Concrete Walkway Replacement

February 12,2012

Replacement Walkway

Old damaged sidewalks not only bring down home values and are ugly, but they can be dangerous as well and should be repaired or replaced when possible. The walkway can either be re-poured or replaced with bricks or other stone alternatives.

The cost to replace an existing sidewalk by pouring new concrete or with standard bricks is roughly the same and usually comes down to owner preference. If you are looking for a little bit of both then stamped concrete designs have come a long way in recent years and are becoming increasingly popular.

This Sand Lake homeowner opted for a new red brick walkway to blend in with the brick facade of his house. Removing old concrete can be done by hand with a sledge hammer or by machine with a jack hammer. Some of the left over rubble was re-used back into the base to help create a solid foundation that was able to drain properly.

Removal and site prep

After tamping the path down with sand and stone dust over the gravel and crushed stone the brick border is installed. For a very basic pathway that give off a classic look the red bricks are staggered down the line.

Again, the walkway is slightly sloped to pitch any potential sitting water away from the house so that puddles do not form in the summer and a sheet of ice doesn’t freeze over the walkway in the winter.

The rest of the walkway is then installed in accordance with the starting patten and then brought out in a straight line to the driveway.

The finished result is a classic looking walkway that is both practicable and economical. The best feature of using brick is the low maintenance and simple repairs that can be made. Paver walkways do not crack and can be easily fixed if frost heaves any portion of the landing.

Individual bricks can be replaced if they split over time and usually cost less then a dollar, which can result in big savings compared to replacing a cracked or buckled concrete pad.

Plus sanding and scraping the bricks in the walkway during the winter does not result in as much “pitting” as with concrete walks because the gaps allow for frost movement and let salt to escape once the ice is melted.

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