Walkways and Steps

A walkway is the path from the driveway to the front door, from the patio to the garden, from the house to the gate. When it is built well, nobody notices it. When it heaves, tilts or holds puddles, it is the first thing a guest notices.

Materials

• Concrete pavers
• Flagstone, square-cut or irregular
• Travertine
• Clay brick
• Natural stone steps and treads

Straight or curved?

Follow the way people actually walk. A straight walk suits a formal colonial with a centered door, and it is the shortest path from the driveway. A gentle curve suits a house set back on a wide lawn or a door off to one side, and it can bend around a tree or a planting bed. Whatever the shape, people cut corners that are too sharp, so we keep turns wide enough that the grass beside them survives.

Front Walks and Steps

A front walk usually ends at the front steps, and the two should be planned together. We build steps with an even rise from top to bottom and set a landing where the door swings. If you are also adding a portico or front porch, we build the steps and walk to fit it.

Why do walkways heave and crack?

Water under the walk, mostly. When water sits in the soil below a path and freezes, it lifts the stone, and when it thaws the stone drops back unevenly. Tree roots and a thin base add to it. That is why the base matters more than the stone: we dig out the soil, build a compacted stone base, and pitch the walk so rain runs off it rather than soaking in at the edges.

Should the walk match the patio?

It helps when they are close to each other, and it does not have to be identical. A walk in the same paver as the patio, or the same stone used as a border, ties the front of the house to the back. A walk that is seen only from the street can be its own design, matched to the house's brick or siding instead. A walk from the back door often leads to a patio with a grill; see outdoor kitchens.

Built on a Proper Base