Replacing sloping path

Cherryfudge

twopenny said:

Like the gate step. It has character. 

That made me grin. Lots of character. But then, so have I.  

You've also reminded me I need to alter the angle of the light over the door. At the moment any night time intruders would fall neatly into the hole in the path and be able to sue us for injury long before the light got 'em.

The top of the path and the step are actually wider than they look. Sorry - I'd not noticed the rampant irises have obscured it, but it's quite a big step. The issue I have with it is that it slopes a bit, which is scary on icy days (there's a washing line I grab onto). However, it's a massive lump so I doubt we can change it - a shame really as it would be nice to have continuity, and there's also a fissure opened between it and the house. Gravity and time have pulled it away from the house. I wonder if a nice brick surround to it, a layer of sand then some slabs... ooh, now you're talking! I will add that to the 'possibilities -' list as it could look 100% better as well as not being a skating hazard.

(I fell on a slippery step at another house once and got some painful ribs so I'm wary).

I think the very wet winter contributed to the damage to the path as it changed over a relatively short time. 

twopenny

Wait for the heatwave Cherry and the cracks may go away 
I'm in a little new build and I miss any character, beautiful bits of made the old way. 
But I'm digging enough stone out of the garden I may have a character wall shortly.

Cherryfudge

twopenny said:

Wait for the heatwave Cherry and the cracks may go away 
I'm in a little new build and I miss any character, beautiful bits of made the old way. 
But I'm digging enough stone out of the garden I may have a character wall shortly.

During the heatwave of 2022, our lounge was marvellously not so hot as everywhere else - largely due to the shade of that tree! However, the tree must drink a massive amount so perhaps it will shrink the land back!

When these houses were built, they were known locally as 'barracks' - characterless housing for the workers, thrown up without much thought for practicalities by a local big name. All these years later, they have indeed developed character, helped a bit by the characters who've lived in them. So personalise your own place over the years, let the trees grow and add the things you want to add, and one day yours will be the older house with personality.  

I am reminded of Thomas Hardy: 'I planted those trees in my young day, and now they obscure the sky'.

FreeBear

Cherryfudge said:  The test pit is a really good idea. There's rubble underneath but it can't be very deep. However, all these years under concrete will have compacted it nicely so block paving could work. I wonder if that's something we could look at doing ourselves? We can manage some DIY but I think amateur work would soon break down under daily use.

I did a 5x5m block paved driveway all by myself - Well, I hired a man with a minidigger for the day, and paid someone to take away ~18t of spoil... Leveling the hardcore, sand (after compacting both), and laying the blocks, all my own work.

If you have ~75mm of hardcore under the concrete, that should be ample for a simple path. Hire a whacker plate to go over it a few times, put down ~25mm of sharp sand and compact that down. Bed the edging blocks on a thick layer of concrete, and fill in the middle with your blocks. Depending on the pattern, you will need to cut some (an angle grinder with a diamond disk is ideal). I used the Paving Expert web site as the main source of information.

Cherryfudge

Thanks @FreeBear, I'm very impressed by your hard work there and I'll be sure to have a look at that website. We have some learning to do before we start mixing concrete but in my mind's eye this path is looking better all the time.

markin

Widening the door wouldn't be a huge job if really needed, Or the door frame could be taken out if you put a porch on. Or a window at the back could be made into a large door one day.

badmemory

If you are going to get involved with concrete then I would suggest future proofing, as in if you are leaving steps then put in a handrail which will be secure in concrete.  It is silly really but I have steps to get out to my garage & I haven't got round to putting in a rail & the only time I now use a stick is to go up & down the steps so I get to the car & throw the stick in & there it stays until I get home.  I would also suggest if you have more than one step that you make them longer.  Also helpful for prams.

Cherryfudge

The handrail is a great idea, and in fact we want to put one in for safety in bad weather as well as future proofing. Next door has one. It would also give me something else to hang plants on!

The steps will be as long as possible for ease of access.

It's not the width of the door that's a problem for wheelchairs so much as the steep access and the narrow interior of the house. I think if either of us needed a wheelchair we would have to move house - older houses just weren't built with access in mind.

ThisIsWeird

Is the pathway well lit? 

I presume the street/gate step is illuminated by street lights or other houses, and the top house step ditto by your own outside light (provided the light is on - suggest PIR?), but a non-illuminated mid-way step could cause accidents as it would be unexpected.

Cherryfudge

ThisIsWeird said:

Is the pathway well lit? 

I presume the street/gate step is illuminated by street lights or other houses, and the top house step ditto by your own outside light (provided the light is on - suggest PIR?), but a non-illuminated mid-way step could cause accidents as it would be unexpected.

We have a motion sensor light, but at the moment it doesn't light the whole path - it's quite tricky to get the angle right and a mid step could be, as you say, an absolute hazard. I'll have to see if we can change the angle of the current light.

We have no street lighting as it's a narrow private road, though various neighbours have outside lighting. We've lived here for ages so I can walk the length of the street in the dark, and friends know to bring torches, but when we alter the path... you are right, that needs to be addressed, thanks.