Walk around outside your home. Take the easiest and quickest way from the car parking spot to the front door, back door and any other entries to your home. Now stop and consider what is under foot as you used each of these pathways.
Are they wide enough? Are they solid and all weather? If you have to remove snow or ice, can you do it without hitting rough edges, unpaved or even grassed areas? If you answered no to any of these questions, you may be in need of new materials and paths to navigate around your home.
Depending upon the season of the year, the location and surface of the walkways, you want to consider several safety and economy issues before renovation. While concrete is probably the most durable and best surface, this surface will probably require a professional installer. Another surface that may be just as durable but more economical is blacktop or asphalt. Again the best is to hire a professional installer.
Both of these surfaces lend themselves to a smooth surface that permits easy snow shoveling or use of mechanical snow removal equipment. If you have a high traffic walkway and need to accommodate guests or residents using walkers or wheel chairs, this may be about the only way to go unless you use patio pavers set in a mortar bed.
If you elect to do the work yourself, the patio block, concrete pavers, brick and even sand, gravel, wood chips or other chip material as chopped rubber or colored stone are possible and practical in certain situations. These materials are best used in areas that are not traveled during inclement weather.
Begin by digging out the existing material at least four to six inches deep. Put two to four inches of gravel base in first. On top of this put another two to four inches of fine gravel or sand and pack this down. Most of these surfaces are prone to seasonal shifting and intrusion of weeds and grass. To minimize this, place a weed barrier or soil fabric covered with a half to one inch of sand or fine gravel before placing the surface covering material. Concrete, brick and patio pavers can now be placed and settled in with a rubber mallet and a coat of fine play sand groomed into the cracks.
If you use decorative gravel, an in to two inch covering is usually sufficient. This surface should be rolled or tamped in place to provide a smooth surface. Selection of the type of gravel, chips or other loose surface material varies with the part of the country, season of the year and the price per cubic foot or cubic yard.
The proper surface installed properly in the right place will provide years of dependable service with little maintenance. Continued maintenance to repair cracks, seasonal heaving or erosion will maintain the safe function and beauty of the surface.
Dennis Bries
Simple Light Switch Replacement
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