Concrete Walkways and Sidewalks in Lyons, IL

A walkway is the concrete you use most and think about least, until one panel lifts an inch and someone catches a toe on it. Most failing walks we see share the same history: they were laid on loose fill, poured thin and left without enough joints, so tree roots, frost and settling soil pushed sections up and down until the edges no longer meet. When we replace a walk, the old concrete comes out and the ground underneath gets the attention it never had. We dig out soft soil, compact a stone base, and form the new walk with a slight cross slope so rain runs off to the side instead of pooling or running toward the house. For most residential walks, about 4 inches of concrete over a good base is right; stretches that carry a mower, a cart or the occasional vehicle get more. Control joints are tooled at regular spacing so any cracks that form follow straight lines, and the surface gets a light broom texture for grip on wet or icy days. In Lyons, where many homes have a walk to the front door and another along the side to a detached garage, we often replace both in a single visit.