How to Build Inexpensive Walkways

Build a path to better enjoy your walks.

Projects like building your own walkway have an added challenge when your budget for the project is small or nonexistent. Ramp up your creativity and find resources that might not have occurred to you if you were spending lots of money on this project. Research alternative materials, investigate sources in your community and, first and foremost, use what you already have to build an original and inexpensive walkway.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Garden hose
• Newspaper
• Sand, gravel, mulch, concrete, soil
• Lumber
• Bottles and jars
• Sledgehammer

Instructions

Define the Project

1. 

   Define the perfect pathway.

   Decide what you need this path to do: keep water off a particular area, define the space or as an alternative pathway to some destination in the yard. Each type of pathway will have its own challenges.

2. 

   You never know what you'll find.

   Measure and sketch the space where you plan to build the walkway. Mark on the sketch any obstacles or potential problem areas. Look for underground sprinklers, water lines near the surface, rocks or tree roots.

3. 

   String and sticks will help check the slope.

   Figure the overall square footage of the new walkway. Determine the slope of the area using a nail on each end of the path with a string between. Some materials will be more appropriate than others in areas where there is a steep slope.

Find Your Path

1. 

   Wander on your own garden path.

   Build a meandering walkway through a flower bed or to your front door. Lay a garden hose on the ground to keep the pathway on a gently curved route. Mark this route using flags of sticks with paper attached.

2. 

   Flagstone pathways are a natural-looking addition.

   Dig out the sod in sections at least 18-by-18 inches but in irregular shapes similar to the shape of flagstone or river stone. Plan the shapes to be at least 2 inches apart and have them follow the route of the paper flags. Dig into the soil at least 3 inches after removing the sod. Layer newspaper into the sections and add sand, stones or gravel.

3. 

   Collect your own materials.

   Complete the wandering pathway project one section at a time as you collect the necessary materials for each section.

Practical Pathways

1. 

   Use what you have.

   Build walkways for dog runs, trash can routes and weed abatement by removing the sod and 3 inches of the soil in those areas. Put layers of newspaper into the pathway. Cover the newspaper with sand, mulch, gravel, small rocks or concrete broken to small pieces.

2. 

   Find a source for materials.

   Check the homes being built or remodeled in your town for broken concrete pieces. Ask permission to haul it away. Use a sledgehammer and make your own gravel. Check local laws before removing any sand from beaches or riverbanks. Check local community gardens for free mulch or rocks.

3. 

   Sawdust makes a great biodegradable mulch.

   Use sawdust from a local cabinet shop, lumberyard or woodworker as an alternative to sand or in addition to sand.

Make Your Own Adobe Bricks

1. 

   Handmade bricks create a conversation piece.

   Make walkway bricks yourself using the traditional adobe method. Mix 30 percent sand, 70 percent loam soil and some straw.

2. 

   Build a form for the mud.

   Build forms using 2-by-4-inch lumber in a ladder shape with openings of 14-by-6-inch for each adobe mud form. Saw six 14-inch cross pieces using one 96-inch piece of lumber.

3. 

   Typical adobe bricks

   Lay two 2-by-4 inch pieces of lumber on the ground with the narrow side on the ground. Nail in the first 14-inch piece between the two on the ground. Measure 6 inches to the next 14-inch cross piece. Continue to nail in cross pieces at 6-inch intervals.

4. 

   Mix the sand, soil and straw with enough water to make sticky mud. Press the mud into the forms the full depth of 2 inches. Let it set up for an hour or more until the water is not pooling on top. Do not move the form while the mud is showing water on top. Imprint leaves, your hand print or write your initials in the mud while it is still in the form.

5. 

   Remove the forms carefully and make the next batch. Dry the bricks on a flat surface for seven to 10 days before using for your pathway.

6. 

   A sand bed keeps brick from cracking or shifting.

   Lay bricks onto the pathway over a 3-inch-thick bed of sand.

Artistic Alternative Paths

1. 

   Recycle creatively.

   Build a completely artistic pathway and recycle at the same time by using glass bottles as the pathway.

2. 

   Start collecting.

   Decide on the pathway and start collecting glass bottles and jars of all types. Dig holes and bury the empty bottles neck first into the soil. Level the bottle bottoms to create a series of glass circles level to the sod.

3. 

   Use all sizes, shapes and colors.

   Use a variety of shapes and colors for an original and very interesting walkway. Fill the areas between the bottles with soil or sand and plant ground cover or herbs between the bottles.

Tips & Warnings

• Always ask permission before taking anything from construction sites, rivers, lakes or the beach--on public or private land.

• Adobe brick is fragile and must be supported with a layer of sand. Adobe is also just mud brick and will degrade over time.

References

• "Use What You Have Decorating"; Lauri Ward; 1998
• New Mexico State University's College of Agriculture and Home Economics: ABCs of Making Adobe Bricks