OT: Driveway Repair

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Spaghetti Legs

Well if it helps to commiserate, this is my brand new expensive bluestone patio after the sealing job. 1 month later still trying to get the contractor to even come look at it.

I’m with the others as far as with your issue, fill the hole and seal it, but I have no particular expertise. It is a good time to be a contractor. I’m still trying to get a storm damaged fence repaired since March and looking at August before it’s done.

What are we looking at here?

[Spaghetti Legs]

Originally Posted by HenryA

If I showed pictures of my driveway, it’d bring tears to your eyes.

That’ll be a nice patio when its done.

Ahh, that’s the rub. It is supposedly done. I was very pleased until the sealant went on.

Originally Posted by charliedid

What are we looking at here?

So, it should be a uniform gray color. The darker splotches are the uneven sealant and there is a footprint in there along with roller brush marks all over. I don’t have a pic of the complete patio pre-sealant unfortunately, but here’s a pic of under construction.

Apologies to OP for the hijack.

[54ny77]

Nice bluestone! Mason needs to re-do the cobblestones though. That job, umm....is prob not worth what you paid.

Originally Posted by Spaghetti Legs

Well if it helps to commiserate, this is my brand new expensive bluestone patio after the sealing job. 1 month later still trying to get the contractor to even come look at it.

I’m with the others as far as with your issue, fill the hole and seal it, but I have no particular expertise. It is a good time to be a contractor. I’m still trying to get a storm damaged fence repaired since March and looking at August before it’s done.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Spaghetti Legs

Ahh, that’s the rub. It is supposedly done. I was very pleased until the sealant went on.



So, it should be a uniform gray color. The darker splotches are the uneven sealant and there is a footprint in there along with roller brush marks all over. I don’t have a pic of the complete patio pre-sealant unfortunately, but here’s a pic of under construction.

Apologies to OP for the hijack.

I see.

Thought maybe that was the case.

[zap]

Edges of driveways are always at risk especially where the ground stays wet for any length of time.

Our house in MD had an asphalt driveway with edges that had cracks.....notably on the westside. I filled cracks with appropriate material and called it a day. If I still lived there I would have installed a french drain on the wet side to carry water away.

[Hindmost]

Originally Posted by Spaghetti Legs

Well if it helps to commiserate, this is my brand new expensive bluestone patio after the sealing job. 1 month later still trying to get the contractor to even come look at it.

How the heck do you even fix that? Recoat with sealant until you get uniform hold out? (Has the contractor been paid?)

[SlowPokePete]

I think with a driveway / blacktop, unless you have something to act as a retainer (railroad ties, etc) you are always going to have this type of problem.

I'd "maybe" try and fill in with non-loamy, clay type dirt, or maybe just say forget it and go for a ride.

SPP

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by SlowPokePete

I think with a driveway / blacktop, unless you have something to act as a retainer (railroad ties, etc) you are always going to have this type of problem.

I'd "maybe" try and fill in with non-loamy, clay type dirt, or maybe just say forget it and go for a ride.

SPP

Maybe hammer a metal landscaping edge on that?

[SlowPokePete]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Maybe hammer a metal landscaping edge on that?

That's a good idea, with a couple of stakes on the outside to keep it in place.

SPP

[azrider]

Originally Posted by HenryA

1. Put dirt in hole, tamp well.

2. Caulk the crack with black poly caulk made for such repairs.

3. Have a beer.

This is just not worth worrying about. I might just skip 1 and 2.

+100

My goodness....the headache and misery over something that minuscule. Fill the hole (which was more than likely there before) , do best you can to seal it yourself and move on.

[mdeth1313]

Thanks so much

Sometimes I forget why I don't post this kind of stuff online, this should hold me for awhile.

In the end, a local guy came over to look at it and told me he'd have his guys dig it out and make sure it's filled correctly with the right type of fill at no charge. He'll probably end up getting the rest of the work we're looking to have done.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Originally Posted by Hindmost

How the heck do you even fix that? Recoat with sealant until you get uniform hold out? (Has the contractor been paid?)

Paid for the job but not for the sealing, so 98% of the cost. I’m not sure what the fix is but right now I think I’m going to see what plain old weathering and covering with furniture will do. I’ve been thinking about getting a power washer, so maybe repeat blasting with that will make a difference.

Originally Posted by mdeth1313

In the end, a local guy came over to look at it and told me he'd have his guys dig it out and make sure it's filled correctly with the right type of fill at no charge. He'll probably end up getting the rest of the work we're looking to have done.

Sounds like a sensible solution. I think a lot of business owners like that don’t understand what little gestures like that mean to the business. My patio job was about 25% of a whole yard re-do, including new driveway, which this guy had designed. I’m looking for someone else to finish the job.

[unterhausen]

I looked up bluestone sealing and it looks like you got off easy as far as failed sealing jobs go. People seem to think that power washing will get rid of the problems.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

I looked up bluestone sealing and it looks like you got off easy as far as failed sealing jobs go. People seem to think that power washing will get rid of the problems.

Yeah, I’ve seen some other horror stories too. I just had an old friend over (old as in I’ve known him for 30 years and he’s also old, like 80), retired property developer/architect and he wondered why I had it sealed in the first place. He never did that at all on homes he built over the years. I just went with what I assumed was the expert said.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by mdeth1313

Thanks so much

Sometimes I forget why I don't post this kind of stuff online, this should hold me for awhile.

In the end, a local guy came over to look at it and told me he'd have his guys dig it out and make sure it's filled correctly with the right type of fill at no charge. He'll probably end up getting the rest of the work we're looking to have done.

Sounds like a favorable outcome.

Sorry for the