The Front Porch
The front entrance was made of multiple concrete slabs covered with ceramic tile. Cracks in the walls and gaps between the slabs indicated it was slowly settling.
A little gardening revealed a much bigger problem. The concrete slabs had slid over and pushed on the main water inlet, causing it to leak.
A previous owner thought that a copper to Sharkbite tubing to PVC, was an acceptable fix.
If you are skeptical of a few drops of water bringing down a house, read on.
In our case, the water attracted tree roots. One very large root pushed the stemwall back one-half inch when it ran out of room to grow.
Removal of the lower steps was not a problem.
With a raised garden on the left, it was no wonder the steps slid to the right.
There was 14 cast concrete slabs used on the steps. With not much planning, I started setting them up as a retaining wall.