pooling water on concrete walkway

The technical term is "birdbath".

One clever remedy is to drill a small hole through the slab at the lowest point. This won't stop the puddling, but it will allow the water to eventually drain. A Tapcon bit would be quite suitable for this.

A bit more effective would be to neatly saw-cut all the way across the slab there, but that requires more elaborate tools or expense.

If it's only a square yard, in front of steps, it shouldn't be a big project to just fix it right, especially if it freezes in winter in your location. I'd cut it at a convenient spot, or at the first expansion joint after the steps, break it using a sledge hammer, make sure it has a good compacted base and repour it. The biggest headache is getting rid of the debris.

It's a simple fix. Just pry it up, and hit it in the center of the back with a big hammer to pop it out the other way.

Steve

I did try to drill a couple 'drainage' holes but don't think my drill bit was long enough (I drilled down four inches or so). Am reluctant to go out and buy an extra long drill bit just for this but suppose it will be less expensive than replacing/repairing the slab so Ill give drilling another try. Thanks,

W.D.

As noted, if you have good drainage under it, you might get by with the drain holes, or you might wash away more soil and make matters worse.

Depending on the specific situation you may also try digging it up or adding a layer on top ( I really don't like this one) or maybe mud jacking may work. You will have to have someone who does mud jacking take a look, not all situations are good candidates for it. Look in the Yellow pages under the concrete companies or ask around. They drill a hole or two and then pump a concrete mix into the hole lifting the existing slab and filling the area under with fresh concrete.

x-no-archive: yes

You can try to spread on a topping mix. I have done this. But getting the finish to match is a bit tricky. And will it hold? Maybe, maybe not. The repairs I did were about 7 years ago, and it did hold. But still, it does not look identical to the original pour. However, it got the water going where I wanted it to.

A drain hole will just plug up or free in the winter.

Thanks. Probably not worth the investment given that the solution may not even work anyhow. Looks like I'll be spending some money to fix this one right... :-(

W.D.

Use the Tapcon bit I suggested, at least for a pilot. They come in long lengths.

A 5/8" hole in concrete is huge. The bit will rapidly dull and you can't exert enough pressure by hand anyway, if there's any granite or quartz aggregate in there. You have to increase the pressure by starting small and take it in steps.

For holes deep in the concrete you need what is called a hammer drill. While the bit turns it also moves up and down to help punch the hole.