When Should You Replace Your Sidewalks?

Deep cracks, potholes, uneven concrete slabs, tree root damage, and water pooling on your sidewalks are some common tripping hazards among pedestrians. Ignoring these damages leads to DOT violations and the stress of dealing with lawsuits filed by the injured.

By addressing these issues, you can make your sidewalks safe for everyone to use and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your property. If you haven’t received a violation notice yet, it is time for you to inspect your sidewalks.

You can also hire professional sidewalk experts to identify these issues and fix them as per city guidelines. For your convenience, we will tell you about common signs of sidewalk damage and the professional repair process.

Signs You Need to Replace Your Sidewalks

Some common signs that you need to replace your sidewalks include:

Deep Cracks

Extreme summer heat can create cracks in the sidewalks, which, if ignored for a long time, can lead to deep cracks. Cracks are the main reason for extensive damage to the sidewalks. Water, whether it is coming from rainfall or drainage issues, seeps through the cracks and leads to issues like water pooling, soil erosion, and freeze-thaw cycles.

Potholes

With time and due to water damage, deep cracks transform into potholes. Potholes are a major trip hazard and people can get severely injured if they fall. Patching up big potholes is never a wise option, as it is against the guidelines of the Department of Transportation. Moreover, patchwork is a temporary solution and you will have to replace your sidewalks eventually.

Uneven Slabs

Raises in the slab of sinking concrete also create tripping hazards. One common reason why uneven slabs occur is because of water pooling. Moisture beneath the surface does not erode the soil base, leading to the sinking of the slabs. Similarly, during freezing weather, this moisture freezes and exerts upward pressure, causing the concrete to crack.

Tree Root Damage

Trees planted near the sidewalks can also cause damage to your sidewalks. To find oxygen and nutrients, tree roots grow in an upward direction, exerting pressure on the concrete sidewalks and leading them to crack. NYC PARKS is responsible for fixing damaged concrete sidewalks.

Sidewalk Replacement Process by Professional Experts

To fix your sidewalk in the most efficient and code-compliant way, reaching out to professional contractors is a wise option. Professionals follow a step-by-step process to fix your damaged sidewalks.

Let us have a look at it.

Initial Inspection: The first step is to inspect the potential damage. It helps professionals budget and plan the process.

Planning: After inspection, professionals provide a free quote, plan the replacement process and schedule the time to make the repairs.

Permitting: A professional sidewalk replacement expert will collect the essential documents from you and apply for a sidewalk replacement permit on your behalf.

Replacement Process: The replacement process includes reaching the destination with modern tools, unique equipment and high-quality material to provide code complaint services.

Final Inspection: After completion of the process, professionals inspect the sidewalks to assess the repairs.

DOT Violation Removal: Professional experts' last step is to coordinate with DOT for the final inspection.

How to Prevent Future Damages?

Preventing future damage to our sidewalks requires regular inspection, maintenance, and timely repairs.

Through inspection, you can identify the issues early before they escalate and become a tripping hazard. Similarly, maintenance, sealing the concrete, and resurfacing not only revamp the overall look of the concrete but also increase its lifetime and durability.

Conclusion

Extensively damaged sidewalks not only reduce the aesthetic appeal of the property but also create major tripping hazards, not to mention DOT violations. Fixing these damages at an early stage is essential to avoid future costly repairs.

We hope that by reading this article, you will be able to detect the damages at an early stage and will take help from professional experts to get these damages fixed.