How to improve concrete steps and patio?

Question

Had a concrete job done for a back yard step and patio, however not happy with workmanship…

* Uneven finish to fence cladding—is there a way I can caulk this? The trenches in the fence cladding makes this tricky
* Wonky hand groove lines—I should be able grind this with an angle grinder?
* Concrete step poured up to the house frame (timber + aluminium)—this is a bigger issue that would rot/corrode the frames, which I may need to get the concreter to come back to cut back the slab and rectify OR get another concreter to rebuild/fix up
* Front of concrete step not finished properly, resulting in significant amount of visible air bubbles—I might be able to grind this back and acid treat to smooth surface…

3 questions for the community:

A) is it reasonable to ask the concreter to rectify all four above?

B) What leverage do I have to compel him to rectify?

C) Can I fix the uneven pour against the fence cladding with external sealant? How might I achieve a clean finish?

Thanks all!

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @Kaiyuan2893,

Fingers crossed your concrete contractor can return to fix up a few of those issues and you do not have to contact another company.

If you do have to contact someone else, unfortunately, we do not have concrete cutting contractors that we can recommend. I'd suggest googling concrete cutting companies that are close to you or using a service such as HiPages to find businesses that do this kind of work in your area.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Kaiyuan2893 · Answer

Thanks for your perspective Mitchell, really helpful. I guess the expectation gap came from the photos we sent (and agreed with the concreter, below) vs what we ended up with.

I have requested the concreter to rectify the house interface as I understand directly pouring on the wooden framing of the dwelling without separation or barrier is non-compliant, and pouring on aluminium framing corrodes it due to the alkalinity of the concrete. Otherwise, I’d have to hire someone to saw cut for separation which may be costly.

Thanks for the tips, I’ll try to seal over the unfinished concrete near the fence.

Does anyone have recommendations for concrete professionals who can saw cut the concrete to create separation gap between the house and detailing the concrete?

MitchellMc · Answer

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Kaiyuan2893. It's terrific to have you join us and many thanks for your question about concrete.

From what you’ve shown, there are a few things there that I can understand you being unhappy with, particularly the finish against the house and the visible air holes on the step. Those are definitely worth raising with your concreter. However, the kind of clean, uniform look you’re aiming for with sharp edges, minimal air holes, and neat junctions against other materials, usually falls into a higher-spec finish that requires more time, skill, and cost.

There’s often a pretty big gap between a “standard pour” and a more architectural or decorative finish. Things like grinding, patching blowholes, precise jointing, and clean detailing against structures are usually only included if they were clearly discussed and allowed for in the quote.

To your questions:

It’s reasonable to go back to the concreter and ask about rectifying the issues you’re concerned about, especially the areas that could affect durability (like where the concrete meets the house). Whether they’re obliged to fix everything will depend on what was agreed in terms of finish.

You can improve the look along the fence line with an external-grade flexible sealant, but getting a clean finish over uneven or textured cladding is tricky. You’d likely need to:

* Clean the joint thoroughly
* Use a backing rod if the gap is deep
* Apply a paintable, exterior polyurethane or hybrid sealant
* Tool it carefully (masking tape can help, but won’t be perfect on textured surfaces)

For the issue where concrete is hard up against timber/aluminium, ideally, there should be a small separation or expansion gap to avoid moisture transfer and long-term damage, so it may be worth at least raising that specifically with the contractor.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell