How to Repair Brick on the Edge of a Garage

Number the bricks in the order they are laid in with a piece of chalk. This numbering will make it simple to return them in the correct order, especially if they were cut to fit.

Pry out the bricks with a flat bar and set them to the side of the garage.

Use a hand shovel to scoop out the soft base of sand and clay. This should only be about 1 inch thick with a hard gravel base underneath. Remove as much of the base as you can without disturbing the gravel foundation.

Replace the sand bed with ground limestone. Shovel a 1-inch layer over the gravel and smooth it out by dragging a flat board over the top. Limestone will support the bricks without retaining underground moisture.

Pack the limestone down with the end of a 4-by-4-inch board to make the base as compact as possible. Measure the remaining depth between the base and the surface and add new course sand as needed to raise the base so the bricks will sit level with the pavement.

Place the bricks over the sand in the order they were removed. Press them into the sand with a mallet. Place a bubble level across adjacent bricks to check that they are even.

Use a stiff hand brush to sweep fine masonry sand between the joints to block out moisture and pad the bricks.