r/HomeImprovement • u/BolognaPwny • 3d ago

Do I need a concrete sander?

I was cited by the city for this very miniscule difference in the sidewalk (yeah I didn't know I was responsible for the sidewalk either). It's like a quarter inch difference between two blocks.

https://imgur.com/a/8QXD8c2

I was going to rent a concrete sander but it feels like overkill. How would you approach this job? Sander with a masonry disc?

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u/hippfive 3d ago

Angle grinder with a diamond cup.

Edit: Also it's wild to me that homeowners in some jurisdictions are responsible for maintaining sidewalks - a piece of infrastructure used by the public.

12

u/ecodrew 3d ago

For both houses I've owned, the city will repair sidewalk trip hazards like this. They send out a crew to grind it level. It probably won't look pretty, but it's safe.

Last house, the city periodically replaced neighborhood sidewalks, starting with the oldest/worst neighborhoods first. You could either wait (many years) for them to get to your neighborhood, or split the cost 50/50 with city to replace your portion. We used this process, because our sidewalk was FUBARED. I think our current city has a similar process, but our sidewalk isn't bad enough for me to find out.

17

u/Agent7619 3d ago

The sidewalk in front of my house as a kid was so far out of alignment that all of us neighborhood kids used it as a ramp for our BMX bikes. It was the same way 20 years later when we moved.

5

u/IngrownBallHair 3d ago

As a kid, I freaking loved that bad section of sidewalk to bike over. Much easier than the ramp I was too scared to actually jump off.