How to Build a Brick Lined Sidewalk

Building the Concrete Sidewalk

• 1

  Mark the outline of the sidewalk onto the ground with spray paint or by driving wooden stakes into the ground. Add 1 foot to each side of the intended width of the sidewalk to allow space for the brick border.

• 2

  Dig a 6-inch-deep trench inside the marked-off area. Smooth the surface of the soil inside the trench with a rake.

• 3

  Hammer a wooden stake into the ground at each end of the trench. Place the stakes 1 foot away from the end of the trench, and 1 foot in from the side of the trench.

• 4

  Screw strips of hardboard siding to the stakes with 1 1/4-inch drywall screws, then hammer stakes in between the end stakes, using one stake every 3 feet. Screw the hardboard siding to the stakes.

• 5

  Build a gauge for setting the second side of the form by cutting a 1-by-4 board that's about 6 inches longer than the width of the sidewalk, and cutting notches into one edge of the board 3 inches in from each end. This ensures that the sidewalk will be a uniform width.

• 6

  Build the second side of the form with the hardboard siding and wooden stakes, using the gauge board to maintain the same distance along the length of the trench.

• 7

  Run over the soil inside the trench with a mechanical plate compactor, and pack soil against the outer edges of the hardboard form to provide extra support for the concrete as it's poured.

• 8

  Pour a 4-inch gravel base into the trench between the hardboard and rake it smooth. Lay wire mesh over the gravel, overlapping different pieces of mesh by 6 inches, and connecting the end of one piece to the next piece by wrapping the wires around it.

• 9

  Mix a batch of concrete, following the manufacturer's instructions, and pour the concrete into the trench between the hardboard siding.

• 10

  Screed the surface of the concrete by placing a 2-by-4 board across the top of the hardboard and dragging it back-and-forth across the concrete. If there are any low spots in the pour, add more concrete and screed the form again.

• 11

  Place a bull float on the concrete by your feet, with the back end tilted up in the air. Push the float across the concrete to the other side, then lower the float and pull it back toward you. Do this for the length of the sidewalk.

• 12

  Wipe a magnesium float over the surface of the concrete after the excess water has evaporated. Tilt the back edge of the float slightly in the air, and use a broad, sweeping motion when running it over the concrete.

• 13

  Run an edging tool over the outer edges of the sidewalk to round the edges.

• 14

  Cut control joints into the sidewalk by laying a 2-by-4 across the concrete and running a groover across the surface. Do this every 5 to 6 feet for the length of the sidewalk. The control joints are the grooves in the sidewalk, and are designed to crack when the concrete expands and contracts, protecting the rest of the sidewalk.

• 15

  Create texture in the surface of the concrete by lightly wiping a broom across the surface. This helps provide traction when the sidewalk is wet or icy.

• 16

  Place expansion strips into the concrete every 30 feet for the length of the sidewalk. Run the edging tool over the concrete next to the expansion strips to round the edges. Allow the concrete to set for the time specified on the packaging.

• 17

  Remove the soil you packed around the hardboard form, then remove the hardboard and wooden stakes from around the sidewalk.

Laying the Brick Border

• 18

  Smooth the surface of the soil along the edges of the sidewalk, and tamp it down.

• 19

  Pour 3 inches of gravel into the trenches next to the sidewalk. Rake the gravel smooth, and tamp it to compact it.

• 20

  Add a 1-inch layer of sand on top of the gravel, then smooth the surface.

• 21

  Measure the length of the bricks, and install steel edging along the sides of the sidewalk, keeping the edging a brick-length away from the sidewalk.

• 22

  Lay the bricks onto the sand between the sidewalk and the edging.

• 23

  Backfill the soil around the edging.