How to Lay City Sidewalks
Whether you live in the country, the city or the suburbs, you can install sidewalks on your property for about half the cost of what a professional contractor would charge you for supplies and labor. Laying your own sidewalk is slightly labor-intensive but not technically difficult. Adding your own sidewalks can offer easier accessibility and, in some cases, even increase your property value. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Shovel
- Rake
- Wooden planks
- Wooden stakes
- Sand
- Cement
- Wheel barrow
- Hand trowel
- Tarp
- Crowbar
Instructions
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Plot out the area where you will lay your sidewalk. Measure the area with a tape measure if necessary.
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2
Determine how much concrete you will need. The amount will depend on the area you intend to pave. Standard sidewalks are usually about 3 feet wide and anywhere between 2 to 3 inches deep. The length will be entirely up to you. There are several "Concrete Calculators" you can use on the Internet that will help you estimate the amount of concrete you will need. One such site can be found at sakrete.com/products/ calculators.cfm?gclid=CPOziJDLl6YCFcpU2godfDvlmw
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3
Prepare your ground for the pour. Remove all grass with a shovel and hoe. Once the grass is removed, use a steel rake to pull out loose dirt and pebbles. The area where your sidewalk will be placed should be dug out to about 5 inches. You will cover approximately 2 inches with sand.
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Install your wooden form. A form is a mold of sorts that will surround the borders of your sidewalks. Long wood planks, approximately 6 inches wide and 2 inches thick, work the best for forms. Lay the sides of the forms side up along the perimeter of where your sidewalk will be. Hammer in wooden stakes on the back sides of the forms to make them stay upright.
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Pour approximately 2 inches of sand into your sidewalk forms. Level and smooth the sand out with a steel rake.
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Begin mixing your cement in a large wheel barrow or an industrial-size bucket, if you have one. Do not mix more than what you are going to pour in two to three loads. Continue this process until you have filled all of your sidewalk forms.
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Smooth out all the newly poured sidewalks with a hand trowel to smooth them up.
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Cover your freshly poured sidewalks with a tarp and allow 48 to 72 hours for them to dry. Then you can assess your handiwork. If you spot any patchwork that needs to be done, mix up a wheel barrow full of cement and pour it if necessary. If all appears OK, though, you may use a crowbar to pry up and remove the wooden forms.
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References
- Photo Credit sidewalk image by Dave from Fotolia.com
