Exterior: Settled Patios, Walkways & Driveways

Settled Patios and walkways present two main concerns:

Safety from trip hazards, and water runoff from negative slope; i.e. grading concerns.

How the settling is remedied depends on the material the settled area is constructed with, the desired aesthetic outcome, and how severe the issue is.

Hardscaping materials can be generally broken down into 3 categories: Bricks & Pavers, Asphalt, and Concrete. Let’s take a look at each material type and some common repair methods for each one.

Concrete:

Concrete has a tendency to heave and settle, and often crack in the process. There are generally two options to fix a settled portion of concrete, Replacement or a repair called “Mudjacking”.

Mudjacking is a popular choice because in many cases it is less costly than the replacement option. The process involves drilling a series of holes in the slab and pumping a sand, cement, or foam product at a high pressure under the slab to lift it back into place. The holes that were drilled are then patched.

Here is a short video explaining the process on a concrete sidewalk.

Credit: This Old House

Asphalt:

Asphalt is typically used on driveways, but can also be used on sidewalks. A common area for Asphalt to settle is close the garage, where it meets the floor slab. Asphalt can be patched or filled, or replaced.

In the case of an Asphalt driveway that has settled at the garage a common method of repair is to install a concrete Apron in between the garage and driveway.

Pavers & Brick:

Pavers and brick are the most prone to heaving, but are sometimes reusable by simply pulling up the material, regrading, and re-installing.