The use of Bricks or Pavers to develop a pathway or outdoor patio matches a house in a method that is unequaled. In addition, installing a Brick or Paver walkway does not always require a pro.
The secret to installing a Brick or Paver Walkway is to very first appropriately prepare the area where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. In addition, string lines need to be strung on each side of the pathway.
As soon as the location has been dug, 3/4" gravel stone ought to be laid in and tamped down tightly. 2" of sand, or stone dust ought to be spread over the gravel. Again the sand/stone dust must be tamped down. Stone dust is preferred. 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 steady base, place a 1" pipeline or journal board the length of the sidewalk on either side of the sidewalk. 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 develop a level surface area to lay the bricks/pavers.
Now location on the level sand/stone dust strips of plastic brick borders. Set up a work on both sides of the prepared location. These strips will function as your pathway border and help to keep the stability and shape of the sidewalk. You can get these plastic strip borders at the majority of home enhancement shops. The strips need to be anchored down with 12" galvinized nails. You need to sink these nails into the ground and through read more the strips every foot.
Once this is done, you can then start to lay the bricks/pavers. There are lots of patterns you can lay. I especially like the Herring Bone pattern. The key to laying the bricks/pavers is to ensure that they interlock with each other. Constantly stagger nearby rows of bricks by 1/2 of a brick to interlock them. This will again help keep the stability of the pathway.
Inevitably bricks/pavers will require to be cut or split when developing the walkway. Unless you desire to purchase or rent a costly wetsaw, I would recommend buying a basic brick/paver splitter. It is generally a chisel with a wide end that is the width of the bricks/pavers. To in fact 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. Utilizing a hammer strike the butt end of the sculpt strongly. You may need to do this a number of times. You may also wish to flip the brick/paver over and strike the other side of the brick using the hammer and chisle. Within a couple of strikes the brick/paver should break cleanly. , if your sidewalk has curves you will need to buy/rent a wetsaw.
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After installing the bricks, develop the outdoors edges with extra sand, and after that shovel in the topsoil and pack down securely.
Spread stone dust over the new pathway and sweep into the cracks. This will finish the interlocking of the bricks and help to get rid of any weed growth.
In addition, setting up a Brick or Paver pathway does not always require a pro. The secret to setting up a Brick or Paver Walkway is to first properly prepare the location where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. Now that you have a stable base, position a 1" pipe or ledger board the length of the walkway on either side of the pathway. These strips will act as your walkway border and help to keep the integrity and shape of the walkway. Inevitably bricks/pavers will require to be cut or split when building the pathway.