How to Brick a Patio With No Seeds & No Concrete

Mark the perimeter of the brick patio with the mason's string. To make installation easier, the size of the patio should be divisible by the brick size, adding around 1 1/2 inches for the border. This will eliminate the need for cutting bricks to fit them into the patio.

Dig out the patio area until it is 10 inches deep. Check that the floor is flat with the level. Lay the weed underlayment (also called landscaping fabric) on the floor of the patio. This will provide a barrier to weed seeds and prevent them from germinating. Trim the edges with scissors to fit the floor of the patio exactly.

Cut lengths of 2-inch by 10-inch lumber for the patio border and fit them around the edge of the dug-out area, resting on the 2-inch edge on top of the weed underlayment. The top of the border should be flush with the ground.

Spread 8 inches of the CR-6 (a finely ground gravel sand) over the weed underlayment. Screed the CR-6 to make it level, then dampen it with a hose. Use the hand tamper to pack down the CR-6. It should be around 4 inches thick after tamping.

Cover the CR-6 with 6 inches of mason's sand. Screed the sand, then dampen it with the hose. Use the hand tamper to compress the mason's sand to around 3 inches thick.

Lay the bricks on top of the sand, starting from one corner. An easy way to lay the bricks is to lay them all along one side of the patio border, then start the next row of the adjacent side of the patio, which will automatically make the brick joints staggered half a brick. Continue alternating sides until the whole patio area is filled.

Spread a thin layer of sand over the bricks and dampen it. Tamp the bricks and sand together. Use the broom to work the damp mason's sand into the brick joints, then sweep off the excess.