WHAT DOES MY CONCRETE WARRANTY COVER?
Concrete has only a few issues that normally trigger a warranty. Cracking, settling and spalling. Cracking and settling are the most common in AZ.
Too much water added to the mix, improper grading or plant mix ratio errors are the main culprits in cracking. Your warranty covers replacement of the cracked section(s) ONLY if a crack opens wide enough to fit a dime into within your warranty period. Fine cracks are cosmetic only and do not qualify for replacement.
Improper compaction leads to settling. If your concrete pour settles it will most likely crack as well. Your warranty will include replacing concrete sections that have settled only if they cause a drainage problem, cracks open up wider than a dime or if it was designed for a structure is to be built on it, making it difficult or impossible to build on.
Spalling is basically the top of the concrete chipping, flaking or peeling away for one of many reasons. Concrete cancer shows up as deterioration of the concrete surface at first. This is known as a Alkali–silica reaction (ASR) which is a chemical reaction within the hardened concrete. There are other reasons the top peels off though. In the frost belt if too much fly ash is added to the mix, or if the concrete is improperly finished the top will flake away, here in AZ there is one main reason for losing the top though… water splashed onto the surface as a finishing aid. It simply dilutes the top part of your slab also known as the cake.
When you check the status of your Tucson Contractor’s License, check out more warranty specs on the AZ Registrar of Contractors website. http://www.roc.az.gov
