gardengal is 100% right on handrails! An absolute must for a long, sloping walkway for balance... If there is a suitable place off the front porch where it either drops to ground level or to a lower level that would considerably reduce the length of ramp required, you might want to consider the option of a porch lift as a complete - or partial- solution. When we bought and renovated this bungalow 9 years ago, my preference was for ramps for access but what I wanted (a double outer wall to allow for a 'hanging garden' to be built into the ramp...) turned out to be much too expensive. In addition, even though the drop to ground level was only about 3', the length of ramp was awkward to accommodate without interfering with garage access. So we had to come up with an alternative in a hurry as the renovation was nearing completion. We had porch lifts installed in both front and back porches. They are practical but rather utilitarian in appearance so we hid them behind lattice walls over which we grow vines. It was a hastily put together solution that is soon going to be due for a re-work to make a nicer arbour out of them. The cost of the lifts, while not inexpensive, was considerably less than the ramps I originally wanted. I'm sure your aunts would initially not like the idea of the lifts from looking at their utilitarian appearance but if you can imagine them with a nice arbour built around them, the idea might be more acceptable. They are certainly a very easy access option. I have a service check done twice a year but, other than that, they've been no maintenance. Power failures are a risk - I got stuck in the backyard for a while during that big power failure a few years ago....:-) If you're worried about something like that, you can get a battery back-up to ensure power is always available. These aren't the best of pictures, but here is a view of the tower wall (the 'tower' contains the machinery that oporates and supports the lift..) for the: front lift: back lift: Just another option to consider....

I have had foundation done on two houses. It is very common here in Texas with clay soils and slab foundations. The men working outside were not disruptive at all. One time I thought they had all left for lunch or something and turns out there were three of them completely underground in the holes! It was however very noisy (teeth rattling) when they were drilling through the concrete patio. It took about a week or less to to get the holes ready and piers in, then the house is "lifted" all at once. The engineer stood inside the house and counted off then all the piers were cranked up at the same time - in small increments until he thought it was good. He took measurements, checked the interior cracks and decided it was good. All the cracks in the house closed up and the doors would shut/latch again. We had no problems with pipes, but I have heard it can happen. However, it the foundation bends too much that alone can cause very expensive pipe problems. My friend waited until she started having water problems to get hers fixed and it cost ten times what mine did. They even had to take up her hardwood floors and drill inside to work on plumbing.. It was a nightmare. Don't wait too long! The repairs should have a lifetime guarantee - that they will adjust as necessary. The other side of my house showed some movement last summer but the foundation people told us that we might avoid having to do anything if we keep the foundation well watered. So we have soaker hoses half way around the house - about a foot away from the foundation - every night during our hot dry summer. Get several estimates and listen closely to what they say about prevention etc. You can get an engineer first, but most companies have their own. They should be able to tell you if your house is not level in some areas, but how much, and when if is enough to require correction. Oh, the piers do have to be spaced at regular intervals so they might tear up some landscaping. I think labor is relatively cheap here but our repair was around $3500.00. It would have been a lot more fun to spend that money or remodeling, but peace of mind is nice too. I wish you well.

I'm not sure why you have never had moisture inside the existing shed given those issues, and changing the roof line so that it increases the amount of water and snow on the uphill side sounds like a recipe for rotting of a wood structure over time. It may be that the existing roof design is a big factor in preventing water damage to date. Moisture will cause expansion and contraction of wood, which means that a caulk/adhesive bond between wood and concrete will likely fail over time, so it's hard to recommend this type of connection. I have three thoughts on these challenges: 1): excavate around the pad so you can lower the soil level to several inches below the top of the pad, and trench down and install 4" drains all around the perimeter. Then you should be able to overlap the sides of the existing pad; or 2): pour a new, slightly smaller, 4" pad on top of the existing one: an 8'X10'X4" pad will take about one yard of concrete. Then you can overlap the siding; or 3): Lay a cinder block perimeter foundation in mortar all around the outer edge of the existing pad and build your shed on top of this. With any of these approaches you should also do two things: 1): Securely anchor the shed to the foundation; and 2): Install gutters and downspouts.

It may be impossible to find someone to do it because of the severely limited access, but spraying the walls with shotcrete or gunite reinforced by wire mesh is an option. These very dry forms of concrete sprayed under high pressure will stick well and fill voids, forming a solid wall. Much more likely to last than trying to cast wet concrete into forms.