How to Lay a Concrete Walkway
Concrete walkways are beautiful additions to any landscape. They provide solid footing for walking, as well as an ascetically pleasing feature that will last a long time. Concrete walkways are not difficult to install and, depending on the length and width, should take no more than one day to do. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Concrete pavers
- Rubber mallet
- Measuring tape
- Flat shovel
- Pick
- Sand
- Broom
- Paver border
- Border spikes
Instructions
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1
Dig out grass and dirt in the area you are going to place the concrete pavers. Determine the thickness of the paver border and the desired shape of the walkway. Paver border is rubber/plastic and is bendable. It usually comes in 6-inch wide pieces and is rolled up. Use it to keep the pavers and sand inside a certain area. Dig down 6 inches or the width of the border. You want your pavers to come just below the top of your freshly cut grass.
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2
Fasten the paver border with border spikes. After you have set the border into the desired shape (square, curved, etc.), drive the border spikes down through the slots on the outside of the border.
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3
Install a sand base inside the area to be paved. Using the height of the border, subtract the thickness of the concrete pavers from that number. Use the remaining number as a reference for how thick the sand should be.
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4
Pack the sand with any heavy object such as an 8-inch concrete block. Check the distance between the packed sand and the top of the border. If you need to add more sand, do so.
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5
Lay the pavers side by side and directly against each other. The concrete pavers will come with raised spacers on the edges of the paver that are a part of the concrete itsself. These will ensure that the pavers are spaced to allow for a sand filler in between them. Gently tap the pavers into the sand using a rubber mallet. Continue until the walkway is finished.
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6
Fill the gaps in between the pavers with sand. Using a broom, sweep sand into the gaps in between the pavers. Continue to sweep across the pavers with pressure until the gaps are tightly filled.
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Tips & Warnings
Always measure twice when laying out your walkway.
