How to fix poorly formed concrete seating?

[Greg_W]

Lower section seatFormwork for lower sectionLower section plantar boxUpper level form workRendering where they cut out for the LED lighting sticks out further than the seatingThey chiselled away the bottom section after the pour for LED lighting and then rendered poorlyThis is their "finished" productPoor formwork caused kinks and differences in wall thicknessThis is the finished productLight pillar is not squared upArm rests slope and are unevenArmrest slopes

Now we have these concrete structures in the back yard the issues we are having with them needs to be fixed before we can proceed with the laying of the travertine pavers. We need to try and come up with solutions to fix / cover the mistakes.

If we keep the concrete and just get it polished to get rid of the formwork join marks and holes from the bubbles in the concrete and smooth the edges etc I don't think this will be enough to fix the problems with the 'kink" and altered thickness of the wall in the lower level curved section not with the uneven and not-squared light pillars and armrest of the upper section.

The "rendering" the concreters did underneath where they cut away the sections for the LED also need to be fixed somehow.

Other options we are open to .......

Do we tile the concrete seating? If so how and with work and what would it look like? The Travertine pavers for the ground are sand colour, the fence will be stained cedar similar to the cladding on the front of the house and the retaining walls will be a dark grey to match the back unit.

Do we render the seating? How would this look and feel?

Do we grind away the imperfections?

We are open to all suggestions and hints.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Greg_W,

This appears to be concrete fresh out of the formwork. Typically, you'd then have that company or another that specialises in rendering work come in and finish the raw-formed concrete into something more finished. To create a finished surface with crisp lines and transitions, you'd need to render it, and before that happens, the curves and anything proud of the finished design would need to be ground down. The render will then build up low spots. By grinding down high spots and raising low spots with render, you can achieve a smooth surface that flows from one area to another.  

Someone that specialises in rendering will be able to tell you what needs to be done. You need to specifically state the level of finish you want. For instance, in the image below, you'd request that you want the curve to be near perfect, not with a lump in it.

What sort of look were you going for, and do you have any inspiration images? A Mediterranean-style white rendered seating allows for a bit of character and charm to the finished work as it adds an organic and rustic feel. However, if you are looking for a crisp and perfectly tiled area, there might be some work involved in bringing this base concrete work up to scratch.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Mitchell