I posted earlier about some aesthetic concerns I have with my newly replaced exterior walkway, but I've been thinking more about the structural issues, and it's starting to drive me a bit crazy. The slope of the walkway is around 5.5%, which seems way steeper than what's considered normal for a walkway. I checked this with a line level, but the contractor just pulled out his phone and claimed everything was fine. The walkway also sits below ground level, which makes me worry about water pooling. The stairs have their own set of problems too—they're constructed poorly, as they started in the middle instead of the top or bottom. The base isn't properly compacted, and the stones don't even overlap well. Plus, I can see serious erosion issues developing. The contractor said he had to match the grade of the driveway, but I feel like an uneven rise would be better than an unlevel step? Am I out of line here, or do I have a valid concern? The company owner insists there's nothing wrong with the work, but I'd love to get some outside opinions on this.
2 Answers
I gotta ask, your 'buddy' who did the work—did he even look at it in proper light and not while under the influence? Seems like he might be missing some serious red flags if he’s saying it’s all okay.
Honestly, it looks like a total mess. Based on what you're saying and the images, those steps will start shifting within a year, no question about it. The base doesn't seem compacted properly, and without proper overlap, you're going to end up with washout issues and the steps could collapse. Definitely follow up on this!
Exactly what I figured was going on. It’s reassuring on one hand, but super disappointing on the other. My contractor friend is claiming it's fine, though. ?
Haha, sorry! 'Buddy' is just Canadian slang for someone I don’t know well. He came by about a week after it was done and still insisted it was fine.