Warranty
1. What to expect with your concrete Flatwork Surfaces
Finishes
Interior concrete floor surfaces are finished smooth. Interior surfaces include the house and garage floors (sometimes porches and Patios). A finished smooth surface allows for easy maintenance. Please be aware that smooth finishes are VERY slippery with moistened.
Exterior concrete service walks and driveway are broom finished. This surface finish is less slippery and designed to be walked on even when wet.
Surfaces
A common misconception is that your driveway, porch or sidewalk surface will last and hold indefinitely. Unfortunately, this is not true. Exterior concrete (particularly in Michigan) is subject to inclement weather, and/or heavy vehicle traffic. These result in normal wear on the surface of the concrete. While concrete is a very durable product it is not always without its flaws. Sometimes the surface of the concrete may appear to be popping or flaking off. If this is minimal (a few here or there) it is quite possible that a stone or stone(s) close to the surface popped out. This is nothing to worry about since the integrity of the slab is not compromised. If you experience a lot of popping and/flaking of the surface (more than 25%) then you may have a warranty issue. There could also be some chipping along cut joints this could happen during the process of cutting your joints and/or normal wear and tear on the concrete. This is not a warranty issue.
Discoloration
Another common misconception is color matching. It is not possible to match the exact color of your porch to your sidewalk or to your driveway. Sometimes even the different pores of your driveway will not match exactly (most driveways require two or more loads of concrete, even these will vary in color). This especially true if concrete placements are made on different days. Most of these color variations are minor and most will fade overtime. If you are considering replacing one or two squares of your driveway or sidewalk that have popped or are flaking, then take into consideration the color difference that will result between the older sections and the newly poured section. This color variation will take many years to blend together and will be more noticeable than a few pops.
Decorative / colored / stamped concrete
We cannot guarantee any color to match or be the same as maybe a sample from displays or catalogs. There are too many variables when pouring concrete ie. weather for the most part.
Colors will be a close resemblance but can never match perfectly. Sometimes you can have small blemishes in your stamped concrete. These things are natural and part of stamping concrete.
Varying color and/or blemishes is not a warranty issue.
Cracks
Concrete will crack. We don't like it either, but it is going to happen. Here's why. Concrete is a strong and rigid material Concrete floors are poured over large areas (floors and driveways, etc.) of more pliable materials (sand or gravel). Since these are unlike materials, we design the concrete to compensate for this difference by either cutting or forming control joints in the surface of the slab. These control joints are places where we want the concrete to crack. Control joints are cut into the concrete slab surface between 12 and 24 hours after the concrete is placed. However, sometimes cracks occur before the joints are cut. We do everything we can to control cracking. There is NO guarantee that the concrete will not develop crack(s) in other locations and later on. A crack that is 3/8 of an inch or less (height or gap) and Cracks in basements poured on a vapor barrier is not a warranty issue.
Shifting & Settling
Most driveways, service walks and some garage floors will have some shifting (separation or height difference) over time- this is not uncommon. If you notice that your driveway or garage floor has moved a little or sound hollow, this is nothing to be concerned about either, especially if there are no cracks present. This is not a warranty issue. If your home has a patio or service walk, then it is possible that it may settle somewhat. When we placed the concrete, we compacted the surface sand to 8" deep below the slab, but this is no guarantee that the concrete work will not settle. We cannot warranty against settling because the sub-grade (below the surface sand) is beyond our control.
Frost Heave & Cracking
Michigan is in a severe weather region. Throughout any given winter there are many freeze-thaw cycles. During these events your exterior concrete is likely to heave up but will most likely settle back to its normal elevation again. Unfortunately, the slab is susceptible to cracking during a frost heave event. Cracking related to the frost heave is not a warranty issue.
Texture
It is possible that your neighbor's concrete may appear to have a different texture or finish than yours. This is common and is no cause for concern. Concrete is a wearing surface, and it will also change color over time.
Different Sounding Concrete
You may notice that your basement floor sounds different in various areas. These different sounds are caused by the placement of plumbing pipes or additional concrete bearing points under the concrete floor. Where the pipes are located the floor will sound less dense and where the additional concrete is the floor will sound denser. This is not a warranty issue. A typical basement floor is poured to the industry standard of 3.5 inches thick
2. The What & How of Our Warranty
Due to Michigan being classified as a severe weathering region, unprotected concrete poured from November 1 - April, or when temperatures are below 40 degrees there is NO Warranty.
Cracked Concrete
The industry standard for repair or replacement is greater than ⅜ of an inch displacement (either height or gap). We may warranty cracks that exceed ⅜ of an inch in height or gap.
Popped or Flaked Concrete
We will repair or replace a section or sections of your flatwork if it can be defined within our warranty. Part of the decision to execute warranty repair or replacement will be determined in the minimum 25%, Industry Standard, of total area is affected. We may repair or replace our work if a minimum of 25% of the total work area is popped or flaking, except for the driveway approach. Because your driveway approach is subject to salt overspray during the winter months we DO NOT WARRANT FOR POPPED OR FLAKING SURFACES IN THIS AREA.
General Matters Related to OUR Warranty
The decision to repair or replace concrete will be determined at the sole discretion of Anderson Concrete Construction. EXTERIOR concrete that has not been treated with a curing compound and has not been sealed is excluded from this warranty. Not all warranty issues result in tearing out and replacing concrete, in today's concrete industry there are many other solutions other than replacing concrete.
USE OF SALT or DEICING
Chemicals will void warranty. Warranty issues will be addressed during the months of June, July and August. If we are unable to service, you during these months then we will service you the following year (even if your warranty items expire during the delay).
To validate a warranty item, you must contact us before your warranty expires. The initial installation must be paid for in full and a dispute resolution agreement must be signed before warranty issues will be resolved.
4. Customer Care of Concrete
Do not drive on the "new" concrete for at least 14 days.
Do not allow water to drain beneath the slab... settlement cracks may develop.
Do not allow snow and ice to accumulate the first winter...keep the driveway shoveled off.
Do not apply deicing chemicals (salt) for snow and ice removal in the winter. As an alternative, sand can be used for traction.
WARNING: Never use deicers containing ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate (l.e. fertilizers). Such products are known to aggressively attack concrete. Michigan is classified as a severe weathering region. Therefore, for added protection, a sealer may be applied approximately 30 days following placement provided that the surface is dry, and ambient temperatures are above 55 degrees. F. Apply a good quality sealer. Contact your contractor, local Ready-Mix producer or building supply store to purchase a concrete sealer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for sealer application. RE-application of the sealer is generally recommended every year.
For stain removal, do not use harsh acids. Use a product specifically designed for the stain in question and for use on concrete. We recommend that relief joints (cut or tooled) be caulked to reduce moisture, water and deicing chemical penetration. We offer a ONE-year warranty of materials and workmanship for no additional cost. The warranty and what to expect from your concrete is detailed in these papers.