Question 1

My Nepean brick steps are pulling away from the house, why?

Accepted Answer

A mason at the wall can tell you what is causing the separation; there are several possible explanations and the right one depends on what is actually happening below and around the steps. What a mason will look at includes how the steps are supported below frost, whether the footing has moved, how the steps connect to the house foundation, the condition of the mortar joints, and whether water has been getting in and freezing in the joint between the steps and the wall.

Question 2

Should I replace brick steps with stone steps in Orleans?

Accepted Answer

Brick or stone, replacing steps has too few published prices to quote a range, so the comparison starts with getting two or three written quotes for each option. A mason looking at them will want to know how many risers there are, whether the current base is sound, and whether the steps provide access to the building's main entrance.

Question 3

Adding a stone landing at my Stittsville front door?

Accepted Answer

A stone landing at a front door sits at the intersection of masonry work, landscaping and building access, so a few rules are worth knowing before you get quotes. On permits: the City of Ottawa's advisory on landscaping materials providing access to a building says a permit is triggered where a structure provides access to the building or where there is more than 600 mm difference in elevation between adjacent surfaces.

Question 4

Rebuilding entrance steps in Kanata: permit needed?

Accepted Answer

Entrance steps in Kanata can trigger a building permit, and the short answer is: ask the City before work starts. The City of Ottawa's advisory on landscaping materials providing access to a building sets out two situations where a permit is required: where the structure provides access to the building or serves a required egress, and where there is more than 600 mm difference in elevation between adjacent surfaces. Entrance steps provide access to the building, which is the first condition.

Brick & Stone Steps

My Nepean brick steps are pulling away from the house, why?

Should I replace brick steps with stone steps in Orleans?

Adding a stone landing at my Stittsville front door?

Rebuilding entrance steps in Kanata: permit needed?