How to Add Brick to a Driveway

Adding brick to a driveway is a simple way to bring a classic look to a front landscape. Edging the sides of an existing driveway with brick reduces maintenance by blocking wayward groundcover from encroaching, while accentuating the pavement's shape. Laying bricks is a straight-forward do-it-yourself project that takes about a weekend to finish, depending on the size of the driveway.

Ropes
Square shovel
2-by-4 or tamper
Crushed rocks
Course sand
Board
Bricks
Masonry sand
Hose

Instructions

- 1
  Outline the area along the driveway with ropes. The distance between the edge of the pavement and the ropes should be equal to the width of the bricks plus 2 inches. For a wider border, lay the bricks side by side and measure the length of the bricks instead of the width.
- 2
  Remove growth between the ropes and the edge of the pavement with a square shovel. Dig out another 6 inches of dirt and pound the bottom of the site with a hand tamper or the end of a 2-by-4 to make the dirt as stable as possible.
- 3
  Fill the expanse with 4 inches of crushed rocks and tamp them down.
- 4
  Sprinkle course sand over the rocks and spread it out with a narrow board so the surface is smooth.
- 5
  Set the first brick against the pavement beginning at one end of the site. Add or remove sand as needed so the brick sits above the pavement by an inch.
- 6
  Fill the rest of the expanse with bricks, butting the sides against each other so the gaps between the bricks and pavement are minimal.
- 7
  Fill the gap between the bricks and the lawn with crushed rocks to improve drainage.
- 8
  Pack fine masonry sand in between the bricks so water cannot seep between the joints.
- 9
  Repeat this process on the other side of the driveway.

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