How to Lay Sidewalks
Sidewalks offer a safe place off the road to walk, play or ride a bicycle. A sidewalk, typically made of concrete, provides a hard, even path to home, free of muddy conditions or uneven grassy areas. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wooden stakes
- String
- Shovel
- Tamper
- Gravel
- Board
- 1-by-4-inch boards
- Wire mesh
- Metal shears or tin snips
- Trough or wheelbarrow
- Trowel or bull-float
- Pry bar
Instructions
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Contact the local building code department to find the size requirements based on the town's ordinances. Some cities and towns specify the required size of a sidewalk running near the street that has the potential for pedestrian traffic.
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Call utility companies prior to digging for them to mark the ground highlighting underground pipes. Hitting an underground pipe can cause a dangerous situation: Hitting natural gas lines can cause an explosion and hitting electrical wires can cause electrocution.
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Drive wooden stakes into the ground to mark the area where the sidewalk will be.
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Tie a string to the first stake and run the string to the subsequent stakes, creating a stringed pattern of the sidewalk. These strings are the guidelines for digging.
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Dig the ground down 8 inches with a shovel inside of the string guidelines.
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Tamp the base of dug-out area with a hand tamper or rent a gas power tamper to create a flat, compacted bottom.
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Add 4 inches of medium-sized gravel to the base of the excavation.
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Sweep a board over the top of the gravel to level it.
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Place 1-by-4-inch boards up against the sides of the excavation to act as forms to keep wet concrete in place.
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Lay 1-by 4-inch boards every 4 feet, perpendicular to the side forms. These act as expansion joints, which allow for ground movement without cracking the concrete.
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Lay reinforcing wire mesh over the top of the gravel. Cut the wire to size with metal shears or tin snips, keeping it inside the forms and expansion joints.
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Mix concrete in a large trough or wheelbarrow or call a ready-mix concrete company to deliver ready-made concrete.
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Wet the gravel lightly with plain water.
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Pour 4 inches of wet concrete into the forms, beginning at an end and pushing it along the walkway with a shovel to fill in the forms.
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Smooth the top of the concrete with a trowel or bull-float, which is a trowel on the end of a long pole.
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Allow the concrete to set until it holds its shape. Break away the forms with a pry bar, leaving the expansion joints in place.
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Tips & Warnings
Sweep the top of the wet concrete with a stiff broom to create a broom finish, which is a rough textured finish.
Add concrete dye to wet concrete to make a colored sidewalk.
Wear safety glasses and gloves when working with concrete.
References
- Photo Credit path image by TA Craft Photography from Fotolia.com
