The use of Bricks or Pavers to produce a sidewalk or patio area matches a house in a method that is unrivaled. In addition, setting up a Brick or Paver walkway does not always require a pro.
The key to installing a Brick or Paver Walkway is to very first properly prepare the area where the bricks/pavers are to be set up. The location should be removed a minimum of a foot down, getting rid of all topsoil and clay soil. In addition, string lines need to be strung on each side of the pathway. The string lines indicate the completed height of the sidewalk.
Once the location has actually been dug down, 3/4" gravel stone should be laid in and tamped down firmly. Then 2" of sand, or stone dust ought to be spread over the gravel. Once again the sand/stone dust ought to be tamped down. Stone dust is chosen. The height between the tamped down sand and the stringline should equal the thickness of the brick or paver.
Now that you have a steady base, place a 1" pipeline or journal board the length of the pathway on either side of the pathway. Then using a flatedge, e.g. a 2"x4" board, slide it over the two lengths of the pipe/ledger board. In doing this you will produce a level area to lay the bricks/pavers.
Now place on the level sand/stone dust strips of plastic brick borders. Install a run on here both sides of the prepared area. These strips will act as your pathway border and assistance to keep the stability and shape of the sidewalk.
When this is done, you can then start to lay the bricks/pavers. There are numerous patterns you can lay. I especially like the Herring Bone pattern. The secret to laying the bricks/pavers is to make sure that they interlock with each other. Constantly stagger surrounding rows of bricks by 1/2 of a brick to interlock them. This will once again assist maintain the stability of the walkway.
Undoubtedly bricks/pavers will need to be cut or divided when here developing the pathway. To actually cut/split the brick/paver, lay it in a bed of sand and location the chisel at a 75 degree angle over the area where you want to break the brick. If your pathway has curves you will require to buy/rent a wetsaw.
After installing the bricks, construct up the outside edges with extra sand, and then shovel in the topsoil and load down securely.
Spread stone dust over the new sidewalk and sweep into the cracks. This will complete the interlocking of the bricks and assist to eliminate any weed growth.
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 very first correctly prepare the location where the bricks/pavers are to be set up. Now that you have a steady base, place a 1" pipe or journal board the length of the sidewalk on either side of the sidewalk. These strips will act as your walkway border and assistance to preserve the stability and shape of the sidewalk. Inevitably bricks/pavers will need to be cut or split when building the walkway.