How to Build a Walkway With Precast Concrete Molds

Laying a walkway out of stones creates a wonderful look for your home but is time consuming and difficult to achieve a professional look. There is a shortcut that will give you the rustic feeling of cut stones in a fraction of the time and mush less effort: Use a precast mold with pouring cement. These molds are plastic templates with cavities the shape of cut stones. You can even color the concrete to whatever shade of stone you like.

Shovel
Wooden stakes
Hammer
Concrete
Wheelbarrow
Concrete color
Trowel

Instructions

- 1
  Drive a stake with a hammer into each corner of where the walkway will be built.
- 2
  Dig up 1 inch of sod with a shovel within the staked-out area. The walkway will be built in this recess.
- 3
  Mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow. Follow the guideline on your cement mold for how much cement to mix for the size of your walkway.
- 4
  Add the concrete color to the concrete until you get the brick or stone color you like.
- 5
  Pour water all over the mold so that all the surfaces get wet. Place the wet mold at any of the four corners marked with stakes.
- 6
  Pour concrete into each cavity of the mold with a trowel. The concrete should be level with the top of the mold. Smooth the concrete with the trowel.
- 7
  Wait 10 minutes and then lift the mold away from the concrete. Position the mold next to the first patch of concrete and fill it in the same way. Allow the concrete to rest 10 minutes after each filling of the mold.
- 8
  Dust dry mortar on top of the concrete after it has been left to set for several minutes. Push the mortar into the channels of the concrete stones with a broom.
- 9
  Spray a light mist of water over the dry mortar with a garden hose.
- 10
  Cover the concrete by spreading 6 mm plastic sheeting over it. Leave the plastic in place for at least two days to allow the concrete to cure slowly without cracking.

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