Walkways and Granite Steps in Durham, NH
Paver and natural stone walks, granite entry steps, and old brick walkways rebuilt, for Durham homes. Built by the Up North Scapes crew based in Newmarket, the next town over.
Derek and his men removed an older curved brick front steps and the failing brick walkway. Totally re-did everything.
Wet Ground Is What Moves a Walkway
Ground that holds water is what moves a walkway. Saturated soil expands as it freezes and lifts whatever is sitting on it, and around here the ground changes lot by lot, from sandy pockets to heavier soil that stays wet all winter.
A walk built on a shallow base moves with that ground. A walk built on proper depth, compacted gravel, with the pitch to carry water away, does not.
Which is why two walks on the same road can behave completely differently. It comes down to what went in underneath, and how wet that ground stays.
What Freeze and Thaw Does to a Walkway
Fall rain lands weeks before the ground freezes, so whatever is in the ground is locked in from there. Then the melt arrives in surges, into ground that is still frozen underneath.
Water expands when it freezes, and under a walk it lifts. The first winter usually looks fine. Later it shows up as a high edge at the door, a paver that rocks underfoot, a step that no longer sits level, and joints that open up and take on weeds.
Ask What Goes In Underneath
Two quotes for the same Durham walkway can differ by thousands, and the cheaper one usually saved the money below the surface, where you cannot see it.
Our walkways and granite steps page lays out what we put under a walk and why. It is the part that decides whether it still sits flat in five years.
If your front walk or steps are already moving, tell us what is there now in the form below and we will tell you whether it is a repair or a rebuild.
Walks and Steps for Durham Properties
Paver walkways, bluestone and natural stone paths, granite entry steps and landings, and old brick walks taken out and rebuilt. Front entries, garden paths, and the run from the driveway to the door.
Photos of each of those, and how they go in, are on our walkways and granite steps page.
Walkways in Durham, Answered
Why do walkways settle around Durham?
Wet ground and a shallow base. Inland Seacoast soils vary lot by lot, and ground that holds water expands as it freezes, lifting whatever sits on it. A walk built on proper depth, compacted gravel, with pitch and edge restraints, stays where it was set.
Can you replace an old brick walkway and steps?
Yes. We have rebuilt cracked, settled brick walkways as granite edged paver walkways on a proper base, in the same footprint, with new granite steps in place of the worn brick.
Granite or concrete steps for a Durham entry?
Concrete costs less up front and is porous, so freeze and thaw wears it down over a few winters. Granite costs more and holds up with no resurfacing or patching. For a home you plan to stay in, granite is the better long term choice.
More on Walkways and Steps
Ready to Start Your Project?
We had our previous walkway and overgrown landscaping removed and replaced. Very happy with the project and we are proud of our house again.