The usage of Bricks or Pavers to produce a pathway or outdoor patio complements a home in a way that is unmatched. In addition, installing a Brick or Paver sidewalk does not necessarily need a pro.
The secret to setting up a Brick or Paver Walkway is to very first properly prepare the location where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. The area must be removed at least a foot down, eliminating all topsoil and clay soil. In addition, string lines ought to be strung on each side of the walkway. The string lines indicate the finished height of the walkway.
When the location has been dug down, 3/4" gravel stone ought to be laid in and tamped down securely. Then 2" of sand, or stone dust need to be topped the gravel. Again the sand/stone dust must be tamped down. Stone dust is chosen. The height between the tamped down sand and the stringline must equal the thickness of the brick or paver.
Now that you have a stable base, position a 1" pipe or ledger board the length of the walkway on either side of the sidewalk. Then utilizing a flatedge, e.g. a 2"x4" board, slide it over the 2 lengths of the pipe/ledger board. In doing this you will develop a level surface location to lay the bricks/pavers.
Now location on the level sand/stone dust strips of plastic brick borders. Set up a run on both sides of the ready area. These strips will function as your sidewalk border and help to maintain the integrity and shape of the walkway. You can get these plastic strip borders at many house enhancement shops. The strips ought to be anchored down with 12" galvinized nails. You must sink these nails into the ground and through the strips every foot.
As soon as this is done, you can then begin 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 adjacent rows of bricks by 1/2 of a brick to interlock them. This will again help preserve the integrity of the walkway.
Inevitably bricks/pavers will require to be cut or divided when developing the pathway. Unless you desire to purchase or lease an expensive wetsaw, I would suggest purchasing a basic brick/paver splitter. It is basically a chisel with a large end that is the width of the bricks/pavers. To really cut/split the brick/paver, lay it in a website bed of sand and location the chisel at a 75 degree angle over the spot where you wish to break the brick. Then using a hammer strike the butt end of the chisel securely. You might require to do this a number of times. You might also wish to turn the brick/paver over and strike the other side of the brick using the hammer and chisle. Within one or 2 strikes the brick/paver ought to break easily. If your sidewalk has curves you will require to buy/rent a wetsaw.
After setting up the bricks, develop the outside edges with extra sand, and after that shovel in the topsoil and pack down firmly.
Lastly, spread stone dust over the new walkway and sweep into the fractures. Repeat this process a number of times to guarantee the fractures are completely filled. This will finish the interlocking of the bricks and assist to eliminate any weed development. Just add yard seed to the outdoors edges and you ought to have a stunning entrance to your house within a number of weeks.
In addition, setting up a Brick or Paver walkway does not necessarily need a pro. The secret to setting up a Brick or Paver Walkway is to first correctly prepare the location where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. Now that you have a stable base, place a 1" pipeline or journal board the length of the pathway on either side of the sidewalk. These strips will act as your walkway border and aid to maintain the stability and shape of the walkway. Undoubtedly bricks/pavers will need to be cut or split when developing the pathway.