DIY: Paving a Brick Sidewalk
Brick sidewalks bring timeless style and warmth to a landscape. Paving a brick sidewalk is a suitable project for do-it-yourselfers. You don't need special equipment or knowledge to build a long-lasting brick sidewalk. Lay the bricks in a gravel base and bed of sand to avoid the mess and time pressure of working with mortar. Setting bricks in sand also gives you easy access to replace or repair bricks in the future. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Landscape paint
- Shovel
- Tamper
- Gravel
- Edge restraints
- 9-inch nails
- Hammer
- Coarse sand
- Rake
- Masonry sand
- Broom
Instructions
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Draw a diagram of your yard including existing landscape features like the fence and patio. Decide where you want the sidewalk to go, as well as its shape, length and width. If possible, give the sidewalk a 4-foot width to allow for wheelchairs, equipment or two people to pass by. Using the diagram as a guide, measure the borders of the sidewalk with a tape measure and outline them with landscape paint.
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Dig out 6 inches of sod and dirt from the area within the borders using a shovel. Once bottom of the recess is level, press a tamper into the dirt until the surface is hard.
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3
Dump 4 inches of gravel into the site and spread it out evenly with a rake. Tamp the aggregate down to force the rocks tighter together.
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4
Line the inner walls with metal or wood edge restraints and attach them to the ground with 9-inch nails and a hammer.
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5
Spread a 1-inch-thick layer of coarse sand over the gravel. Use the rake to gently smooth the sand until it is completely level.
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Set the bricks in the bedding starting at one corner and working down the length of the walkway. Butt the bricks against each other and press them into the sand so they don't wobble.
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7
Pour fine masonry sand over the bricks and fill the spaces in between to cushion bricks as they settle.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images
