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"The concrete had been placed five years ago, but it had started failing in the first year," Bencker says.

When he arrived on site, Bencker found there were several problems, including poor surface preparation and an improper sealant.

"The coating had completely separated from the concrete on several homes, and on others it was simply not applied evenly," he says. "The colors were a 'silly gray' - they had turned completely yellow because they used a low-grade sealer."

Decorative Concrete Solutions ended up signing a contract to repair the work on seven homes. After they began working, the project expanded to 10 homes and Bencker spent about three weeks in the neighborhood.

"Once we got started, I had several of the homeowners talking to me about what the previous contractor had done," Bencker says. "They did no surface prep - no grinding or acid-etching. They had just hosed the concrete off with a garden hose before applying the finish."