Tips installing brick walkway

By Jennifer Stimpson. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. Brick Path Layers: An Overview Illustration by Gregory Nemec Creating a successful path that can survive the elements depends on three things: the bricks, the border, and the base.

Brick Size The size of the bricks is determined in part by the pattern you choose. Brick Walkway Border An integral part of every pattern is the border that keeps the bricks in place. Brick Path Location Location is one factor in that base: Keep the path at least 2 to 3 feet away from trees with extensive root systems that could push the bricks up. Excavate the soil Photo by Kolin Smith Determine the desired width of your path and add 2 inches.

Roughly mark out the positioning of the path at this width using a rope, garden hose, or spray paint. Using a spade, dig out the space between the markings to remove the top layer of soil. Dig until you see the color of the soil change as shown.

Place the excavated soil on a tarp to keep the area clean. Fill with graded base Photo by Kolin Smith Once the walkway is excavated, pour in 1 to 2 inches of graded base as shown. Spray the base with water before tamping it to keep the dust down. Compress and repeat Photo by Kolin Smith Using a hand tamper, pound the layer of base evenly to compress it shown. If you're using a power tamper, work with 3- to 4-inch layers.

Add Sand Layer Photo by Kolin Smith Make a screed, which you can also use as a spacer when installing the side guide rails: Using a handsaw, cut down a 2x4 so it is 6 inches longer than the finished width of your path. Using a spade, create narrow trenches along the edges of the graded base to fit lengths of 1x4 composite lumber turned on edge. Position the 1x4s along both sides of the walkway, then space them evenly by wedging the notched screed between them.

Using a dead-blow mallet, pound the 1x4s in until they are level with the existing grade. Work your way down the path until both sides are lined. To hold these rails in place as you go, drive wooden stakes about a foot into the ground against the outside of the rails every 3 feet. Tape the scrap to the end of a 4-foot level. Rest the level across the two rails, with the scrap wood positioned on top of the rail on the lower side of the path. Using a mallet, tap the rail into the ground until the bubble reads level.

Place your brick or pavers over the stone dust. Using a rubber mallet, tamp each brick as you place it. Cover the brick with another layer of stone dust after laying all your bricks or pavers. Sweep the stone dust into all the cracks and in between each brick. Be sure to sweep stone dust along the brick edges with a soft broom. Hose some water over the brick walkway to seal or secure the bricks in the stone dust. The stone dust will become hard over time and hold the bricks in place.

You can get round bricks or paving stones, or you can cut or have the bricks cut to fit the curve. Yes No. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 6. Measure the length and width of your prospective walkway.

Then measure the size of the bricks you plan to use. Not Helpful 12 Helpful 8. Use kiln-dried sand. It pours down the joints far easier than any other sand. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 3. Keith Schneck. Home Depot sells paver base by the bag and will special order stone dust, but you need to buy an entire pallet. It is cheaper to buy both from a local aggregate supplier, but then you need a truck to haul it home.

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0. You don't need to water the stone dust. It does not affect the outcome of your walkway. No, stone dust is like coarser sand.

Cement is a mix of minerals and metals. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Be sure you take the depth of your bricks into account. Use only enough stone dust to level your bricks to the surrounding ground.

Helpful 6 Not Helpful 2. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Never use a regular hammer to tamp your stone when you install a brick walkway. It may cause your bricks to bruise, scar and chip easily. Helpful 16 Not Helpful 1. Add 2 inches of gravel fill. Lightly water it down with the garden hose.

Tamp it down. Then add 2 more inches of gravel, water the gravel, and tamp it again. Cut a scrap piece of two-by-four to 28 inches. Add sand on top of the gravel, spreading it out into the entire area.

Use the two-by-four as a screed to spread the sand flat. Keep adding sand until it is 2 inches from the top of the edging. Screed again. Lay a row of bricks lengthwise on each side, paralleling the edging. Tap down as needed with the mallet to level them with the top of the edging. Add bricks in the center field area. Lay the bricks at a degree angle to each other in a basketweave brick pattern. Frequently check for level with the bubble level.

Tap bricks with the mallet to seat them into the sand. Scatter sand over the brick walkway and sweep it into the joints with the push broom. Polymeric sand may also be used, if desired.

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