Sidewalks & Walkways in Grand Junction, CO

Sidewalks and walkways in Grand Junction are where concrete problems turn into safety problems. A front walk panel that has dropped an inch catches toes. A side path that slopes toward the house sends sprinkler and snowmelt water against the foundation. And a city sidewalk lifted by a street tree's roots is a trip hazard for everyone walking by. Walks are narrow and thin, so they react to soil movement faster than a driveway does. Building them to last is about the base, the slope and the joints.

Signs a walk needs work

• A trip edge where one panel sits higher than the next.
• Panels tipping toward the house, or water pooling on the walk after the sprinklers run.
• Cracks that have spread into broken pieces, or a corner that has crumbled away.
• A surface that has flaked or pitted from freeze-thaw.
• Roots from a nearby tree lifting the walk.

With about 16 percent of Grand Junction homes from the 1970s and close to 9 percent from before 1940, many front walks are original and have been through decades of winters. Older central neighborhoods also have street trees that have been growing next to the sidewalk for a long time.

Public sidewalk and the right-of-way

The strip of sidewalk along the street sits in the public right-of-way, and Grand Junction's permits page says any work there needs a right-of-way permit. Sidewalks, curb and gutter, and driveway changes are all on the City's list. The Engineering Division takes the application along with a fee, a map showing the work, and a traffic control plan from a traffic control company. If a public panel is part of your job, you will hear about it during the estimate and see it as a separate line.

How a walk goes in

Out come the old panels and any soft soil, along with roots that can be cut without harming the tree. Gravel goes down and is compacted. The forms give the walk a slight cross-slope so water sheds toward the lawn rather than the house, and wherever the new walk meets steps, a driveway or panels that are staying, we pin it with dowels so the joint stays level.

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The mix is air-entrained, and the broom is pulled across the direction of travel for footing on frosty mornings. Joints are spaced about as far apart as the walk is wide, so cracking happens in the joints rather than mid-panel. For a decorative touch, add a stamped border or a full pattern; HomeGuide prices a stamp finish on a standard walk at $3 to $4 more per square foot.

Keeping walks safe

Use sand instead of salt on new concrete its first winter. Keep sprinkler heads from spraying the walk every day. Reseal every few years. If one panel drops but is not broken, leveling may fix it for a fraction of the cost of replacement; see our concrete repair page.