July 13: Can't help but chisel

Ronnie called around 7:10 and said he would it take a few minutes to get over.  He arrived around 8 and then immediately began installing some very rusty looking wire mesh instead of the new clean looking wire mesh he had dropped off the day before.

Seeing what was going on, I immediately gave him a cell call.  He said he had the rusty wire mesh was fine, that's exactly what you get from Home Depot.   I asked why he wasn't installing the cleaner wire mesh he had dropped off the day before.  He said he had sold that to his brother so he could pay for the concrete upgrade that I had requested from 3000 psi to 4000 psi.  I told him I had promised to pay for the 4000 psi upgrade immediately after the concrete was delivered, and that I had paid for new wire mesh on June 22.  He insisted the rusty wire mesh was fine.  So I asked what it would cost to use the cleaner wire mesh.  He said $100, and I agreed to pay that immediately.

I did see through the window that the clean wire mesh had been installed (but didn't take picture).

Later he called and asked if I had the cash for the upgrade to 4000 psi.  I said I had only $15 in cash, but could write a check.  He wasn't sure the concrete operator would take that.  I called back and said if he needed cash I could go to HEB and cash a check.  He said he didn't want me to make an unnecessary trip to the store, he would call me back if he needed the $100 in cash.  He estimated the cost for the upgrade from 3000 psi to 4000 psi at $80, figuring 8 yards of concrete.

Around 11:25 Ronnie knocked on front door.  He said they would be back to finish working concrete, right now it was actually too wet and there were going to take a break.  I asked about shade he had promised to put up before, to keep the slab shaded.  He said that wasn't necessary, but he could get plastic and put on top.  He said that would be OK to put plastic on top to help retain moisture, though I would have to remove plastic daily to put more water on top.  But he added it would leave dark stains, water marks, on the concrete, even if clear plastic was used.  He reiterated it would be fine with no plastic.  I asked if I could water several times a day and he said I could water as much as I wanted, it would not collapse now.

He then said upgrade to 4000 PSI cost $10 per cubic yard and there were more than 8 cubic yards.  So he wanted a check for $100.  He said not to worry about "the metal" (wire mesh).  He gave me a copy of the cement .receipt and continued washing down equipment.

10 minutes later he knocked on door again.  I showed him that receipt clearly said there were 7.5 cubic yards, it said that in several places on the receipt, and the "1" was for the gas surcharge.  He said with tax it would be $100.  So I gave him a check for $100.  He said again not to worry about "the metal".

Looking online, it appears that a typical cost for upgrade from 3000psi to 4000psi is more like $3, not $10.

That is 2010 in Cincinnati, and those prices are all higher than what I paid, even the 3000psi is more than what I paid.  I paid $76 per cubic yard (specified as 4000psi on receipt) whereas the Cincinnati prices were $85 for 3000 PSI and $88 for 4000 psi.

Here are some comments from 2003 where they say 4000psi costs only $1 more per cubic yard.  Also interesting because there is a discussion of slump.  My receipt shows 5 slump.  (They must mean 5" slump.)

Total cost for the concrete as shown on the receipt was much less than I was thinking, only $582 for 7.5 cuyd, or $628.31 including tax.  I had been thinking it was more like $1500.  So why did Ronnie need an extra $1000 advance a few weeks ago so he could pour "soon"?