About Brick Walkways

Brick walkways are a welcome addition, no matter where you place them. They look great leading up to the front of your house, especially if the front stairs are also made of brick. You can put a brick walkway in or around your garden, or if you are lucky, you might live in a place where the city or town has decided on the benefits of brick sidewalks over a concrete slab. In this case, you simply build your own brick walkway that adjoins to the already existing one that was built by your municipality.

Geography

Bricks--nothing more than baked clay that is cooked in a mold--are a universal building material, so you can find bricks and brick walkways most anywhere. However, there seems to be an abundance of brick architecture (we'll include brick walkways here) in places where a good quality of clay is readily available. You will also find abundant brick walkways in urban environments where the residents are moderately prosperous.

Features

A brick walkway needs to be laid out and planned just like any other sidewalk or natural walkway. You will begin with laying out the path and then excavating the chosen site so that you can lay down a sand base of at least several inches. Once the sand is smoothed and compacted, you can begin the task of laying down the bricks in interlocking patterns and rows. The sides of the excavation can act as barriers, or if there is a roadside curb present you can use that as one edge of the walkway. Only sand goes between the bricks; no mortar is needed.

Function

The advantage of brick is that it is very pleasing to the eye, plus it's easy on the feet. Since there is no mortar used in the construction, each brick acts independently of every other brick. This is how a brick walkway can cushion the walking motion from your feet and make for more comfortable strolling.

Benefits

Brick sidewalks are often used in historical districts to create structural conditions that are similar to those of bygone eras, when this natural material was used in greater abundance. In attempts to preserve the past, modern-day contractors and builders have re-discovered some of the economic and aesthetic benefits of building with small blocks of baked earth.

Significance

Some towns have taken so well to brick sidewalks that they make all of their public walkways from the popular clay material. This not only allows resident and visitors to enjoy the walking on a clay surface, it also reduces the need for concrete and creates a situation where repairs can easily made. With bricks, one can repair small portions of the walkway by simply removing the damaged bricks and adding new ones.