$500 I didn't want to have to spend !!!

thcri · May 13, 2005

$500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

Well four years into our house the front walk decided to start moving. It dropped 4" right where it meet the porch of the house. We thought maybe we could jack it up but figured it would just crack after a year or so. We could not mudjack it because of the ice melt and the ahh now I forget what it is called. It has the stones mixed in with it. So I am less 5 bills.

murph

beenthere · May 13, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

That looks like a good fix, and the warm water or solution in the pipes should help to warm the frozen walkway. Your postman will have the envy of the entire postal service. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

JimR · May 13, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

I wish I had done that to my uphill driveway. Sure would beat the heck out of plowing it. Nice job.

jinman · May 13, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

Murph, why did the sidewalk drop? ...and what are you doing to prevent it happening again?

44trxfun · May 14, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

Features like sidewalks dropping 4" make me suspicious of subsurface water. I've been watching the apron to our garage drop ~3/4" in the last two years, seen new divets in the lawn, and substantial creek erosion and landslide activity. Some around here say '03 and '04 were two of the wettest years anyone can remember. Me, I can't remember 'cuz we just moved here two years ago! Hope your fix works...

thcri · May 14, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

( Murph, why did the sidewalk drop? ...and what are you doing to prevent it happening again? )

Jim,

The only thing I can think of for it dropping was the fact that when we built the house in the front we hauled in a bout 16 loads of dirt. I am sure some some settling when on. I actually told the builder when we built the house that maybe we should wait a year before we pour all of the concrete.

murph

Henro · May 14, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

Murph,

When I saw that picture all I could think was that...

...maybe BigPete built a new tractor shed in front of your porch or something! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Looks good!

jinman · May 15, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

( I actually told the builder when we built the house that maybe we should wait a year before we pour all of the concrete.
)

We understand things moving around after construction here in Texas, too. It was funny though, that when my builder was describing how he would do the foundation on my house and build the piers, I just smiled. When he dug into the hillside, he found solid limestone down about two to three feet and that changed the foundation design considerably. Where most houses here have problems with clay under the foundation, I don't expect to ever see any similar problems with mine. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Seeing your heated sidewalk sure made me think twice about the differences in construction. You can go broke selling snowblowers and heated sidewalks in Texas. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

thcri · May 15, 2005

Re: $500 I didn\'t want to have to spend !!!

Jim,

The heat in the driveway is nice but I really only use it about 5 times a year. I have it on a wall switch that I turn on and then let it run for a few hours and then back off again. When we get dumped on with snow I typically will turn it on and then after an hour or so I will go out and shovel the snow off. The snow acts as an insulator thus warming up the concrete faster, then I shovel the major snow off and then in a few minutes all of the now is off and I have a dry sidewalk. This is especially nice as I have the agregate sidewalk which typically is tough to get the snow off.

Murph