i live in the northeastern part of the country which is prone to drastic temperature changes. This allows any concrete patio's, walkways, etc. to move constantly with the change in temperatures and cracking is impossible to avoid.

my existing patio slab is a very small 7x7 but the new patio will be approx. 14x7. It is ground level, cracking and original from when the house was built (early 70's). I am also getting water through the wall where the patio is causing mold and water in the basement.

i am currently getting estimates and 2 contractors have come out so far. One told me he would pour about 4' of concrete over the existing slab. Another one told me that he does not do resurfacing and will jack-hammer the old slab out and start from scratch. This guy also told me that he would not be bringing it up that high and try to stay ground level to maybe an inch above.

please note that i do live in a wet area where if it rains, the ground will take a while to dry out.

A bad patio can pitch water toward the home but you must have more problems than you think if water is entering and causing mold. What's with the caps lock, stuck?? You need to tear out the old so you can get down to fixing the wall first. Then have a new pad poured and pitched away from the house. Do you have a sump pump?

I am sorry about caps lock but yes, it is stuck.. older computer. I am getting estimates not only for the patio but also for the basement. I will be having a mold/mildew specialist come in and remove any mold and then waterproof with an interior system (probably waterguard with sump pump).

Interior sealing is only moderately effective. Best fix is more effective and expensive would involve digging down to the footings once the patio is gone. Infortunately that would also mean your patio gets install on new soil so a lot of proper fill and compacting would be needed. I had a leaking concrete wall and had to do what you are considering. I installed a sump pump pit rights at the base of the wall and it did take care of the ground water. Good luck

Doing exterior excavating is not feasible, for i live in a townhome and do not own the property outright. I am making sure that the company that comes in to remediate the problems has a warranty. The 2 that are coming out next week to give me estimates have lifetime warranties on both the interior system and the mold.

Are you a member of an HOA? If so you may not own the patio or the crack in the wall.

I am a member of a hoa and according to their by-laws, the homwowner is responsible for all upkeep and care of property 30ft. Beyond the unit except for lawncare/landscaping.

Dig deeper, by-laws come long after Covanents. The Covanents are the origianl documents filed with the state and disclose what is and is not common property of a HOA. Frequently driveways and roofs are replaced by the HOA who charge all members a special assessment. Anything like that ever take place in your HOA?

Ballenger is right on target )as usual).
I had a similar situation, patio built level with concrete, then topped with loose brick. Had to replace about 8 joists that rotted on the ends from water infiltration. Placing more concrete on top won't stop the damage to the structure.

I didn't go down to the footing, but instead put a drain surrounded with stone that captured water from above and any ground water flowing under the concrete, but you have to have some fall to drain the pipe properly, or go to the sump pump like ballenger did. While in the process of finding the original problem, I went into the crawl space during a medium rain and water was flowing in like a small stream. The house was about 20 years old at the time and I think the water damage had been happening for about that long.

Yes, we had a special assessment for our roofs a couple years ago.

Also, how does one go by getting the covenants or reviewing them?

Well you already have them given at the time you closed on your property but most folks, me included, have put them somewhere. The property manager should be able to give you a copy. In most HOAs the footings and basement walls are considered common property and must be maintained by the HOA just like the roof.