I need some advice on the best way to redo a walkway and stoop. My walkway is about 20 feet long and 30 wide, and my stoop is about 4x3 with 3 steps. It is all concrete. I plan on breakingand removing the walkway, and putting down pavers. And covering my stoop with pavers (maybe slate/bluestone for the steps). In addition, I want to widen my stoop so that I cn rest columns on it - for a portico that I am planning. To start, here is a rough, birdseye view of my walkway and stoop... _______ | ....C.... | |_______| . | B . | .. \ .. / .. |X.| .. | . | .. |C.| .. | . | The stoop is A, the walkway is B, and C is a part of the walk way that just widens a bit. X is where the walkway begins to widen. (the dots are just to help space properly) To start, I want to widen my stoop. So I figured I just dig below the frost line on each side, drop some of my concrete from teh walkway to take up some volume, and fill it to ground level with cement. Then build it up with concrete blocks until it is level with my current stoop height. But for the rest, here is what I was thinking. I would leave the stoop in place and just go over it with brick. So, my first question is, how do I do this? Do I simply trowel some mixed concrete on and lay the brick as if I were tiling a floor? OR if I use a slate material for the steps and top, do I just lay it on, or do I cement it down - and how? Im assuming that for the sides, which will be brick regardless of how I do the steps, I can simply vener them as if I were tiling or bricking a wall. Since my steps will now be a bit higher due to a new layer of brick or slate, it will leave my first step a few inches higher from the walk than it is now. I figured that where I have marked the X I would not remove the concrete, but veneer this part of the walkway as well. This would leave a small platform so it wouldnt look odd, and would give me a small step up from the rest of the walkway (and leave my current height from walkway to first step in tact). Can I do this? I guess its the same quesstion as for the stoop - can I veneer it and do I just trowel mixed cement like I am tiling a floor? As for the rest of the walkway, it is abou 6-8" thick concrete. I figurd I would break it up and remove it. I will have nice compact soil below. I dont want to excavate any deeper if I dont have to. So , is this deep enough to just lay sand, screed, and position pavers? What do I do where the pavers meet my grass on each side? Do i need a wood frame to keep my pavers nice and tight, or will the current grass line likely keep them all in place (assuming that i dont need to move the line back in order to fit the pavers width wise.

I am about 8months into a new construction house. After this first winter in the house I am noticing that chunks of my driveway are coming out of my driveway. The sizes range from a nickel to quarter. They driveway was professionally sealed in last fall, nor have I used any salt. can anybody offer any advice?