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Hi
Please give me an advice.
The concretes footpath is 19mx0.9m and 5cm thickness, attached to the house without the expansion joints(expansion foam) and contral joints. On the top of this, the concretes footpath was installed sloping towards the house so the water/rains sit there, not sloping away from the house.
Weep holes and damp proof courses are located on the wall 18cm above the concretes footpath.
Do you think that I should remove this concretes footpath and place pavers and gravels after leveling on the ground?
Or can I place the waterproof membrane or other waterproof products over the concretes and place pavers and gravels after leveling with sand?
I am trying to find the way to fix my footpath with the minimum costs. Removing this concretes footpath and re-installing the concrete footpath properly costs me $7000. (I have got a quote yesterday).
The tiling over the concretes with slope would cost me around $3000. But it would be slippery when rain comes or might get broken easily if I drop some garden tools on the tiles. So I don't want to put tiles.
I think putting the pavers and gravels might be the best option to reduce the costs and have low maintenance. But I don't know about landscaping much. I always lived in the unit. So please give me the tips or advise.
Would it be ok to place pavers and gravels with waterproof membrane or waterproof products over the concretes or should I just remove the concrete footpath? I am concerned about water drain as well when I place the pavers + gravels × waterproof membrane over the concretes.
Hello @we2jin
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your foot path.
Removing the concrete pathway is an expensive and time-consuming exercise. I propose fixing the slope with self-levelling concrete and putting the slope towards your fence. I then suggest waterproofing the surface once the concrete cures, you can then place the sand, pavers and pebbles on top.
This would be the most cost-effective solution as you would not need to do any demolition.
I also suggest having a look at these discussions:
- How to lay paving for a path by @Adam_W
- Travertine pavers and gravel garden path by @TaylerMayd
- Front path renovation using pavers and stones by @Remarka6le
- Side path paver transformation by @Lmassih
Let me call on our experienced members @homeinmelbourne and @Remarka6le for their recommendations.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @we2jin,
As far as I can tell, self-leveling cement is likely not the best choice for adding a slope to your pathway. By its very nature, it will level itself much the same as your current path. Instead, I'd recommend using concrete or construction grout. I just wanted to point out that mixing the concrete/grout, pouring and then levelling would be a fairly intensive job and would be difficult for someone who doesn't have experience in this area. You might like to seek professional assistance.
Another option could be to have a professional come in and grind the existing concrete to achieve the required slope.
Once your slope has been achieved, you can waterproof the area with Bastion 4L Exterior Waterproof Membrane. Start halfway up the first course of bricks and waterproof out and over the edge of the concrete pathway. You'll then be able to add sand and pavers.
You'll need to add some type of edging to the path to help retain the sand and pavers. 150 x 25mm Plinth H4 Treated Pine Sawn Wet 2.4m can be bolted to the side of the path to serve that purpose.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
