Brick Sidewalk & Flowerbed

Michael Scott
by Michael Scott
5 Materials
6 Hours
Medium

There were no established flowerbeds or walkways in the front of my house. There was however a buried brick sidewalk in the back yard that was no longer needed. I decided to repurpose those rather than buy edging or have concrete poured.

Add sand and level area


You will need to have a level sandy area to lay the brick. Spread the dirt, and use a rake to level.

Gather brick


Gather brick and unload them near worksite.

Lay bricks


Begin laying bricks. Tap them from each side as you go to ensure a tight fit.

Add rows


Continue adding rows and making sure it’s tight as you go. I used a board and sledge hammer every few rows to help tighten. You may have to play around with the placement of the brick. I changed it up a bit after seeing the first few rows laid.

Border


I decided to make a border on each side by turning the bricks.

Finish and install bed


I curved the walkway to meet up with driveway. Then I installed a border around the flower beds. I added mulch to help prevent weeds.

Finish


Add bricks till complete. I watered down with a hose and avoided walking on it for several hours.

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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 13 questions
  • Thomas Thomas on Mar 25, 2022

    The surface of the bricks looks very unstable. Why was there no step included to use mortar sand to stabilize the brick walkway prior to sprinkling water over the surface? Seems like an important added step.

  • Bonnie Leek Bonnie Leek on Mar 25, 2022

    Your walkway and flower beds are gorgeous.

  • Edith Edith on Mar 27, 2022

    Did you use something like dry morter mix and sweep it in the cracks after you got it laid? I did something similar, small patio/walkway between back deck and summer house. I did that and am glad I did, much more stable.

Comments
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  • Teresa Cuoghi Edens Teresa Cuoghi Edens on Mar 23, 2023

    I would say that the dirt was NOT leveled. I have laid flagstone and brick and if it's not leveled properly the bricks or flagstone will break and possibly cause injury. That's a lot of work to have not done it properly and probably to be redone.

  • P P on Mar 23, 2023

    Be aware that plants planted in the narrow flower beds will need drip irrigation - I made similar beds & everything died even tho' we had plenty of rain - the roof overhang & gutters prevented any rain from reaching my poor plants! wider beds or just gravel & no plants but also, do NOT use wood chip or bark mulch that close to your house! mine was brick too but termites came in!

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