How to Lay a Brick Path

By: Jennifer Stimpson, This Old House magazine

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. BRICKS
Choose bricks rated for severe weather (SW), also called "clay pavers" at the stone yard. Modular bricks measure 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 1½ inches thick, but actual dimensions can vary by as much as half an inch. Measure the bricks you like and figure out how many you'll need for your pattern. Depending on the pattern's waste, figure about five bricks per square foot

2. GRADED BASE
(a combination of crushed stone and stone dust), for creating a sturdy, porous base

3. MASONRY SAND
or stone dust, for creating a smooth, porous base between the graded base and the bricks

4. 1x4 COMPOSITE LUMBER
to use as temporary guides along the edges of the path as you set the bricks. Composite lumber is easier to bend for curves than standard lumber, though the latter will also work

5. WOODEN STAKES
at least 1½ feet long, to secure the guide rails in place

6. 1 1/4-inch DECK SCREWS
to temporarily attach the stakes to the guide rails

7. 2x4 LUMBER
to make a screed for shaping the sand

8. GARDEN EDGING
(optional) to hold together certain patterns of brick. Must go at least 6 inches into the ground

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Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- Spade
- Handsaw
- 4-foot level
- Hand tamper
- Drill/driver
- Deadblow mallet
- Push broom
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Product selections for this project
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Introduction
Overview
Steps:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9

Two 8-hour days
$2 to $15 per square foot

Difficulty: Moderate Requires stamina for digging and pounding, as well as an attention to detail

When crossing your muddy yard to fetch the daily paper turns into an obstacle course of slips and slides, perhaps it's time to think about an alternative path - literally. Instead of sinking up to your ankles in the name of the morning stock report, take a weekend to lay a brick walkway. The formal pavers will not only provide a clean and sturdy lane for visitors approaching your front door but they’ll also add style to your landscape and value to your home.

As This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers shows, in just one weekend you can turn a swath of dirt into a ribbon of elegance, able to withstand anything from a winter gale to a summer lawn mower. Then, by Monday morning you’ll be able to retrieve the front page without having to reach for the thigh-high waders.