Sidewalk Repair in Sandy Springs, GA

A raised slab or a sunken panel on your front walk is a trip hazard, and it usually means water or roots are working underneath. We work out why the concrete moved, then repair the cause along with the slab. Many sunken panels can be lifted back to level instead of torn out.

What to look for in a sidewalk or front walk

Most sidewalk problems start small. It might be a hairline crack across a panel, a corner that has dropped a quarter inch, or a joint where one slab now sits higher than the one next to it. None of that is urgent on its own. The trouble is that concrete rarely stays put once it starts moving. When water finds a way under a slab, the soil beneath it softens or washes out, and the movement speeds up.

A trip edge matters more than it looks. Half an inch is enough to catch a toe, a stroller wheel or a rolling trash can, and it is often the first thing a visitor notices about the front of a house.

• A trip edge where two panels meet at different heights
• Cracks that are wider at one end than the other, which usually means the slab is tilting
• Gaps opening between the walk and the house, the steps or the driveway
• Puddles that sit on the walk for hours after rain
• Soil or sand washing out from under a slab edge
• A hollow sound when you tap the concrete near a crack

What usually causes it around Sandy Springs

The ground here does most of the damage. Much of Sandy Springs sits on red clay, which swells when it is wet and shrinks when it dries. A long dry spell in late summer followed by a week of thunderstorms can move a slab that was flat in the spring. Clay also holds water against the underside of the concrete instead of letting it drain away.

Trees come next. The city has a lot of mature oaks, poplars and other hardwoods, and many were planted close to walks and street edges decades ago. Their roots grow toward the moisture that collects under a slab and lift it from below. You will usually see one panel raised on the side nearest the tree.

Slope plays a part too. Plenty of lots in Sandy Springs are built on hills, especially toward the river and in the older neighborhoods off Roswell Road. Water running down a front yard after a heavy storm will find the edge of a walk and carry the fill out from under it. On these lots a sunken sidewalk is often a drainage problem first and a concrete problem second.

Age is the last piece. Many homes here date from the 1960s and 1970s, and some front walks have never been touched since. Older walks were often poured thin, over very little base, and without enough control joints to decide where the concrete would crack.

Repair, lift or replace

Not every damaged walk needs to be torn out. The right answer depends on whether the concrete itself is still sound and why it moved.

When a slab can be lifted

When a crack can be sealed

When it is time to replace

When the walk and the wall are the same problem

Because we build and repair retaining walls, we often see sidewalks that are failing because of what is next to them. A walk that runs along the top of a leaning wall, or along the base of a slope with no wall at all, will keep settling until the ground beside it is held in place. Patching the concrete in that situation only buys a season or two.

If we see that the soil is moving, we will tell you. We will explain whether the wall or the drainage needs attention before the walk does, so you are not paying to fix the same panels twice.

What a visit involves

We start by walking the sidewalk with you. We look at every panel, check how far each one has moved, tap for hollow spots, and look at where water goes when it rains: gutters, downspouts, the slope of the yard and any low spots beside the walk.

Then we explain what we found in plain terms. That means which sections can be lifted, which should be sealed, which need replacing, and what is causing the movement. You get a written estimate before any work is scheduled. If part of the job is optional, we say so.

On the day of the work we protect the lawn and beds beside the walk, have underground utilities located before any digging, and keep the site tidy. New concrete needs time to cure before it takes heavy weight, and we will tell you how long to keep cars, wheelbarrows and deliveries off it. Lifted slabs are usually ready much sooner.

If the sidewalk runs along the street rather than across your own yard, it may fall under the City of Sandy Springs rather than you. We can help you find out who is responsible before you pay for anything.

Keeping a sidewalk in good shape

A few small habits help a repaired walk last longer.

If you notice a panel starting to drop or a trip edge forming, it is usually better to deal with it early. Lifting a slab that has sunk half an inch is a much smaller job than replacing one that has cracked through.

• Point downspouts away from the walk, or extend them past it
• Keep soil and mulch slightly below the edge of the concrete so water runs off
• Seal joints and small cracks when you first notice them
• Avoid de-icing salt on newer concrete during the occasional winter freeze
• Think twice before planting a new tree right beside the walk