Pic indifferent colour

[Ian007]

Hi,
A few weeks ago I had 60m2 of PIC layed on my drive.
The colour is now 'patchy', it should be brick red but in a number of areas its more of a light pink colour. I'm sure that is not normal, is it?

Any ideas on what has gone wrong?
Should I get the contractor back and express my concerns?

[84-1093879891]

Another complkaint about PIC?? Surely not!

If I had a quid for every time someone complained to me about PIC, i would never need work again. It is the single biggest source of complaint to the website, and I never even installed the damned stuff. I had my reputation to think of!

Anyway, patchy colour can be down to a number of factors, and the only recourse is to get the <s>cowb..</s> Contractor to come back, which, going off other folks' experiences, will be a feat in itself, and then they can bullshit you about how it's not their fault and how, by the simple application of a miracle sealant, all will be right.

They did apply a sealant, didn't they?

[Ian007]

Cheers Tony,
Yes it has been sealed.
And yes we have had problems getting the cowboys back!

A very expensive lesson learned!

Any ideas on how it can be recified, other than ripping it all up and starting again?

[84-1093879891]

As I say time and time again, if PIC isn't right the first time, it never will be - it's well-nigh impossible to correct any errors, but, of course, they never mention this when they're doing the sales spiel, do they?

Short of jack-hammering the lot, your best option is to use a tinted sealant in an attempt to re-colour the surface to a more homogenous tone. If you contact someone like Creative Impressions or PICS they should be able to suggest which sealant would be best to use.

[simeonronacrete]

How about laying resin bonded aggregate on top?

See http://www.ronacrete.co.uk/Homepage.aspx?id=59

Just a thought!

Simeon



Edited By simeonronacrete on 1103113711

[84-1094545549]

In theory, you could use a resin-bonded surface to spruce up a botched PIC driveway, but a lot depends on the pattern that's been allegedly imprinted. Some of them are quite 'deep' - I'm thinking of the so-called "London Cobble" effect, or the "Ashlar stone" which vary in surface height by 25mm or more over a few centimetres.

If the surface is more even (or that mats haven't been imprinted all that deeply) then Resin Bonded Aggregates (RBA) would be a wonderful way of rescuing the driveway without incurring massive costs, but it needs some thought for the more highly textured surfaces.

I know Sim will suggest using a scratch coat to even things out before applying the RBA, and that will work, but I just wanted to make sure it was understood that simply applying RBA directly over a PIC surface might not always be as straightforward as it seems.

[simeonronacrete]

Yes Tony, you're correct (as always?).

A Scratch Coat is needed to fill the joints and leave a flat surface to receive the Ronadeck Fast Grip.

Click on the link to see a picture of it being applied. Wasn't sure how to upload the picture to this posting - maybe you can tell me how.

LinK: http://www.ronacrete.co.uk/Homepage.aspx?id=106

Thanks
Simeon

[84-1094545549]

Here's the image you mention....



....to post an image you need to know the address or url of the image's location. Let's say you have a picture on your server by the name of "picture01.jpg" and it's kept in a folder/directory called "photos". The address of your server will be summat like www.myserver.co.uk.

So, when you want that image to appear in The Brew Cabin, you need to enclose the FULL address of the image within a pair of img tags, thus...

Code: Select all

[img]http://www.myserver.co.uk/photos/picture01.jpg[/img]

....note the FULL address has to be used, and it must be enclosed within the img tags, which use SQUARE brackets, not the angled or round brackets more normally seen. Also, the closing img tag MUST have a backslash to indicate it is a closing tag, otherwise the system thinks that everything following the opening tag is part of the image.

If you use the Full Reply screen, rather than the Quick Reply option, there is a handy button that can be used to insert photos or other images into a post. You need to click on the "Post a Reply" button beneath the existing posts to access that feature. It is NOT available in the Quick Reply screen.[/color]

[simeonronacrete]

aah - understood - thanks

[dexmin]

We have a similar problem in that the concrete has always looked 'dirty'...as though dust had stick to the seal. I've been on my hands and knees and scrubbed the whole lot but as soon as it dries, it looks dirty again. Is it because the seal wasn't applied properly? I've just emailed the contractor to get them back so any 'ammunition' would be greatly appreciated so they can't waffle their way out of their responsibilities.

[Tony McC]

Without seeing the work, neither I nor any other responsible person can say what is the cause of the problem on your drive. It may well be that applying a new coat of sealant will do the trick, but it'd be interesting to hear what your contractor has to say ... assuming you can get them to come back!

[Myolddrive]

Another complkaint about PIC?? Surely not!

If I had a quid for every time someone complained to me about PIC, i would never need work again. It is the single biggest source of complaint to the website, and I never even installed the damned stuff. I had my reputation to think of!

Anyway, patchy colour can be down to a number of factors, and the only recourse is to get the <s>cowb..</s> Contractor to come back, which, going off other folks' experiences, will be a feat in itself, and then they can bullshit you about how it's not their fault and how, by the simple application of a miracle sealant, all will be right.

They did apply a sealant, didn't they?

Dear Tony and ALL

Once again you will hear the dreded words PIC drive ways, fortuantly we are still in the process of deciding Tarmac, block paving or PIC. I have read some of your reports on PIC's and would like to ask if any of your members have had any work carried out by Traditional Paving Ltd. If so would they recommend them?
We have been quoted £12,850 to do a 195 square metre area (£66.24 per sq m). Is this a reasonable cost???

Thanking you

Regards
Chris

[chloe]

Hi Tony,
Can you help? Our contractor is in the process of laying pic all around our house. He has done some of the front and the back patio. He used 2 powders, charcoal and a goldy yellow. The finished colour is supposed to be antique gold. The problem is it looks very yellow in parts and dirty looking in other parts. He used a very powerful jetwasher to remove the charcoal powder which was on the top. Do you think this has been too powerful and removed too much of the charcoal powder in parts. Is this the usual way of doing this? Can anything be done to rectify the colour after it has been sealed?
When I questioned him he said you cannot predict what the colour will be like. I am worried about him finishing my drive now as it is a big area and will it match the rest? How do you get the colours to match when it isn't all done at once?
Thanks
Chloe:(

[Tony McC]

As ever, it's impossible for me to comment on jobs I haven't seen, but I would point out that, with PIC, the finished colour isn't revealed until the selant is applied, and some contractors use a tinted sealant to enhance to so-called antiquing effect.

I'm a little more concerned at the suggestion that it's not possible to 'predict' the finished colour. It is, if you're experienced at it! With a multi-hued drive, predicting the precise colour is tricky, but it should be possible for them to show you pictures of the desired finished effect.

The fact that multi-colour finished are more tricky to do, and to do well, is the reason why so many PIC drives and patios are done in a single colour, often black or red - it's harder to bollix a single colour!

Anyway, back to your drive - the contractor should have a blend ratio of colour hardener and release agent that is needed to create a particular colour styling, so that, when work is done as a number of seperate pours, the finished effect is, as near as dammit, identical. This is where the artist's eye comes into play, and it's a sad fact that too many of the smaller contractors just don't have that particular gift.

All you can do is wait and see, I'm afraid. One of the major drawbacks with PIC or other decorative concrete finished is that you can't judge the product until it's finished. At least with segmental paving, such as blocks or flags, you have a pretty good idea of the colour, texture and styling before the stuff is laid!

I'm not 100% certain because I don't have the handbook with me, but I thought the Antiqued Gold colouring was created using a golden yellow colour hardener with a walnut brown release agent, not charcoal. I'd be interested to see how it turns out - if you have a digital camera, send us some photies.

[chloe]

Thanks for your reply Tony. My drive was done in 2 pours and guess what? he has (using your words) bollixed it up! He had a big yellow patch running through it where he had not put enough charcoal on and so went and bought a coloured sealant. When I came back the whole area was bright yellow. He is now using a stripper on it to remove the coloured sealant but it is also removing the charcoal so I don't know what he will do now. I think it will have to be taken up and done again. There is no way he can add colour now so it will never match the other half of the drive. Do you agree or is there any way of rescuing it?
P.S.- I have got a digital camera so I could send you a photo
Thanks
Chloe