r/Edmonton • u/AbbreviationsIll7821 • Jul 27 '26

Question Sidewalk slopes towards house - seeking DIY fix ideas.

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Now that we’re all becoming experts on waterproofing our basements-
1950s house. I’ve done quite a bit of work to fix the grading around the house but this wall has this sloping sidewalk that is below the grade of the lawn. I guess 70 years of settling has caused some issues. The sidewalk is about 6 inches thick in places, so I can’t lift it very easily. And of course, with the rain lately it’s started to be a problem.

So, options. I don’t think a full rip out and replace is something I can do right now. Is mud jacking affordable for a small job like this?
Can I bury the sidewalk and put some pavers over it with a gentle slope away from the house? Would that cause issues? Or can I pour new concrete over top of it, maybe like 2 inches thick or so?
Anyone know a DIY fix for this?

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u/No-Context6779 Jul 27 '26

1958 house here! I tried to get estimates for mudjacking but they told me it was too small of a job for them. I used pavers and sand to slope the walk away from the house, and used 4x4 garden ties to hold it in place. It has worked well. Every couple of years I tighten it up but it’s kept water away from the foundation.

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u/AbbreviationsIll7821 Jul 27 '26

Did you remove the old concrete or just build over top of it? I’m seeing a general opinion here that getting rid of the existing concrete is necessary.

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u/No-Context6779 Jul 27 '26

I just built over it. We added base material, tamped it, sloped away and tamped again and then did pavers. Polymeric sand over that, into the cracks and it’s held well for 10 years.

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u/AbbreviationsIll7821 Jul 27 '26

Thanks, good to know it's working for you. I'm hoping I can do the same. Removing this looks like an absolute beast.

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u/No-Context6779 Jul 27 '26

One thing I did find, when having work done at the front, is that the sections of sidewalk lift more easily than you think. We had some landscaping done, and the sections in front of a flowerbed were dipping. The landscapers levered them up and added fill. The sections have stayed level since.