How to Cement a Sidewalk

Rip hardboard siding into 6-inch-wide pieces with a table saw. The number of pieces you need to rip depends on the length of both the hardboard siding and the sidewalk. If your sidewalk is longer than the hardboard, butt two strips together end to end. Nail wooden stakes to the hardboard's outside surface every 3 to 4 feet. Outline one of the sidewalk's edges with the hardboard siding. Pound the stakes into the ground to hold the siding in place.

Cut a 2-by-4-board 3 inches wider than the sidewalk's width. Lay the board on the ground, with one end pressed against the hardboard. Mark the ground with spray paint to indicate the board's other end. Move the board 2 to 3 feet down the hardboard and repeat this step. Continue down the length of the sidewalk, marking the sidewalk's width every 2 to 3 feet.

Dig out the ground 8 inches deep between the hardboard siding and the spray paint. Lay a level on the ground in a handful of locations to check that the ground is flat. Pull the stakes securing the hardboard in place out of the ground.

Set cement formboard where the hardboard was, with the top edge approximately 1 inch higher than the grass. Pound wooden stakes into the ground approximately 1 foot from either end of the formboard. Secure the formboard to the stakes with 1 1/4-inch drywall screws.

Cut 3 inches off the board from Step 2 and use it as a spacing guide for laying the formboard on the sidewalk's opposite side. Lay the board on the ground, with one end touching the installed formboard. Lay another piece of formboard against the board's other end. Work your way down sidewalk's length securing the formboard to the ground the same way you did in Step 4.

Lay a 2-by-4-inch board across the formboards. Place a level on the 2-by-4 and adjust the formboards as necessary. Move the 2-by-4-inch board down 1 to 2 feet and check again. Continue down the length of the formboards.

Drive a plate compactor over the soil between the formboards. Pour crushed gravel between the formboards and spread it into an even 4-inch layer with a metal rake. Saw off any wooden stake extending over the formboard's top edge.

Unroll reinforcing mesh over the gravel. Cut the mesh to the same length as the sidewalk with bolt cutters. Trim the edges so the mesh stops 3 inches away from either formboard. Position rebar chairs under the mesh to lift it 2 inches off the ground.

Mix cement in a wheelbarrow, according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour the cement between the forms, working in 3- to 4-foot sections. Spread the cement with a metal rake.

Rest the 2-by-4-inch board from Step 5 across the two forms. Saw the board back and forth as you move it down the length of the poured sidewalk. Pour a second 3 to 4 foot section of cement and screed it. Continue until you reach the end of the sidewalk.

Sweep a darby across the sidewalk's surface. Move the darby in arcs, overlapping each arch by half the darby's length. Once you make it all the way down the sidewalk once, repeat a second time moving in the opposite direction.

Wait for the bleed water to disappear from the surface of the sidewalk. Place an edging tool between the formboards and the sidewalk. Move the edge tool back and forth all the way down the sidewalk's length along both sides.

Decide how long you want the sidewalk squares to be; typically they are between 4 to 5 feet long. Lay the straight 2-by-4-inch board across the sidewalk at the determined measurement. Slide a sidewalk groover along the board to cut the sidewalk groove.

Sweep a float over the sidewalk in sweeping motions. Lift the float's leading edge slightly as you make the sweeps. Then go over the sidewalk in sweeping motions with a steel trowel, again lifting the leading edge.

Drag a broom lightly over the sidewalk's surface to give it texture and create a non-slip surface. Cover the entire sidewalk with a piece of plastic sheeting. Hold the sheeting in place with bricks over the edges. Remove the plastic after a week.