Walkway Repair

 

DAVE: Well, I’ve got a walkway at the side of the house – it’s a cement walkway – and it’s sunk a little bit toward the house; so it’s down a couple of inches on the [towards the house] (ph).

 

TOM: OK. So the water runs towards the house.

 

DAVE: Right.

 

TOM: OK.

 

DAVE: So now I want to – and basically, so does the rain.

 

TOM: Mm-hmm, right.

 

DAVE: I want to try to figure out is there some way to repair it without pulling out that sidewalk.

 

TOM: Is it in sections?

 

DAVE: Yes. Well, it’s – but it’s all sunk even. I mean there’s – you know, there’s a couple slabs.

 

TOM: The answer is it’s so much work to try to straighten it out, it’s almost easier to break it up and pour it again.

 

DAVE: OK.

 

TOM: Because you could jack it up. You know, those sections will actually lift up and you can regrade and pop them back down again; but, man, it’s so much work and they’re so heavy. By the time you add in the bill for the chiropractor (Dave chuckles), you’re really better off just tearing it up and redoing it.

 

You know, in the meanwhile, you could apply a sealant between the sidewalk and the wall but it’s only going to be a temporary fix. That water running against there leads to all sorts of problems, additional settlement of the house, wet basements, wet crawlspaces, you name it. Yeah, pretty typical but, unfortunately, it’s not an easy fix when concrete decides to shift like that and reverse the slab into the house.

 

DAVE: OK. (sighs)

 

TOM: Alright, Dave?

 

DAVE: Yep.

 

TOM: Wish we had an easier answer.

 

DAVE: Appreciate it.

 

TOM: You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.