Last Tuesday was the worst pour day I've had in 10 years

We got a call to do a 30x40 driveway outside of Austin and everything went sideways from the start. The truck showed up 45 minutes late and the mix was way too wet, must have been a miscommunication at the batch plant. We tried to work it but the sun came out hot and the surface started crusting over before we could get a good broom finish. My helper stepped in a soft spot near the edge and left a boot print a foot long that I had to patch up on the fly. Ended up having to cut out a 4x4 section the next morning and repour it because the color was off. Homeowner wasn't happy but at least he didn't make us tear the whole thing out. Anyone else deal with a batch plant messing up the slump like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

juliarodriguez1mo ago

Man I felt that in my bones just reading it. At least you got a story out of it, I'd be tempted to send the batch plant a bill for my therapy session.

hayes.casey1mo ago

@juliarodriguez Right there with you. That kind of frustration doesn't just go away after a few days... it sticks with you, especially when you've got a whole yard full of bad concrete to look at. Honestly though, that therapy bill idea got me laughing - might be worth a shot, but I bet they'd just tell you to read the fine print on the delivery ticket.

emmam891mo ago

Hmm, I actually kind of disagree on the therapy bill thing. That kind of concrete work is a gamble every time and you know that going in. The batch plant isn't a therapist, they're just selling you mud. I'd rather spend my energy figuring out how to fix the slab or who to blame for the mix than dreaming up revenge invoices. Isn't that just part of the job at the end of the day?