Hi everyone, looking to see if anyone has tips on how to rectify this paving job in our backyard. First pic is the final after they tried to acid wash the concrete away. Second pic is the photo is what we showed him he wanted (I’m aware the paver pattern is different, he said he couldn’t do it because the pavers were different sizes). Can we just grind this down ourselves? I’m also worried about the water pooling. Thanks in advance, any tips are appreciated.
by techindica
36 Comments
Oh they sure did lmfao
Ngl. I think that looks great
You can use a grinder with a diamond cup wheel but it’s going to be a long frustrating job and if you have a grade issue you should fix that first. To fix the grade you may need to pull up pavers
, fill in the grade, and re-lay the pavers. Once your grade is good you can look look at cleaning it up.
They definitely botched it. I can count on one hand how many landscapers I’ve worked with/for who are talented stonemason
You want to remove the mortar from the face of the pavers?
I would try a couple tests. Personally first thing I would try is a colour enhancer sealer on one (inconspicuous area) and see if that brightens it up any. If not, additional acid wash could expose more – but is tedious to do without ruining grout. You could also wire brush (with a hand grinder) and then seal. I also thing once some time passes and the elements do their thing it will come out better. Best of luck!
Not the issue, but your pattern is much better than the long unbroken mortar lines in the inspiration.
They should have gotten different pavers…. You got screwed
How are they different?
All it needs is a wire brush and 2 hours of their time
Post this over in masonry, you should be able to muratic acid wash it again but I would be worried about the faces of the pavers.
Honestly man I think it would look best skim coated with concrete so the color is homogenous.
The pavers will give a nice textured look once color is uniform.
Oh damnnnn they done messed up. Hope you didn’t pay them yet they owe you $$$$&
Why would you set pavers in concrete like that? It completely defeats the purpose of pavers.
The only way to fix something like this is to start over.
Quick sandblast and reseal the pavers
Power wash it
Did you ask to see photos of prior work?
Hopefully you haven’t paid the full bill.
Honestly give it time it will probably break in beautifully, and that added support will help in the long run.
This right here is one of the reasons why when I hire out projects I check in before they get too deep into it with some feedback to ensure our visions align.
Did you have a contract? Did you cheap out? With a contract you have options. Landscaping when done well can last a super long time. When done poorly can fall apart within 6 months.
If you put a sealer with a medium sheen I bet that they would look a million times better. I know it’s not the look you wanted but with some life added back to those pavers I think it would have a really nice old row look to it. It may just be the perspective of the photo but it looks like the pavers are pitched at each other to the middle of the patio and your going to have water pooling there.
Blast it w shells ?
Definitely doesn’t match what you asked for and looks rough, but on the bright side, what your contractor did might hold together a bit better since the pavers are sort of “locked together” instead of a series of squares.
This is why you don’t hire a landscaper to do a masonry job. You have concrete pavers in first picture. The second picture is a clay paver. It does make a difference. I specialize in Pavers and I don’t think I would’ve took that job from you.
I agree that this doesn’t necessarily match your inspo picture, but these are way different lighting conditions. The inspo has no direct sunlight, is completely dry, and is probably photoshop/AI. This may look better in similar lighting conditions. That said, I would probably acid wash and it should remove most of the haze. The giant joints on the other hand….
There is no fixing that. That rip it out and try again, at their cost not yours
You just need to mix a stronger muriatic acid mix and scrub harder .
Is it the haze that is bothering you? If so, I used this after I had a brick deck installed in my backyard. I gave it two rounds or treatment and it improved significantly
https://www.emisupply.com/prs-10020-01galcs-prosoco-600-new-masonry-cleaner-1-gallon
Side question: … isn’t this one of those situations where polymeric sand should be used instead of concrete…????
Time might take care of it.
Looks good to me
R n r..
Those bricks look very spongy and absorbent.
Try buying two electric drill heads one with a rotary wire brush and one with a wheel wire brush. Try grinding on one of them that is hidden or farthest away just in case it makes it worse. They make in steel and brassy.. not sure it that matters.
Depending on how well it cured it may take some of it off.
Since it’s not really a gloss finish, you might be able to sand blast too.. no idea
Multiple things are wrong here. Your inspiration picture is made with natural stone, your contractor used a paver that is manufactured under several different names depending on the area it made or sold. I’m in the Northeast and it’s called Yankee cobble, usually it’s laid in the “I” pattern. I’m actually adding on to an existing patio with the same paver.
If you want something like your inspiration then I would use reclaimed cobblestone pavers, it’s going to be in the 45-60$ per sqft range. Or you could use something like Unilocks Tribeca and that’s still going to have a high cost not as much as real cobblestone.
Here’s a picture of the paver your guy laid but without mortar, https://imgur.com/a/jeHrt4S
Here’s a picture of cobblestones size 7″ x 10″ x 3″ tumbled laid in a running bond for a driveway apron. https://imgur.com/a/ozAxVlt
I’m trying to remember the inspiration picture and I believe it was a basket weave pattern, make sure to tell them that’s what you want. It shouldn’t be an issue if they are relatively the same length and width.
The brick pattern is wrong and the finish is worse. A traditional basket weave brick pattern does not require that much filler.
Jack hammer and start again.
Isn’t there some kind of grout release for pavers that would have prevented that?