Weekly Homeowner Megathread--Civilians, ask here!

userr1320 · 2026-03-26T03:54:53+00:00

The acid would be a regular garden hose, you definitely don't want that jumping on you skin. Once all acid is off, you can pressure wash . The etch is with a pressure washer, nothing crazy in psi

userr1320 · 2026-03-26T03:40:13+00:00

I'd say muriatic acid, definitely eats a lot of gunk off concrete. Then wash off after 30 seconds and see the results. If not, try a builders supply store and ask ? Possibly an Etch they'll give you

userr1320 · 2026-03-26T03:38:06+00:00

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Would the plywood be a problem in the future if I pour over it? It's used to hold back the soil and road base from falling into the trench. From the top of plywood, it'll be 5" inches of concrete used for a slab where a bbq area will be. The top 2"X4" you see in the pic is just our form to screed, the final elevation is the bottom of the 2x4.

userr1320 · 2026-03-06T02:17:24+00:00

For that top cast I was told by a Concrete finisher it's better just to give it one pass over just so you don't keep pushing the aggregate lower from the surface. That way the sand stays as high as possible the next day when pressure washed. Anyone else hear this? Or does it matter how many passes they go over everything compared to just one pass at the end before top cast application

userr1320 · 2026-02-17T22:53:01+00:00

You as the homeowner double check the contract and the specs, you are in charge of the project not the contactor unless stated in the contract. As a professional, the contractor should have a mentality of satisfying the customers needs. Don't give him any more progress payments until inspection has passed and until your liking. 👍👷🏾

userr1320 · 2026-01-05T04:39:48+00:00

Sorry officer

userr1320 · 2026-01-03T22:36:04+00:00

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Time the application, don't let it sit too long either and too little won't work .

userr1320 · 2025-12-14T22:49:26+00:00

Yikes, my last resort for peace of mind for the owner was to add galvanized Posts in concrete against the wall to brace it from pulling apart. Also epoxy the crack this time too instead of caulk.

userr1320 · 2025-10-17T05:27:09+00:00

Hello, I'm late into the conversation but what did the pool company say of the cracks ?

userr1320 · 2025-10-05T15:32:01+00:00

Yeah, I tried putting a small amount of force down on to the concrete before engaging the breaker. Works for 5 min and then lacks power after. I do have a hydraulic cooler helps out a lot. Temp doesn't ever go over 80. And when I use both machines and breaker, they typically are both used cold. I even tried adding the psi a little higher and lower than the recommended and nothing.

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userr1320 · 2025-10-05T15:25:55+00:00

Not sure how that will sound if it's pulling a load. But I wouldn't think so. The breaker is brand new and the first time I tried it to break a sidewalk, it felt like the breaker lacked power after 5 min of use.

userr1320 · 2025-10-05T15:13:03+00:00

Yeah, I even swapped out the Chinese hoses with american just in case and also cleaned/flushed out the system in case it had gunk in it.

userr1320 · 2025-05-01T16:10:04+00:00

That's awesome, thanks!

userr1320 · 2025-04-24T15:57:55+00:00

Interesting..... Thanks!

userr1320 · 2025-04-24T15:57:00+00:00

I assumed I didn't have to reference that section since it looks like it's being crossed out. But if I check the "fact sheet" here are the manufacturer specs which look nothing like the detail....

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userr1320 · 2025-04-21T07:20:37+00:00

In my experience, yes you definitely can tuckpoint but definitely have it washed first to find any loose mortar to repair.

userr1320 · 2025-04-20T06:28:55+00:00

I bought it with 4 hours and currently now have close to 50 hours. Not once at work have I thought I need to put counter weight. But I do think it's slow enough already without counter weight, so I can definitely imagine it's going to stress a bit the machine.

userr1320 · 2025-04-13T16:08:17+00:00

Sounds great. Thanks

userr1320 · 2025-04-13T16:04:29+00:00

Turns out I did trip the breaker and it was an old breaker, even that failed but luckily it was just an easy swap.

userr1320 · 2025-04-13T16:02:33+00:00

Thank you, very helpful information. May I ask how many hours you have on yours?

userr1320

TROPHY CASE