The use of Bricks or Pavers to develop a walkway or patio area complements a home in a method that is unmatched. In addition, setting up a Brick or Paver sidewalk does not necessarily require a pro.
The key to setting up a Brick or Paver Walkway is to first properly prepare the location where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. The location ought to be removed at least a foot down, getting rid of all topsoil and clay soil. In addition, string lines must be strung on each side of the walkway. The string lines suggest the completed height of the sidewalk.
When the location has been dug down, 3/4" gravel stone should be laid in and tamped down securely. The height in between the tamped down sand and the stringline ought to equate to the thickness of the brick or paver.
Now that you have a stable base, position a 1" pipe or journal board the length of the sidewalk on either side of the pathway. Using a flatedge, e.g. a 2"x4" board, slide it over the 2 lengths of the pipe/ledger board. In doing this you will create a level surface location to lay the bricks/pavers.
Now location on the level sand/stone dust strips of plastic brick borders. Install a run on both sides of the prepared location. These strips will act as your sidewalk border and aid to maintain the integrity and shape of the walkway.
When this is done, you can then begin to lay the bricks/pavers. There are lots of patterns you can lay. I particularly like the Herring Bone pattern. The secret to laying the bricks/pavers is to make sure that they interlock with each other. Constantly stagger adjacent rows of read more bricks by 1/2 of a brick to interlock them. This will once again assist keep the stability of the sidewalk.
Undoubtedly bricks/pavers will require to be cut or split when developing the pathway. To in fact cut/split the brick/paver, lay it in a bed of sand and place the chisel at a 75 degree angle over the area where you desire to break the brick. If your walkway has curves you will need to buy/rent a wetsaw.
After setting up the bricks, develop the outside edges with additional sand, and then shovel in the topsoil and load down firmly.
Spread stone dust over the new pathway and sweep into the cracks. This will complete the interlocking of the bricks and help to eliminate any weed development.
In addition, setting up a Brick or Paver pathway does not necessarily need a pro. The key to setting up a Brick or Paver Walkway is to check here first correctly prepare the area where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. Now that you have a stable base, put a 1" pipe or ledger board the length of the walkway on either side of the sidewalk. These strips will act as your pathway border and help to preserve the stability and shape of the pathway. Undoubtedly bricks/pavers will need to be cut or split when developing the walkway.