How to Make a Brick Walk Using Mortar

Insert wooden garden stakes along the chosen course of the walkway. Place a stake in each corner and about every 4 feet of length. Wrap a piece of twine around the stakes to connect them.

Dig out 6 inches of ground from the land within the twine using a shovel. Flatten the dirt at the bottom with a hand tamper. Press the flat end of the tool against the ground until it is firm beneath pressure.

Fill the site with 3 inches of gravel and shift it evenly with the back of the shovel. Push the gravel down with the tamper.

Pour 2 inches of masonry sand over the gravel to fill in the gaps between the rocks.

Open a package of ready-mix mortar and stir it with the amount of water specified on the instructions. Stir the mortar with the shovel and rinse off the shovel immediately afterward.

Apply a small amount of mortar to the center point of one end of the walkway. Use a notched trowel to spread enough mortar to set three to four bricks at a time.

Set the first brick in the mortar and hit it with a mallet to embed the brick in mortar. Lay the next bricks in place following your selected pattern, and work out to the sides of the walkway. Leave ¼-inch gaps between the bricks and set rubber spacers between them to ensure the joints are consistent. Continue to apply small piles of mortar, then set the bricks in place.

Lay a wooden board across the width of the first section of bricks. The board should be longer than the walkway is wide. Use a bubble level on top, and hit the board with the mallet until the level indicates the bricks are even. Before moving onto the next section, smooth mortar over the top of the joints with a concave jointing tool. Remove mortar spatters right away with a moist cloth. Continue placing bricks in mortar until the surface is covered. Wait four days for the mortar to dry.