Brick Patio Instructions

Site your patio well away from underground and overhead pipes and wires. Submit a site drawing or site location to local authorities and obtain all necessary permits to build your patio.

Use a shovel to excavate the patio site in the intended width, length and shape to a total depth of 8-inches. Place the removed soil in a wheelbarrow to move easily to another location.

Check the bottom of the patio excavation site with a level. Remove any high areas with a shovel to make the patio area perfectly level.

Compact the soil at the bottom of the excavation site using the soil compactor. To use the soil compactor, repeatedly pound the flat end of the compactor against the ground until the soil becomes hardened and resists footprint impressions.

Lay down two, 2-inch layers of gravel into the patio site. Level and compact each 2-inch layer of gravel before applying the next layer.

Apply a 2-inch layer of masonry sand on top of the second gravel layer. Smooth and level the sand layer by dragging a 2-by-4-inch board over the sand layer.

Locate the center of the patio site by stretching a string between opposite corners or sides of the patio. The location in which two strings intersect marks the center of the patio.

Set the first patio brick into place in the center of the patio. Place the level on the brick and tap the top of the brick with a rubber mallet until it lies perfectly level on the sand bed.

Work outward, placing one brick at a time. Level each brick using the level and rubber mallet. Lay the bricks into any chosen pattern inside the patio space.

Pour a load of masonry sand onto the finished brick patio. Sweep the sand across the patio, allowing the sand to fill the gaps between the patio bricks. Sweep excess sand off the patio surface.