Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum banner

Name in Wet Concrete

24K views 28 replies 16 participants last post by  Michaeljp86  
#1 ·
The sidewalk in front of my little sisters house was replaced by the city. During the night she went out there and put her name on it while the concrete was still wet. Next day the Super busted it out and replaced it again, now they want to charge her for the replacement cost.
Is it fair to charge her for cosmetic damage ?
 
#5 ·
It may have been ripped out since the contractor may not have been paid for it by the contracting agenacy (finish specifications).

The only choice is to rip it out and charge for the labor.

Otherwise, the contractor would not get paid, no matter how young the delinquent was.

Who taught the kid it was O.K. to put initials in any concrete she wanted to because it was cute?
 
#13 ·
We have all had that happen to us or have done it to someone else’s. Does not make it right…I stuccoed a garage with the wall facing an alley. It is a smooth finish. If I had caught the kids that tagged it while we were working on the other side I think I would have had a load of sand that may have needed to be move a foot or two...pay back can be a bugger. I tagged my share of concrete pads as a yut….:w00t:
 
#18 ·
It was vandalism.
Obviously someone in the neighborhood wanted to get her in trouble, and put her name there...

The contractor who tore it out was probably trying to get his bottom line closer to showing a profit and will bill city for damage repair at scale.

I once guarded a fresh pour 'til 10pm... They got it after I left!
r
 
#19 ·
Personally, I think it's a social obligation to at least date concrete - a penny is the most common way. Even discrete initials are acceptable, and since all humans strive for immortality, this is one way of seeking it.

Now, there is a fine line that needs be defined. If some vandal jumps in and makes that snow angel or runs a 4-wheeler through it, well then yes, replace and charge them. But a small name or initials are cool, IMO.

And I love the comment about dog foot prints. Can't tell you how many times I've seen that and chuckle. C'mon, it's only cement - it ain't an artistic masterpiece like the Mona Lisa that someone has spray painted "F*UCK ART" on.

Wet cement is a blank canvas. Just make your statement tasteful.

Now tell me, am I the ONLY one who initials and dates every pad I pour ???
 
#25 ·
If you set the penny well and then trowel a little over the edges, it should stay. Either that or a little "Weld-o-Bond" (or equivalent) on the back should keep it.

But now-a-days, considering the value of money,a quarter would be appropriate.

Put a dollar in the paste :thumbup:
 
#27 ·
I don't know about a dollar. Nobody will bother to bend over to pick up a loose penny, but I bet somebody would bust concrete to pick up a dollar
How about one of those sakogaweea dollor coins. That will get your work noticed. :thumbup:
 
#28 ·
Trivial? yes, but it is technically vandalism to city property.

Years ago, I was doing lots of sub work for a company developing on the expanding edges of the city limits. The interstate was in, but the exits were all dead ends as the property was still undeveloped. As they would put in all the local streets for the area, they would have their grounds crew begin to maintain the cloverleaf interchanges at that particular exit by planting flowerbeds, installing trash receptacles at the stop signs, and mowing the grass weekly. One day as I sat in the project managers office he pushed a large envelope towards me as he said, "Read this, you are not going to believe it" It was a letter from the state demanding that they "cease and desist" all their private work on the interchanges , remove any changes they had made (the flowers and trash cans) , and return the property to its original state (4' tall weeds and discarded trash), within 30 days are the state would sue them.

A true story.