How to Create Concrete Walkways

Design the shape and layout of the walkway on a simple sketch of your yard. Make the width a minimum of 4 feet for handicapped access, or 30 to 36 inches if the path is secondary. Use ropes or landscape paint to outline the edges of the intended site, adding 6 inches of width to allow for the temporary forms.

Cut straight down along the ropes or paint, using a spade. Unearth 8 inches from the site with a shovel, digging until the bottom is flat. Press a hand tamper against the loose dirt to compact the subsoil.

Pour 5 inches of 3/4-inch aggregate over the ground and rake it evenly. Tamp the aggregate from end to end until the rocks do not move under pressure. Lay wire mesh over the top to support the concrete slab.

Press wood stakes through the foundation every 4 feet and against the interior walls, using a hammer. Each stake must be 1 inch above ground level.

Set 2-inch by 4-inch boards against the stakes so the top edge of the boards is the same height as the stakes. Screw the boards to the stakes with screws and a drill to create a temporary form for the walkway.

Open a bag of ready-mix concrete and mix it with the manufacturer-recommended amount of water until it is thick, but pourable. Pour the concrete over the foundation from one end to the other.

Rake wet concrete evenly across the walkway with a gauge rake. Drag a 5-foot board across the concrete, moving back and forth, to cover any low areas, remove excess concrete and smooth the top. Once water bleeds to the surface and reabsorbs --- approximately 15 minutes after the pour --- press a trowel or squeegee over the surface to smooth it out. Go over the top lightly with a shop broom to add grooves for traction.

Cut control joints with a trowel every 4 feet across the walkway. Use a board to guide the trowel edge so the line is straight, and make the joints half the depth of the concrete slab.