Expert: Dan Griffin - 5/24/2008

Question
Dan:

My house and surrounding concrete is 14 years old.  The township says I need to replace two squares on my side walk as they are a tripping hazard.  One is cracked and should obviously be replaced.  Other areas of the drive way are no longer level.  Should I level what needs it or replace what is not level?

Answer
Jim,  I'm curious where you live that requires replacing cracked concrete in a sidewalk.

If the concrete is that bad it sounds as if the original compaction of the subgrade under the concrete was inadequate, but that doesn't change your mandate.  Be aware that any sections of concrete that you replace will have a slightly different finish and definitely a different color than the original.  If the lippage is objectionable to you, then fix all of the bad sections.  It sounds like you will be contracting out this problem, you might ask the contractor his price for the minimum work and a separate price if he fixes all of the places which would allow you to consider the issue from a price perspective.  It would be recommended to not drive on new driveway surfaces for a minimum of 3 days, 7 days preferred - this might also influence your decision.

Hope this helps you decide.