How to Lay a Brick Pathway

Create a welcoming entrance to your home by laying a brick or paver walkway.

Excerpted from Do It Yourself Home Improvement

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Lay Out the Path and Dig
Prep the Surface
Cut the Brick Blocks
Lay the Bricks
Pour the Sand

Lay Out the Path and Dig

Determine the length and width of your pathway. Create a pattern for the layout of the bricks. Try to limit the amount of cuts you'll have to make by using half-lengths of brick in the pattern.

Lay out pegs and string lines along the edges of the path. Dig out the path area to a depth of the brick or paver height plus a 2-inch sand bed (image 1). Put treated wood edging into the excavated area. Drive in wooden pegs on the external side of the boards to keep them in place (image 2).

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- Image 2

Prep the Surface

Compact the soil with a rammer. Pour sharp sand into the excavated area and use a wooden furring strip notched out at each end to level off the sand surface to the depth required for the pavers.

Cut the Brick Blocks

Position the paver between the jaws of the block splitter, and align the point you wish to cut (image 1). Lower the handle of the splitter to break the paver in two (image 2).

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- Image 2

Lay the Bricks

Lay the bricks out in your chosen design. Butt each end up against the next (image 1). Use a rubber mallet to bed blocks into place (image 2). Lay a level across the pavers as you finish a row to check that it is even (image 3). If the pavers are uneven, remove them and re-level the sand.

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- Image 2
- Image 3

Pour the Sand

When you are done installing the bricks, pour kiln-dried sand over the laid path, making sure that it covers the gaps between the pavers (image 1). Go over the surface once again with a brush. Brush sand into the spaces between the pavers (image 2). Drive the pegs below the grass to start and leave them in place (image 3).