Question: Hi Robert. We hired a concrete contractor to do quite a bit of work for us – walkway and back patio. It has dried for over a couple weeks and we are seeing spots showing up that look like they’re coming out of the surface of the concrete. We called the contractor back and he came to look at it. He says he’s never seen anything like it, doesn’t know what it is and that there is nothing he can do about it … then he left. Here is where we are kicking ourselves. We hired a guy against all of your advice – no license, insurance and now we’re in a pickle. Anything we can do?
— Joyce S.
Answer: Joyce, unfortunately you’ll either have to live with this or, in time, possibly have a reputable company come in and put a finish over this. Hard to tell, without photos, what this could be, but if you’ve hired someone who isn’t doing quality work, it could be a multitude of things.
This is a classic example of why I highly recommend only licensed and insured contractors. At least there is some sort of recourse when you are able to contact the licensing board if things go awry. Always ask for license and verify that it is valid, as well as their certificate of insurance. Never accept the cert directly from the contractor — tell them you want their carrier to send you the cert. This is the safest way to ensure that you are getting a legitimate certificate.
Best of luck — hopefully it isn’t too bad where you can either live with it or have it covered.
Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].
