How to Replace Bricks in a Walkway

Using a hammer and chisel, loosen the damaged or sunken brick. Remove some of the adjacent bricks as well. This will allow you to correct the foundation and give you more room to work. If you plan to reuse the old bricks, lay them aside in a similar pattern as the original.

Excavate the original foundation. This base will usually consist of processed stone or gravel covered by a layer of sand.

Compact the topsoil with a hand tamper and add the processed stone.

Begin tamping the processed stone until you've completed a level first layer. Dampen the processed stone while tamping to allow for proper compacting.

Using 2-by-4-inch scrap and plywood, create a screed to achieve the appropriate final height of the foundation layer. Attach a strip of plywood to the 2-by-4 so that it extends past the latter by the same distance as the height of your brick. The 2-by-4 should be long enough to rest on both sides of the working area. This tool will allow you to level the foundation and match the original surface height of the walkway.

Add a layer of sand. Compact the sand using a hand tamper. Check the final height of the foundation layer using the screed. Adjust the height of the foundation by adding or removing sand.

Replace the bricks in the same pattern as the original walkway. Set the bricks straight down when installing them so that you don't disturb the top layer of the foundation.

Spread a half inch of sand across the work area. Compact the newly placed bricks using the hand tamper. This process will fill the joints between the bricks with sand and stabilize the bricks. Sweep up the excess sand.