Vertical Brick Edging Installation

Trace It Out

• Before you begin, sketch out a basic image of where you want your bricks to go. This will give you a basic idea before you begin the project. Use a hose or twine to trace out your brick layout on the ground once you've developed a basic idea. Move the hose or twine around on the ground as needed until you've got the layout you want for your brick installation.

Measure The Brick

• Although most standard bricks are 8-by-4-by-2, not every brick is the same, so measure your bricks before you begin digging or building. Measure the full run or length of your edging space. Divide it by the width of your brick, which is approximately 4. This is approximately the number of bricks you'll need to complete the project. Measure the short depth of your brick. In most cases, this will measure 2 to 2 1/2 inches. Measure the height of your brick. Most bricks are between 8 and 8 1/2 inches tall. Decide where you want the soil line to sit on your brick once it's in the ground. Measure from the bottom of the brick to that point.

Adding It Up

• Before you begin digging your trench, add all your figures to make sure you include enough space for your brick and stabilizing elements, like sand. Add a 1/2-inch to 1-inch to the soil line figure to provide room for sand. Add another inch to the width figure to give you space to place the bricks.

Building the Trench

• Use a spade shovel to dig a trench as deep as the new soil line sum and as wide as the new width figure, approximately 3 1/2 inches, where you want to place your bricks. Use the edge of the spade shovel to square-off and even the sides of the trench. Use the end of a 2-by-4 to tamp down the soil in the trench once all the dirt is removed. Pour a 1/2 to 1 inch of sand in the entire trench, depending on the figure you added to the soil line figure. Tamp down the sand with your 2-by-4. Place the first brick, upright at one end of the trench. Flush against the front or back of the trench. Place the next brick flush against the first brick, creating a row. Fill in the trench around the back of the bricks to stabilize them as you work. Repeat the process until you've finished laying your edging.