Walkways near you

Start with who will use the path, how often and in what weather. Those answers set the width, the surface and how much effort goes into the base.

A walkway carries far less weight than a driveway, but frost treats it the same way. Topsoil and soft ground are dug out, a crushed-stone base is placed and compacted in layers, and pavers or slabs are set on a thin bedding layer, with edge restraints to keep them from creeping into the lawn. Flagstone laid on sand alone, or stepping stones pressed into soil, will shift unevenly as the ground freezes and thaws.

Where a walk runs along the house, it has to carry water away from the foundation, never toward it. The Government of Canada's property grading guidance calls for the ground to slope away from the house and notes that paved areas may need a slope set by a professional. A walk built too high can bury brick weep holes or the bottom of the siding, and one that has sunk turns into a gutter along the wall. Check the heights at the door threshold and the bottom step as well, so the walk meets them cleanly.

On a sloped lot, a walkway either ramps gently or breaks into steps, and steps are where a stumble does the most harm. Every riser in a flight should be the same height and every tread the same depth, since feet settle into a rhythm after a step or two and catch when it changes. Landings at the door and at changes of direction give a place to pause, and landscape steps built from blocks or slabs need the same compacted base as the walk, or they will rock and tilt.

Exterior stairs, handrails and guards are governed by Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada or by the provincial code based on it, in the edition adopted where you live, and the exact requirements depend on that edition. Ask your contractor and your municipality which rules apply, particularly to steps leading to the front door or where the side of a walk drops off. The railings page covers handrail and guard options.

A walkway that works for everyone is easier to live with: a firm, even surface, no lips at joints or thresholds, and a gentle slope instead of steps where the site allows. That helps people who use a cane, walker or wheelchair, and anyone carrying groceries or pushing a stroller. The Public Health Agency of Canada's falls prevention guide advises keeping front steps and walkways in good repair and free of snow, ice and leaves, and keeping the front entrance well lit.

Front walks are often cleared by hand, so choose a layout a shovel can follow: straight edges, few tight curves and no raised joints for a blade to catch. De-icing salt can mark or wear some natural stone and young concrete, so ask the installer which products the surface tolerates, and use sand or grit for traction on anything sensitive.