Instructions For a Walkway

Plan the course and design of the walkway. Choose from bricks, pavers, stone, loose rocks or other hardscape materials for the surface. Decide if it will be a primary path for guests or a secondary walkway. Plan to make the walkway four feet wide to accommodate wheelchairs and multiple people.

Lay down ropes along the sides of the intended site. Add four inches of width to account for the edging.

Unearth dirt along the site with a squared shovel. Remove eight inches from the entire site and rake the loose dirt on the bottom to make it even. Tamp the surface with a manual tamper to stabilize the ground.

Pour four inches of crushed concrete over the site and tamp it down. When compacted, the irregularly-shaped pieces offer a solid support for the surface while allowing underground moisture to pass beneath.

Set strips of metal or plastic edging along the inner walls, or use 2-by-4 pressure-treated timbers for a more natural look. Insert 12-inch nail spikes through the edging to fasten it to the ground.

Rake an inch of grit sand over the crushed concrete to level out the surface.

Set your paving materials on the sand starting at one end and working across. Leave minimal spacing between each piece and continue to set them according to your pattern. Place a board over the sections as you go and walk on it to make the stones or pavers level.

Pour a layer of fine sand over the finished surface and push it into the gaps with a shop broom. Continue packing the joints until they are full.