I'm in the process of getting rid of my front lawn to install drought tolerant plants with drip irrigation. Before the garden part comes the tricky part, the new hardscape. I'm hoping to do as much as I can myself and using a professional for the tricky stuff. I'm planning to erect a low wall around the front lawn and finish it with a faux stone veneer. First question I can't find an answer to is, what is the easiest/cheapest way to do the footing? It never freezes here and it'll be made of cmu with two and a half courses above ground and half a block submerged. How deep must I go with concrete? Is 4-6 inches enough? Can I do it without forms? I've read of earth forms, but how do you level the top of the concrete without wood forms? Does it need to be twice as wide as the blocks? On the side of the yard I'd like it to butt up to the property line, but I can't put my footing in the neighbor's yard. It's not retaining anything, the yard is flat.
The second issue has arisen because I'm getting rid of the brick stairs and sidewalk, I've never liked them and one of the steps is a trip hazard. I'm planning to have cement pads form a sidewalk in it's place. The problem is the brick porch will clash with the stone on the perimeter wall. If I want to have a matching flagstone porch, can I lay it over the brick or do I need to remove the brick? The metal threshold under the front door is three inches from the top of the brick. Two of the inches is a custom wooden threshold and there is a one inch gap under it and then the brick. Would that be enough space to lay the flagstone and mortar? Then there is metal flashing along the rest of the porch beneath the siding and resting on the mortared edge of the brick porch. Can I just lay the flagstone right up against the flashing?
Any input would be appreciated.
The second issue has arisen because I'm getting rid of the brick stairs and sidewalk, I've never liked them and one of the steps is a trip hazard. I'm planning to have cement pads form a sidewalk in it's place. The problem is the brick porch will clash with the stone on the perimeter wall. If I want to have a matching flagstone porch, can I lay it over the brick or do I need to remove the brick? The metal threshold under the front door is three inches from the top of the brick. Two of the inches is a custom wooden threshold and there is a one inch gap under it and then the brick. Would that be enough space to lay the flagstone and mortar? Then there is metal flashing along the rest of the porch beneath the siding and resting on the mortared edge of the brick porch. Can I just lay the flagstone right up against the flashing?
Any input would be appreciated.