Laying Brick Beside a Driveway

Lay ropes parallel to the sides of the driveway. Space them wide enough to accommodate the bricks plus 2 inches. Decide whether you want to lay them lengthwise for a narrow border or side by side for a broader one.

Use a shovel to dig out the top layer of grass. Dump it on a tarp to replant in low areas of the yard. Continue digging to remove 5 inches of topsoil from edges of the driveway to the ropes.

Press a hand tamper against the bottoms of both trenches until the ground feels hard.

Dump crushed rock over the compacted dirt and spread it with the shovel. Tamp it down and measure the depth with a measuring stick. Continue adding rock until it is 3 inches thick.

Pour course-grit sand over both trenches to fill in some of the gaps between rocks and create a smooth bed for the bricks. Spread it even by dragging a wood board across the sand and rocks.

Set the first brick at one end of the trench so the side is flush with the edge of the driveway. Butt the bricks against each other and the driveway, tapping them down with a mallet so they’re even. Continue placing the bricks until both trenches are filled.

Fill the narrow spaces between the bricks and driveway with fine mason’s sand. Pack it down with a stiff broom until all of the spaces are filled.

Add crushed rocks to the gaps between the outer end of the bricks and the grass, and tamp it down.