Reconstructing a 60 ft walkway up the side of a house. ideas?
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As an older couple we are looking for a way to "cheaply" reconstruct a walkway with materials an older person can personally handle without great cost. Currently the walkway is a line of 24X30" patio stones which are cracking and are difficult to lift and move.
YOUR PHOTO MUST BE THE ORIGINAL WHEN YOU INSTALLED THE PAVERS? I BELIEVE THESE ARE A GREAT SOLUTION FOR YOUR LONG NARROW AREA, FIND SOMEONE TO BUY MORE, HAS A PICKUP TRUCK AND CAN LIFT THE LARGE PAVERS AND HAVE THEM REMOVE THE OLD CRACKED, DANGEROUS OF TIP HAZARD. ANOTHER THOUGHT I'VE HAD IS TO CONTINUE THE SMALL PAVERS NEXT TO THE FENCE. PERHAPS THERE IS A PRODUCT YOU CAN EASLY SPRAY ON THE PAVERS TO KEEP THEM FROM CRACKING. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE CONCRETE IS THAT IT IS ON A FLAT SURFACE, MANY INSTALLATION START WITH A FLAT SURFACE THEN SAND TO BED DOWN THE PAVERS. GOOD LUCK, IT'S NOT FUN AS WE AGE AND WANT TO KEEP OUR HOMES IN WORKING ORDER! CHEERS, PAMELA
I think I would try to fix this area........it DOESN"T look hopeless.
Perhaps repurpose the pavers you have into something like this:
Build a boardwalk a step above the paver stones and leave the stones there. We sort of did something similar by building a small deck with steps over top of our crumbling concrete porch and stairs. Good luck with whatever you decide!
Another idea is to have several truck loads of pea gravel brought in & spread on top of the pavers. Pea gravel drains well, never wears out & doesn't have to be painted. Make sure it's pea gravel, because larger gravel can be a trip hazard. (I sprained my ankle on someone's large gravel driveway.)
Natural stone is less likely to crack than concrete but usually more expensive. Using gravel to fill most of the space would help to keep the expense down, your local big box store will have gravel and stepping stones in packages that will be manageable. Being safe is your first priority and broken stepping stones are not safe.
Also as an after thought your local high school has kids ready and willing to work for minimum wage they just need good direction. That might work better for you than trying to do all the work by yourself
Paving bricks could be used. they are small but thicker and less likely to break. They also weigh less. If the former stones were remove and paving bricks put in double wide a done properly, they would be steady and sturdy. Young neighborhood kids could do the job for $10/hr. Be worth it. Use pea gravel around the bricks. It'll hold them in place well
You could break up the broken pavers and lay intermitten broken paver sections. Google broken concrete walkways. The amazing ideas are almost endless. You could space the good pavers to evenly span the 60 ft and fill the spaces between them with the broken peices. You'd probably need to add some sand if it's not already there and it would involve some labor but you wouldn't have to buy materials. I got broken concrete from Craigslist and plan to lay a broken concrete walkway in my garden, if it ever stops raining in Tacoma.
Do you have a wheelbarrow ? Gloves? Flatshovel or prybar? Looks as if the inner big pacers are in good shape.
Would it be possible to tile over the large pavers? I would take your picture to a large DIY store (such as Lowe's) and consult an older employee. You could complete in small sections if this is a doable outdoor project. Best wishes with this project. You may also want to consider the possibility that one of you might need a wheelchair ramp in the future to navigate this area. I'm nearing this possibility and it's changing some remodeling plans.