Concrete Walkway and Concrete Patio Sebastopol CA

Meet Warner & Sue of Sebastopol; they called on Cupp Bros Concrete Contractor in Santa Rosa to help them with some concrete walkways and a large colored concrete rear patio with large concrete steps that could be used as seats.

They purchased this small, run down, rat infested little shack a couple of years ago. Since then it has been one project after another. Every facet has been taken apart, recleaned, rebuilt, repaired, and new up to date items one at a time as time and money permits.

What people don't know is that Sue has been the designer since day one. She has visions. They don't always come at once, and it is a long thought process that has its own hierarchy. But they are getting close and it is taking on beautiful shape.

When you drive up you would not know what they had gone thru to get to where they are today. What you see is a beautiful house (not finished-but you don't know that until you get out and look real close), nice line, colors and textures. And she has only been doing the outside landscape this year. She has been doing the interior also in tandem, one step at a time. She figures out what she wants, then researches it, then tests it, and then installs it. Normally it is done so that she can live with it for awhile before she does the second phase of whatever it is.

When you pull up, you see concrete block retaining wall with slots in it. The slots are for the lighting that will come after. She has always figured to skim the concrete wall with a concrete stucco finish (now again-Color (paint, stain or integral)? Texture? Lines? ) and a concrete or stone cap to finish off the concrete block retaining wall.

You can see the process, and remember the concrete block wall was put up a year or longer, which meant she had to have a vision of the layout and substructure. What is substructure? In this instance it is the drainage, the concrete wall lighting, height of wall, layout to the house and concrete sidewalk she asked Cupp Bros Concrete Construction to put in. We also did slight changes to the concrete walkway and concrete patio as she changed from a concrete salt finish to a broom finish and the color to a #2 lampblack per concrete cy to #1 lampblack per concrete cy to end up with a slight gray when it cured. She had a French drain installed and has figured to install colored stone rocks on each side of the concrete walkway we put in. Lots and lots of thoughts. Can't wait to see the landscaping planting bushes and flowers.

In contracting with Cupp Bros Concrete Contractor of Santa Rosa, she knew exactly what she wanted. There were minor changes-of course. when she saw the string or concrete forming layout she would make adjustments as sometimes the onsite real world is different than that on paper! It was a pleasure and lots of fun to be able to work on her concrete project, and we thank her for the opportunity to trust us with her and Warner's dream.

Ronald Cupp PHD


About the Author


http://cuppbros.com
Concrete Contractors in Santa Rosa since 1979 specializing in stamped concrete, colored concrete, concrete toppings, stained concrete and seeded concrete. We work in Santa Rosa, CA and the north bay, mostly in Marin County and Sonoma County and specialize in driveways, walkways, patios, backyards, waterfeatures concrete retaining walls, house foundations, site retaining walls, waterproofing and drainage. We are also French Drain specialists. We have been specializing in concrete toppings due to the cost of replacement vs concrete toppings.

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Concrete Patio Q&A

I have a concrete patio and I want to build a stone patio. Do I have to remove the concrete first?

I am updating my back yard and I want to redo my patio in the easiest way possible. Right now it's just an old concrete slab about 20 by 15 feet. It's not completely level but it's not bad. I wanted to use the concrete as a base for pavers or stone but I am unsure how to do it. I am estimating that the new patio will be 2 to 3 inches above the old concrete. Is this possible?

As others point out, it will make a difference if in fact the patio is at a point of entry/exit. BUT<<<<<< it may not be, and assuming that you have to tear out the existing, without at all knowing the current situation is ludicrous.

Ray offers a valid suggestion, and you omitted detail about the type of NEW you intend to install. 2 to 3 inches,,,WHAT kind of stone???

I'd probably use the suggestion of field stone or slate over, and using exterior mortars, or premix concrete, perhaps even secured to a mesh base over the existing slab.

You also don't define NOT completely level, but gads it's a patio, not a science experiment. It may be that the patio grade was intentional for run off? Will it matter a great deal if your glass of beer or wine seems to have the level of fluid in it, at a slight tilt? Certainly that can be corrected anyway in the new install.

It would have helped us to know what this OVER stone is.

You may have no idea, nor might others, what a labor intensive job it would be to remove that existing patio, then where would you be anyhow?

I might even do unglazed slate tile.

Steven Wolf
Just my two "sense"

Are decks without concrete footers safe when they are built from the second floor?

Buying a house. This was one of the main selling points in my eyes (it has a spacious deck, which I love). We had it inspected and it doesn't have concrete footers and its like the wood post are just sitting on the ground. It is a split level house so it was build off the second floor and a patio is under it (the post are not on the patio -- in the grass). Also, it is build off a cantilever and not a support wall. Should I be concerned?!

How far back into the building do the joists run? If they are hanging on a ledger board attached to the house, then the footings are a huge issue. If the joists run all the way back to the center bearing wall, then across the outside wall, they will be fine, and the posts are unneeded. If they are hanging off of a ledger, you need concrete piers poured below the frostline, or a minimum of 3 feet. This can be done with the deck already built, but I would work out some sort of compensation for the work you will need to do. Hope this helps.