How can I restore my old walkway?

Question

My walkway is made of cement and between time, neglect and tree roots, it has become a mess. Sections are completely gone and cracked everywhere.  What can be done to make it safe and more attractive?

Flip Remo · Answer

We bought a house with a walkway that was just small stone between two 2x4 boards (very hard to shovel snow, and difficult to walk on).  Since our walkway was from a low  deck to the driveway, we were able to build an elevated walkway using 2x6 stringers and placing 36' pressure treated wood perpendicular to the stringers... a wooden boardwalk - easy, quick, reasonably priced, easy to shovel, looked great with the house.

Karen · Answer

Pebbles? Gravel. Wood shavings.
Crazy paving

Barbara C · Answer

Break up and remove all old concrete and replace with slate or bricks.

Sandra. Jackson · Answer

You've already got crazy paving so just redo the concrete between the cracks, it saves picking up all the slabs

Susan Harris Seeley · Answer

Build a wooden walkway over it

Ann Smitt · Answer

Check with your City Ordinance Officer to determine what choices you have for a new walkway. If it's a city sidewalk that you as the homeowner are liable for wood, brick or stone may not be a choice. You may have to have new cement poured. I'm in the same boat as you. My city will only allow expensive concrete to be poured. Good luck neighbor.

John Michael Martisch Sr. · Answer

clean/ shop vac and remove all broken concrete or sand from joints. if there is missing stones or pavers attempt to replace them, if not the best way is to cement them in. If replacing stone sometimes you can cut lines into the cement to make it look like stone. Next go to the landscape store and get whats called 'Polymeric Sand'. It's used to set pavers in. Follow the directions and take your time. this stuff sweeps in the joints like sand but you want to make sure it's only in the joints. when ready mist with water, wast and mist again. when dry it will be rock hard sealing your sone in place.

Cindy Carmichael · Answer

It actually looks like the concrete was not poured to the proper depth (thickness). When it is driven on, it cracked. Patching it will not work if this is the case. It will just break up again. Break it up and just have a gravel drive until you can pour a new one (with proper prep under it).

Msc12149616 · Answer

I have a concrete step going to the back door, it was very cracked and unsightly, so I used pressure treated deck board to rebuild the step on top of the concrete, looks great. Just make sure you put a low frame under the decking so water won't stay between concrete and wood.... good luck!

Msc12149616 · Answer

Another solution for me would be to make a sturdy wood frame along all edges, sweep out all all the leaves, etc., then vacuum out all the cracks. Put down a thin layer of outdoor thin set & level it out and fill everything with gravel, tamp the gravel into the thin set and let dry. The look can be quite stunning.

Pat Ruge · Answer

You have an awesome opportunity to turn this into a walkway. I recommend using brick pavers.  Smooth area with a sand base and lay the pavers.  Bricks would be an alternative, perhaps in a herringbone pattern, depending on your color scheme. Either may require cutting the paver or brick to accommodate the curvature of your walkway.

Teresa Schmidt · Answer

So many good ideas. I'll post updates when I decide what to do.

Cindy Carmichael · Answer

Someone who knows about it should take a look to see if what I said is correct. I looked it up on Family Handyman: http://www.familyhandyman.com/masonry/concret...

Cindy Carmichael · Answer

We had this 'flaking' on our back step. Someone had tried to patch the crumbling concrete with more cement. I flaked off. We ended up renting a jackhammer and broke it up. A frame was built out of wood and we repoured it with new concrete.

Tess van Dijk · Answer

Add pavers sand to level the holes, then add pavers and seal with top sand. Would be a great look.

IFortuna · Answer

Here is a great fix I found: http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/walkways-paths/how-to-install-a-paver-walkway-8995436...

GLORIA · Answer

I have the same problem with my driveway except worse.  Someone told me you can hire a company to come in and smash all the concrete up and then pour blacktop material over it and it will be smooth as silk.

Ann Smitt · Answer

Dear Gloria, Concrete is a sustainable material. Blacktop material sits in landfills for centuries. Blacktop also requires annual maintenance of pouring environmentally, harmful chemicals over the top to keep the 'smooth as silk appearance.' Plus as you age your eyes have trouble seeing in the dark and it's easy to miss a blacktop driveway especially in a rural or unlit street. Please consider a Gravel Drive that is pounded down so no rocks fly in a Wyoming Winter or Concrete. Cheers.

GLORIA · Answer

I don't like blacktop, although it's cheaper, and that's why I still haven't repaired my driveway.  I'm thinking now of doing large squares of concrete separated by strips of grass or ground cover in between or even gravel or brick in between.  It's a LONG driveway so I'm trying to be economical and also trying to do something where I KNOW those tree roots are going to buckle the concrete in years to come by putting grass, gravel or something that can be replaced when the tree roots start doing their thing.  Thanks for the info on the blacktop.

Johnchip · Answer

You can paint/stain the pieces to look like random stones, then put sand, moss, alyssum, or and quikrete in between to stabilize to make it look like a  rustic random shaped stone garden path.

Cindy Carmichael · Answer

Hi Melissa, I have a friend who needed to raise his garage floor a couple of years ago. He contacted Kent Concrete after checking around on prices. He said he felt the most confident with them. http://www.kenthomeservices.com/

Ese8934807 · Answer

If  easy to remove  do just that an  replace with  pebbles rocks or patio pavers

Marion Nesbitt · Answer

Mine was worse when we bought our house.  Decided to go with  concrete.  The y ripped out the old, laid a 5 inch base before pouring the concrete.  20 years later, still great.  Important that you get a deep base and not just 1/2 inch skimpy layer of concrete.  Live on the Prairies in Canada with extremes in temps.

Barbara C · Answer

Line the sides with bricks instead of wood that rots away.Remove  old concrete and use paving flat stones.

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How can I restore my old walkway?

Our (About) $100 Walkway Update

Suggested Project Book