyond my control. I left the clients home with the spots covered and the patio resealed to their approval and no other mention was made to removing and replacing the patio. Again, in an attempt to show good faith to the client I completed this repair work free of charge.
In the beginning of the summer of 2014, four years after I completed the clients sidewalks and patio, I was again contacted by the client and told that the spots had reappeared on the patio during the winter months. The client indicated to me that she would like to have her patio replaced due to the spotting. I decided it was in my company's best interest to allow the client to proceed with whatever legal action she deemed necessary and that I would not agree to return to the client's home on a yearly basis and reseal their patio free of charge. In my opinion I have gone above and beyond to try and resolve the issues this client is having with their stamped concrete patio. I 100% stand behind my company and the work that I complete, in fact in the 8 years that I have owned and operated Ultimate Concrete, LLC, I have never received another complaint of this nature from any other customer. I have repeatedly tried to resolve any perceived issues that this particular customer has with the patio I poured for them in 2010. It is my opinion that this customer's underlying motive is to have their patio replaced free of charge due to the damage that they themselves caused by shoveling snow and spreading either salt or fertilizer on or near their patio the first winter after the patio was poured.
In August of 2010 my company, Ultimate Concrete completed a stamped patio and sidewalk for the client. At the completion of my work, as stated by the client, the patio "was beautiful when completed and I was satisfied". Over the winter of 2010 the client's husband shoveled snow off of the patio and sidewalk and in the spring of 2011 I was called to repair the damage that action caused to the surface of the patio. A fiberglass snow shovel should be used with caution on stamped concrete because the shovel has a metal edge that can cause damage to the sealer on the surface of the concrete and in turn to the concrete itself. The client did not deny the use of the snow shovel at the time I made the repair & even acknowledged causing the scratches and surface damage. At no time did the client express to me any concern over the quality of my work or the materials used. She simply called me to fix cosmetic damage that was caused by shoveling snow from the patio that winter. I resealed the patio in order to fill the scratches and the client was pleased with the final result. This was the only repair work that the client was charged for and I was paid to complete this work.
Every spring for the past three years I have received a call from the client regarding spotting on the stamped patio. I have tried to resolve this issue by resealing the patio numerous times and also attempted to apply a colored powder to the spots in question. The client indicated in her letter that I made these repairs knowing they would be unsuccessful. On the contrary, I employed techniques to repair the spotting on the patio that were taught to me in numerous stamping seminars, from experts in the field of concrete, in the hopes of resolving this issue for the client. The technique of applying a colored powder was done because I believed, and was taught, that this would restore color to the damaged areas without leaving a drastic change in color on the surface of the concrete.
In response to the letter submitted by [redacted] of [redacted], it is my belief that his assumption that the concrete on the patio was overworked and this caused the spotting in question is completely unfounded and false. In order to come to this conclusion, Mr. [redacted] would have had to have been present at the time the concrete was poured to test the slump and the air in the concrete delivered to the job. Mr. [redacted] would have also needed to be present at the time the concrete was finished in order to declare that the concrete was damaged due to finishing techniques. As stated in my previous letter, stamped concrete is worked very little. In order to get a definite impression of the stamp pattern, the concrete must be soft enough for the stamp to be firmly pressed into the surface. If the concrete was overworked, the finished product would not have a distinct and defined pattern. In the pictures provided by the client, it is clear that the patio has a defined stamp pattern in the surface, which would lead to the conclusion that the concrete was soft enough at the time the stamps were applied, and therefore not overworked. Furthermore, the same finishing techniques were used on the stamped sidewalk that was poured in conjunction with the patio. One would assume the same damage would be present on the sidewalk if finishing techniques were actually the cause of the damage seen on the patio.
It is my belief that the damage seen on the stamped patio was initially caused over the winter/spring of 2010/2011. I believe that in addition to the damage caused by the snow shovel, some type of chemical (either salt to aide in snow/ice removal or fertilizer spread over the yard) was left on the surface of the concrete and ultimately led to the sealer on the concrete being damaged and caused the spotting that is seen in the pictures provided by the client. If the damage was caused by any action I took in placing and finishing the concrete, I believe the damage would be uniform over the patio and sidewalk and the progression of the damage would not have coincided with the arrival of spring each year. I believe I made every effort to repair the patio to the client's satisfaction even though I believe the damage caused to the patio was completely out of my control and not caused by any of my direct actions.