Home improvement loans or mortgages are, at least temporarily, a thing of the older times. Sadly, home repairs and maintenance do not stop just because the economy all around the globe plummets. You will be able to always find such means through which you can create exceptional and even enviable sidewalks and drives without even spending hundreds of dollars.
Doing It Yourself
Have you got the rocks? If no is the answer, then you needed not to worry, just borrow a truck and pick up some. You have to make sure that you have not picked up rocks that are within the protected areas. Pick up the rocks you find regardless of their shapes and sizes. It does not need to be of a particular size or even flat. You will be using a ball hammer and chisel to carefully split such rocks into appropriate sizes. You should not opt for the sandstone as it is powdery in nature and is not recommended to be used for the sidewalks. Another one which is quartz could be a demanding one to break down.
You need to be aware of the fact that whatever you consider using on your sidewalks will be responsible for the appeal of your entire yard.
Another option to opt for is the mud. You can have dirt, mud, water along with hay or dead grass as it works great. You can make a shape out of these smaller pieces of plywood or 2X4. You only need to water it down with the help of a wheelbarrow or with the back of an old truck and spill it over the layers until it commences to take required shapes. It does require some time and also hard work. But in this approach, the labor is free, and mud or dirt also costs low.
Opting for the Contractors
If you consider opting for the contractors in this regard, then you must be wondering how to find the most appropriate ones to pave my sidewalks? All the sidewalks contractors should be providing you with a guarantee as well as a reasonable bid.
Most of the contractors would charge you by measuring the area into square foot. It is imperative for you to have bid from at least 3 to 4 different contractors. This is going to make you have a better idea about what they are offering in a particular price range. A reasonable bid if you are considering a concrete sidewalk normally is around $4-$5 per square foot which includes flat work - driveways, patios, and sidewalks.
You also need to figure out which kind of material is being used by the contractors as there are different forms of concretes utilized for different projects. For homes, the concrete is going to be a bit different, as it should not be as strong as the one used for high-rise building. The reason behind is that it does not need to be that strong.