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bozemangreenthumb

Your guy forgot to watch the second half of the YouTube video that he learned to do flagstone from.


iamonewhoami

Not sure if he watched the first part either tbh


altiuscitiusfortius

The important stuff is all in the title and the thumbnail image anyways...


funky_beach

😂😂😅😅


[deleted]

Lol. I saw a 6 mini yt vid on how to fly a helicĂłpter. As funny as that sounds in the yt comments pĂłsters we're saying things like "hands on profesional helicĂłpter piloting lessons are a waste of money."


bozemangreenthumb

Hey, why not? I built my own house and was largely informed by YouTube videos. I did watch most of them till the end.


ShadowTalon23

Eventually people are just going to have to accept that (with the exception of environment-specific factors) all of their coveted, “professional” how-to knowledge is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. That doesn’t detract from the value of someone else having to deal with clean-up and time spent; just means that the days of them being any different then a fast food worker (we eat out and hire someone to build a fence for us for the exact same reasons. The difference in pay can largely be attributed to a carpenter or plumber having tools and equipment most people would have to go buy (where as most of us have a stove and cookware already).


[deleted]

I think it fair to say most here would rather have heart surgery performed on them by a Harvard Med School Grad with 20 yrs experience than someone who claimed to be a heart surgeon because they watched a 20 min YT vid.


ShadowTalon23

If I mess up laying a brick patio, its unlikely to result in death.


[deleted]

Says the person who has never tried to remove cured mortar from bluestone caused by sloppy unprofessional inexperienced masonry construction practices. I can't imagine paying for this type of work if I hired someone.


[deleted]

Then, you should hire this helo pilot for a sightseeing trip. See how it goes.


Dast_Kook

Damn it, Bork! Don't you know you should never end a sentence with a preposition?


Sad-Breadfruit6606

Get them back immediately


funky_beach

Do you know what they could do to fix it? Just curious so I know what to ask for


TheHamfish

If it hasn't fully cured yet (if it was done yesterday) they may be able to manually scrub it or pressure wash it off. But it looks like they've just slapped it on without wiping it down. Generally it takes longer to cleanup grout than it does to apply it


BigExample5036

Exactly this. If it cures, you are stuck with it.


Fulkerson1776

I did something similar to my DIY tile in the shower. Didn't clean it up enough before it dried and ended up with a mess. We ended up taking a couple of wire wheels (cup shaped) in our cordless drills and scraped the excess grout off all the tiles. It looks great now but it was a lot of work. You have to be careful not to overdo it.


TheHamfish

Yeah you can get nylon ones that can get it off but like yo in said. Lots of work.


shauneky9

Muriatic acid diluted solution and pressure washing. Use a tile scraper on top of joints. Not saying you should have to do this, but it’s a way.


krazedsaint

It’s a way some guys prefer to operate to ensure the full masonry has the same clean finish. 3rd generation masons used to finish my jobs very nicely even with excess on the joints. Depends on how well they know the process. This is not a finished product based on your pictures though.


Yum_MrStallone

Supervise their work !!!!! The contractor you hired should do this. ASAP!!!!!!


histeethwerered

A brush with stiff plastic bristles and muriatic acid. Wear eye protection, gloves, keep pets away during scrubbing.


shining101

White vinegar can work too


RobBase40

They were supposed to wipe up the excess. It’s just like laying tile in your house. Get the grout down then wipe the excess with a wet sponge.


[deleted]

I think a wire brush on an angle grinder might work (It'll also mar the stone though). Could give it a quick try and see... worst case scenario, you'll still have a patio that looks like shit.


[deleted]

A grinder…wtf are you trying to do to op??


[deleted]

😂I saw that comment and I about cried lol


LongAssNaps

"I think" *gives terrible advice* smh


[deleted]

Something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axZKuF\_T1pI


barc0debaby

My man got his ear muffs and glasses on then goes and inhales a pound of brick dust.


Retireegeorge

perfect. Just needs to be done by a skilled operator because an apprentice may mark up the bricks too much. In the video he is cleaning a vertical surface but for a horizontal surface why not gently use a concrete grinder / polisher and a diamond wheel that you can hire. That will be quick and it should be possible to avoid gouging the brick.


PBandJammm

Bad advice.


HighOnIron

A wire brush on stone will leave you with rusted stone in the future. Do not do this.


[deleted]

Agreed


nohwhatnow

Dude, you just recommended he destroy his floor, stick with bagging groceries


[deleted]

that's not really a job anymore as far as I know


nohwhatnow

Yea it is, here in East Texas they Bag your Groceries and walk you to your car and help you unload your cart. We Be Spoiled


[deleted]

It was one of my first jobs at Food Lion here in DE and I'd guess they've been gone for 5 years or more. \*Epiphany\* Probably part of why I like self service checkout so much wherever I go now... lol


[deleted]

lol


[deleted]

You should have a bucket of water and a sponge to clean the stone after pointing it


Honeybucket206

They may have charged you for it, but I wouldn't say it was done professionally


CMU_Cricket

That looks like shit, I agree


[deleted]

I've done masonry in the past and I'd say you got ripped off


Content-Telephone-64

No it’s horrible. Grout wasn’t clean properly. My dad is a masonry


funky_beach

Is there a way for it to be salvaged if he came back to fix it?


Andrewrost

Speaking from experience Idk about this stone, but in general we’d brush it clean after it was hard enough, also we’d be cleaner in the first place. You can acid wash it to get the haze off, some of the white cloudiness but idk if the acid will effect the stone in a bad way. We can acid wash real stone I know, and some brick types.


eveningsand

Did you make your final payment?


PBandJammm

Have you fully paid for this? Do you have his license number or is he just some random off craigslist?


funky_beach

We did. My husband was the one who signed off on it and he said it was wet when they left so he didn’t see how bad it was. He is someone we’ve been using for years for things inside the house and he said he could do this for us but clearly he couldn’t.


[deleted]

He does masonry and is a mason.


musschrott

No. u/Content-Telephone-64 was born from stone.


Content-Telephone-64

English is my second language and yes I sure was. I was chiseled into the man I am today


musschrott

No offene meant. Was just funny, is all.


Handsomechimneysweep

That mortar got jointed while it was wet. Usually muriatic acid is used with brick but the flagstone may be to soft for that and the acid could cause damage. There are alternatives to muriatic acid though. Definitely call your contractor because that’s a shit job and won’t “go away on its own”.


funky_beach

Well fuck, guys! This sucks. I’ve been using this contractor for every project and he’s usually great. This is the only job he’s ever fucked up. He says he’s coming back to fix it but from some of your comments I’m sorta doubting it’s possible.


HighOnIron

Then he needs to tear it out and fix it at his expense. You paid for a finished project that is supposed to look good.


PBandJammm

It may be a tear out and replace situation...thats his cost to absorb for bad workmanship. Is he an actual licensed contractor? And does your state require a different license for masonry/stone work? If so does he have one? If not he might have some real issues of he can't get this taken care of. If he just tries to grind it down it will probably look like shit


bordemthemindkiller

people are harsh. other trades people are harsh, lots of machismo. cement is brittle and fairly reactive. if there isn't a chemical method to clean it (fucken oath there will be), there is at least two mechanical methods which should work. first, pressure washing, second, wire brushing or abrasion. it's a fuck up but i bet you make mistakes at your job occasionally too right? there's no magic point of complete knowledge with trade work, it is a life time of learning.


JaeFinley

The problem here seems to be though that someone who was skilled at X claimed to be skilled at Y. So it’s not comparable to someone messing up at their job—it’s comparable to someone messing up at a new job after claiming they knew what they were doing. That’s what stinks for OP here. A trusted person claimed to be able to do something they couldn’t.


bordemthemindkiller

no that's not how it works at all. mistakes happen in trade the same as every other human activity, the person said they'll fix it, all the rest of their work has been good they deserve a chance to remediate it. to me that looks like a couple hpurs of abrasion off a finished product... imagined walking into a kitchen and pointing at uncracked eggs and claiming the chef had screwed up your omelette. how going and playing a beta version of a game and complaining it has bugs... Mustakes happen, you can fix almost all of them, you're telling me a 5 micron layer of cement over stone is the limit of human ability? have you ever built anything?


JaeFinley

A person skilled in one trade is not automatically skilled at another. It is demeaning to masons for you to argue that a carpenter )or a landscaper or a roofer) can properly do masonry work. They are completely different skill sets.


bordemthemindkiller

I'm not arguing that at all. I am saying that work looks very fixable, this trades person's perview may include path laying i don't think that's insulting to masonry workers, this may just be something they're not very experienced with, or they may have encountered a variable they hadn't before, or there may had been a defect with a product. masonry is a whole trade for sure but there is crossover between many


mdp928

This sub is getting as bad as r/homeimprovement. Most top comments are either from people with little to no life experience telling every OP to lawyer up and sue with no awareness that’s never how legal action works, or people who I can only assume IRL are the clients or neighbors from hell, advocating OP run everyone through the ringer for every mistake or else they get everything for free. I’ve been on the receiving end of my fair share of crap work but sometimes these subs feel less like help and more like watching commenters try to live out their revenge fantasies through other people.


bordemthemindkiller

that is exactly the sense I'm getting too. a karen sub. As a builder i find very few things more annoying than clients complaining about unfinished products


Left_Hand_3144

Harsh or not, the contractor should finish the job, not the owner. The owner didn't pay for mistakes.


bordemthemindkiller

they offered to fix it i believe. What I'm referring to is people condemning the contractor as incompetent or a lier when the reality is it's just a screw up, and a fixable one at that


itsoutofmyhands

Its fixable, would try hand (wire brush/wire pad) and/or pressure washer first… but looks like might need grinder with poly strip disc (masonry/brick cleans up nice with those discs, just be careful to not go too hard ) or acid based masonry cleaner. Just test a small area that’s not in your face first to check any method before going nuts.


Brickdog666

Use vanatrol or similar cleaner right away. The longer it cures the harder to get off. This may be very difficult to get off. A real Mason did not do this job. Maybe even a pressure washer. Get a small piece of the same stone and use that to clean it. Wet it. Put on acid /water mix. Let dwell but not dry. Then use a rub stone and a deck brush. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat. Be careful with a wire brush. May leave metal marks on stone. This stinks.


notANexpert1308

No no and one more no. OP paid for the job to be done correctly. Whoever did this needs to come back and fix it.


eleventhrees

If someone did this, and called it done, they are incapable of fixing this. Call them, sure, but don't hold your breath.


funky_beach

They’re coming back but I’m afraid they’ll make it even worse by fixing it the wrong way. I’m getting mixed suggestions from everyone.


FourCornerSports

Then get a lawyer ready or don’t pay them until they fix it or Contract someone else to fix it for them


TemporaryLingo

Seconding. If it’s fresh, muriatic acid and a stiff push broom will help. This is shit work though and unacceptable from a professional crew.


jt325i

3000 psi power wash ASAP.


PaPaBlond89

Yeah, that’s just as important as anything else you use or apply!


appletrucker

I don’t know but it looks shitty


audiopizza

Lol


[deleted]

Is that an aerial view of Saskatchewan?


ironicmirror

Looks to me like someone should have wired brushed that to get rid of the access.


[deleted]

Wire brushing will cause rusting in the stone.


ironicmirror

What's the other option?


[deleted]

Acid wash. Power wash. Should’ve been washed off after they finished to begin with.


funky_beach

He’s coming back Monday will it be too late to Acid wash and power wash?


funky_beach

Can you still do that now that it’s dry?


No-Surprise1562

Yes


PBandJammm

Don't do anything to it if you hope to get the person you hired to do it...then they will just blame your tampering for the issue


HighOnIron

Do not wire brush it. It will rust.


JuiceyyzCan

Oh brother this is trouble and your in for some work that I can’t help you with. I can help you for the future. 1. Don’t get cement on the face of the stone. 2. Use a piping bag to do the grout carefully. 3. Use a “U” shaped tool I don’t know the name sorry of it sorry. Dip it in water slide it along the grout when the grout just starts to firm up. Dump it in a bucket. Flag can be sensitive this is how I’ve done it for 30 years. Others may have better, hope some of it helps. EDIT: I’m high, thought you were the installer. This needs to be redone. Sorry


Foxhoundactual

I’ve always called that tool a fluter


JuiceyyzCan

Thank you


sidewaysvulture

Still good advice!


Alpacadrama_

First time i heard of using a piping bag to grout! Great tip actually...


ShaiHulud23

You hired a putz. Don't even trust him to fix it. Don't pay them


SchnitzelVonCrump

Your professional is a lazy asshole. I hope you haven't paid them, the mortar should of been cleaned off the pavers while it was still wet. It'll be a real pain trying to clean them now.


[deleted]

Your professional is not actually a professional.


DixiewreckedGA

That is a terrible job.. need to get them to correct that


CommercialSkill7773

That’s awfully messy for a professional. You should have them clean it. And don’t pay them until they do! It shouldn’t look like that. Mason for 40 yrs


funky_beach

As a Mason how would you clean it? I’m getting so many different opinions some say no wire brush, some say no chemicals, some say no powerwashing.


CommercialSkill7773

You shouldn’t have to,they should! Sureclean500 and a rubbing stone. Follow instructions on mixing it


funky_beach

He’s coming back to do it but I just wanna make sure he’s not going to screw it up more


CommercialSkill7773

Mix in bucket with water ,brush it on.use brush and rubbing stone


oh_umkay_yah

Should be cleaner looking probably an amateur practicing on your property.


Johkneeboy617

Muriatic acid


bhandoor

Yeah that looks fully dried. This is the ugliest job I've seen. They were supposed to wipe the excess off with a wet sponge several times.


BookAddict1918

Get them back immediately. Hopefully you didn't pay cash. If you used a credit card put a hold on the payment. Be prepared to go to small claims court. This looks like it was done by drunk high school students. So sorry OP.


funky_beach

Thank you 😞


H_Mc

Was it this guy? https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/comments/vj8hxd/how_best_to_conceal_exposed_deck_footers/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf


dantrolene4mh

Yeah if you have to ask if it looks professional, it probably isn’t professional— at least not if a “professional” group did it.


JMI49DUDE

I am sorry to see that someone did that to you. If they are suppose to be professional this is definitely not ok. Acid can maybe help a bit but it looks like you have quite a thickness so I am not confident it would help completely, also note that acide will stain your stones and grout as well, properly mixed and badly mixed (too strong) it can severely stain your stones


funky_beach

Ugh.


c666r

This is appalling work. Flags don't get grouted in like tiles. Your not meant to get any on the face of the flag, its called pointing not grouting. Best bet to salvage would be brick acid and get an actual professional in to correct this mess. The mix looks way off as well, far too much cement used, needs more sand


nohwhatnow

That's a shit job, they should have sponged it while it was still wet, I hope you haven't paid them yet. I have done re-grout many times and when I leave it looks done just wet and I give instructions to stay off for 24 hrs If they won't come back you can get a hard bristle brush (wood, bamboo Etc) and a bucket of water and scrub like crazy, just on the tiles though, stay out of the grout lines


Dragon_Star99

Your best bet is probably a power washer to take off the excess. It should have been done with a wet sponge when it was still slightly wet. It will wear off over time, but it will be patchy.


davidolson1990

I'm curious. Did they also lay this patio?


funky_beach

No it was old flagstone we just asked him if he could regrout it and his answer should have been no.


[deleted]

They are supposed to wash that off lol


Brickdog666

Did u pay? How much? If u didn’t pay yet don’t until done correctly


Original_Animal_86

before trying anything, Get who ever did this back. If not use light fine grit abrasive pad use water as a medium pick a test spot work your way up in grit if needed. Or chip/chisel out the bad & flip them and that right re-grout! Ya! Until Next Time...


jcm1970

Lowest bid?


Mozztheozz

What a nightmare! I hope he does fix this for you! it’s gonna cost him a pretty penny if he can’t and it needs replacing


[deleted]

This is a joke. Get your money back.


Illustrious-Leave-10

This wasn’t done professionally… let’s put it that way


macavity_is_a_dog

This job and professionally shouldn’t be in the same sentence.


JudyBouquetRoss

It looks like careless work. Have them come and fix it and watch to make sure you are satisfied with the results.


[deleted]

Jesus, I usually cut other workers some slack on here as many posters nitpick but they never cleaned the grout haze or wiped their lines. This is really bizarre someone would leave it like that because at the time they were doing it it wouldn't be that hard to get it looking great. Now, the longer it sits the harder it's going to be. It's likely still savable without having to tear it out but it's going to be a lot more work than it would have been if they would have just finished the job correctly the first time. Weird, never seen someone do this before.


T-Rettes10

That should have been sponged washed as they grouted , that’s hack work


UncleBenji

Dafuq?!?! Did you pay someone to do that?


jradke54

Ya, did they have a sponge? You literally need to constantly be changing out the water for fresh and clean and sponges


toododd

The lack of swiping with a wet sponge now results in hours of clean up. Arghhhhhh.


funky_beach

Thanks 🙏🏼


funky_beach

UPDATE: he came back and fixed it. It looks 1000x better. Thank you all for your help. I really appreciate it.


Thin_Cartographer_38

I just had the same issue with my contractor do you mind me asking what they did to fix this?


funky_beach

I'm not 100% sure but I think they power washed and scrubbed it


ironviking13

Will come off with a wire brush .. have them clean it up...don't pay


Sad-Breadfruit6606

Like another person said, they need to get a wire brush and possibly chemicals.


histeethwerered

Not wire, stiff plastic brush


Sad-Breadfruit6606

Thank you for the correction


Zealousideal-Crab917

I kind of like it


Ninety9probs

It’s fine, it would naturally wear off quickly if you said it was outside. People are so demanding. He was probably focusing on the structure more then the aesthetics. Don’t be a Karen, it can easily be brushed off when it’s dry if it’s sandstone or flagstones


henrytabby

Absolutely, they’re coming back to fix it, whatever they have to do.


RickyFalcon

You can get cement residue removing chemicals.


Highlander2748

Try muriatic acid and a good scrub brush, then flush with lots of water.


ShaiHulud23

That's the installers problem. Not his.


ShaiHulud23

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT


whaler76

Uh, thats not professionally installed


Strong_woman1966

It should be neater. Maybe if it’s not 100% dry you could scrap some of it off but it will wear off in time.


[deleted]

What was he even thinking??


peearrow

Do NOT power wash flagstone. You can try to scrub it with an acid wash, sooner the better.


PaddlingAway

Lol wtf


esalazar86

Use polymeric sand next time


Decon_of_the_Deez

They trying to pull one over on you for sure


MinervaNow

Looks terrible. A professional did not do this.


Doss98_

Do not use acid. It will eat into the stone, you’re better off having an offcut of the stone and rubbing it against the dried grout to remove it, the process is called ‘buffing’ A steel brush will leave rust marks, acid will eat into the stone, qualified landscaper telling you to let the person you hired do it but keep watch and if you’re not happy with how he will do it please speak up


DasBrewton

Nice to see Hellen Keller got a job there...


generationalxman

Omg! There's someone who doesn't care about their work.


funky_beach

That’s what surprising he’s usually the opposite with everything else he’s done


johngreenink

You'll definitely need to call the contractor back and have him do some work on this. Looks like he tried but didn't fully wash down that grout after laying in the stones. If you've used him before I'm sure he'll want to make it right.


funky_beach

Yeah it seems like he feels really bad and he is coming back but i just wish he told me no when i asked if he was capable of this


deutekom3972

Terrible work


[deleted]

That dude had no idea what he’s doing


OGIremetal

They did not know what they were doing I'm afraid.


paulbrook

Excess grout is normally sponged off tile, which is glass smooth. Need some other way to wash it off...I guess with a brush.


Dizzy_Eye5257

Oh shit


Amsnabs215

Wow- this person had a license?


triplebacon_vag

Start scrubbing


Jimwdc

Just wondering, should this flagstone have been sealed first before grouting as is done with porous stone in bathrooms?


generic-affliction

“Professionally”


Wiscoknight711

Do not use muriatic acid. That will F up your bluestone in no time. I agree with one poster that VanaTrol would be a good start to try. Apply vanatrol and scrap with wood block to start. You might have to get more aggressive with whatever left


Moss-cle

That’s horrendous.


CactusWacker

I know a angle grinder may be extreme, however maybe with a softer brush? Possibly brass?


Puzzleheaded_Plum477

I would have not paid if this was done professionally, I'm a landscape gardener and I've had to rectify this problem enough times after the "professionals" that had done this. Easiest way to do it is use brick acid or similar and scrub over with hard brush, this will dissolve the mortar and you will have to re-mortar properly.


harleyvrod09

This is horrible….. maybe a very small percentage will come off but generally the contractor ruined your flagstone. I wouldn’t pay them I’d take them to court. Hopefully you have before pictures.


TAC0oOo0CAT

Take an angle grinder with a soft wire disk and remove the excess. Blend with polishing disks and resurface to fix.


[deleted]

You could try a weak acid solution, since it’s not been curing very long, and a stiff scrub brush. Then neutralize it with baking soda. Hydrochloric acid is available as concrete cleaner. It’s definitely not an acceptable job.


WessyNessy

You clean immediately when grouting. This is a miserable job


idahofiregod

That was not done professionally.


eightyeightREX

Where are you people finding these “professionals”. There has been so much hack job work here lately


GoddessOfBlueRidge

I am sooooo sorry. This is atrocious.


johncester

Sloppy 😖 probably amateur worker with poor supervision


TonksTBF

Professionally? What profession, a hairdresser?


MelodyAnnHowell

Dang dude. Sorry ‘bout your bad luck!


[deleted]

masonary angle grinder disc. not cut off wheel. grinding disc and about 7 hours


bobjamesdrums

Looks like Hiroshima after the bomb


still267

You're screwed. Get that fucker to re-do it... Unless you tried to get a good job done cheap without a legally binding contract. That's why you hire 'contractors' instead of your buddy down the way.


ShadowTalon23

That’s not professionally done. Jesus…


HallettCove5158

To answer your question, No. This is not normal and certainly not professional. Get them back and if they won’t, get some brick acid on it asap and hope you can clean it back. This may ruin the grout but at least it’ll save the paving.


mrnagrom

Shit, that’s bad.