How to Lay Brick Sidewalks

Mark out the path of your sidewalk using a series of stakes. Plant the stakes into the ground every two feet along both edges of the proposed brick sidewalk, using a hammer to pound in the stakes. String a mason's line to the line of stakes to establish a visual guideline for the sidewalk boundaries. To make sure the mason's line stays in place, tie the line to the first stake on an edge and then string it along the remaining stakes in the edge, wrapping a loop of the line tightly around each stake.

Dig a foundation for your sidewalk between the two lined edges, using a spade. Dig to a depth of two inches plus the depth of the bricks that you're using.

Line both sides of the sidewalk foundation with steel edging strips; these will hold the bricks in place. Secure the edging strips in place by driving 12-inch steel spikes through the mounting holes in the edging strips into the soil.

Compact the soil at the base of the foundation with a plate compactor to create a solid base for the bricks. Spray the compacted soil with a soil fumigant to keep grass and weeds from growing along the sidewalk path.

Pour a 1-inch layer of sand into the foundation hole to serve as the base for your bricks. Level the sand by dragging a wooden screed back and forth along the top. Mist the sand with water from a hose, and compact the sand with the plate compactor. Add another 1 inch of sand, then mist and compact the surface a second time.

Place the bricks into the foundation hole, lining them up in rows across the width of the sidewalk; fit them tightly between the edgers, butting them tightly together. Use a carpenter's level to keep the tops of the bricks level with one another. Tap high bricks deeper into the sand using a rubber-headed mallet, and raise lower bricks upward by adding a small amount of sand beneath them.

Continue adding bricks into the path until you reach the path end. Cut the bricks as necessary to fit, using a circular saw equipped with a masonry blade.

Pour fine-grit sand across the tops of the bricks, then sweep the sand into the spaces between the bricks to act as a grout, using a push broom. Cover the sidewalk with a rubber mat and run the plate compactor over the bricks to settle the sand into place. Add more sand to the joints between the bricks after compacting to finish the process. Remove the stakes.