How to Build a Concrete Walkway With Exposed Aggregates

Mark the location of your walkway visually using a pair of garden hoses. Place the hoses parallel to one another following the walkway path and adjust the width of the walkway or actual path by moving the garden hoses around.

Check the position a final time. When satisfied with the walkway, cut through the groundcover and topsoil in a line along the outside lengths of both hoses with a spade to mark the location. Remove the hoses and continue excavating the walkway space to a depth of four inches using the spade. Compact the soil along the length of the walkway with a tamper to create a stable soil base.

Line the sides of the walkway hole with rubber concrete forms to create a definitive shape to the walkway.

Fill the base of the walkway with two inches of gravel, and then compact the gravel as well.

Mix the concrete for the walkway in a wheelbarrow, using a hoe to fold in the added water until the concrete mix is the consistency of a thickened batter. Scoop the concrete into the foundation using the spade, filling the walkway to the surface of the surrounding grass.

Smooth the surface of the walkway by dragging a wood screed across its surface. Saw the screed back and forth to level out any uneven areas. Run a bull float over the concrete to smooth it even more while distributing aggregates throughout for a stronger material. The bull float will pull water to the top of the walkway. Allow the slab to reabsorb the water before continuing, about 30 minutes.

Place a concrete edger between the form and the concrete to create an even edge to the walkway. Run the edger down both walkway edges.

Switch to a concrete groover and use a straightedge to guide the groover as you cut across the concrete 1/2-inch deep every five feet to create expansion joints through the concrete.

Cover the walkway with pea gravel aggregate. You can choose whatever color you desire to give your exposed aggregate walkway the look you choose. Toss the gravel over the walkway with a sweeping motion to spread it as evenly as possible. Use a broom to brush it in place levelly.

Mix one part Portland cement with three parts sand in a large bucket. Use an electric drill with a mixer attachment to add water to the mix until it's a thin batter-like consistency. Spread the mixture over any loose aggregate that the wet concrete fails to hold into place.

Run the wooden float over the aggregate to press the gravel further into the walkway surface. Add any gravel needed to the surface of the walkway whenever you see clear spots in order to fill them with the aggregate.

Press the gravel as deeply into the walkway as possible, and then roll over the surface with a lawn roller to push them in even further. Check the sides of the walkway for ridging from bulging concrete created from the weight of the roller. If you note any, remove the roller and wait an additional 30 minutes curing time for the slab to harden enough to roll over. Cover up any lines made by the roller by pressing them flat with a 2-by-4 struck with a mason's hammer. Wait an hour for any water pulled to the top to reabsorb into the walkway.

Take a soft bristle broom and brush the surface of the walkway over the gravel, revealing the gravel in the process. Reveal the gravel further by spraying the surface with a light spray from a garden hose. This will remove the concrete from the top of the gravel, showing only the pea gravel surface. Wait three weeks curing time for the concrete, spraying the surface with a light spray of water every day for the first three days, to keep it from drying out.

Spray the walkway with two coats of concrete sealant to prevent staining. Spray the first coat along the length of the walkway with the second placed along its width to ensure coverage. Wait 72 hours for the sealant to dry before use.