The four of you have convinced me that I didn't get a very good
sidewalk. No gravel, nothing below the sidewalk but dirt. It's
probably too late this year (not enough warm days left) but next year
I'll try a layer of sand.

Of course that means digging out some dirt, or the square will be higher
than it was, and if I dig out more than the sand I put in, it will be
lower.

But I need the exercise. I need the exercise now too, but not too many
warm days left.

Thanks everyone.


On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 01:12:41 +0200, nestork
wrote:


Micky:

If a concrete contractor is doing a sidewalk, he probably won't care if
the ground he pours the cement onto is flat or not since even the
thinnest section of the sidewalk (say, 2 inches thick) is sufficient to
support the traffic.

BUT, for that sidewalk slab to have been poured properly, the contractor
should have both:

1. laid a bed of crushed limestone (or sand, but limestone compacts
better) down first, and

2. compacted that crushed limestone with a plate compactor, or in larger
jobs, a paving roller.

Doing that provides a sturdy base on which to pour cement and finish
it.

If you didn't find a bed of either sand or limestone under your
concrete, then the contractor was making that sidewalk the fastest
easiest cheapest and worst way possible.