| |
| |
| Home Improvement Information | |
|
Installing a Brick or Paver Walkway
The use of Bricks or Pavers to create a walkway or patio complements a home in a way that is unmatched. It adds a level of quality and elegance to a home entrance that can not be achieved with either concrete or asphalt. Brick and Pavers also come in many different colors and shapes allowing for unique color schemes and patterns to be achieved. In addition, installing a Brick or Paver walkway does not necessarily require a pro. With some basic knowledge and a relatively simple walkway plan, a homeowner is capable of undertaking such a project. The key to installing a Brick or Paver Walkway is to first properly prepare the area where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. The area should be dug out at least a foot down, removing all topsoil and clay soil. In addition, string lines should be strung on each side of the walkway. The string lines indicate the finished height of the walkway. Once the area has been dug down, 3/4" gravel stone should be laid in and tamped down tightly. Then 2" of sand, or stone dust should be spread over the gravel. Again the sand/stone dust should be tamped down. Stone dust is preferred. The height between the tamped down sand and the stringline should equal the thickness of the brick or paver. Now that you have a stable base, place a 1" pipe or ledger board the length of the walkway on either side of the walkway. Then using a flatedge, e.g. a 2"x4" board, slide it over the two lengths of the pipe/ledger board. In doing this you will create a level surface area to lay the bricks/pavers. Now place on the level sand/stone dust strips of plastic brick borders. Install a run on both sides of the prepared area. These strips will act as your walkway border and help to maintain the integrity and shape of the walkway. You can get these plastic strip borders at most home improvement stores. The strips should be anchored down with 12" galvinized nails. You should sink these nails into the ground and through the strips every foot. Once this is done, you can then begin to lay the bricks/pavers. There are many patterns you can lay. I particularly like the Herring Bone pattern. The key to laying the bricks/pavers is to ensure that they interlock with each other. Always stagger adjacent rows of bricks by 1/2 of a brick to interlock them. This will again help maintain the integrity of the walkway. Inevitably bricks/pavers will need to be cut or split when building the walkway. Unless you want to buy or rent an expensive wetsaw, I would suggest purchasing a simple brick/paver splitter. It is basically a chisel with a wide end that is the width of the bricks/pavers. To actually cut/split the brick/paver, lay it in a bed of sand and place the chisel at a 75 degree angle over the spot where you want to break the brick. Then using a hammer strike the butt end of the chisel firmly. You may need to do this a couple of times. You may also want to flip the brick/paver over and strike the other side of the brick using the hammer and chisle. Within one or two strikes the brick/paver should break cleanly. If your walkway has curves you will need to buy/rent a wetsaw. After installing the bricks, build up the outside edges with additional sand, and then shovel in the topsoil and pack down firmly. Finally, spread stone dust over the new walkway and sweep into the cracks. Repeat this process a couple of times to ensure the cracks are fully filled. This will complete the interlocking of the bricks and help to eliminate any weed growth. Just add grass seed to the outside edges and you should have a beautiful entrance to your home within a couple of weeks. Mark J. Donovan http://www.homeadditionplus.com http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com Over the past 20+ years I have been involved with building homes and additions to homes. I have completed many projects that have included: building a vacation home, family room additions, and a garage. I have also finished the upstairs on unfinished homes. My formal education and profession has been as an Electrical Engineer and Marketing Manager.
MORE RESOURCES:
Electrical |
General |
Heat & AC
| Pool / Spa
| Plumbing
| Roofing
| Solar
| LP Gas Landscape | Contact Us | Links | Home Improvement | Home Home Improvement Information Site Map
Home-Improvement - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Types Of Bedsteads Selection of bedstead is also an important thing as selection of bed mattress. The frame, which provides support to bed, is called bedstead. Planning Permission Tips UK - Free Design Advice In The UK - How And Where To Get It Isn't it funny how people shelve projects for the new year - perhaps the new year feels like a fresh canvas or something - I don't know. Many potential clients I saw in Q4 of last year our now coming through as confirmed commissions - it's a funny old world with no rhyme or reason. Remodeling Online Remodeling PlansMaking remodeling plans for a house helps you to ensure that your home meets all your needs. It also adds value to your home in the long term. Roller Blinds What is behind the popularity of roller blinds. Is it because they are the value for money window treatment or is there anything else in it. Cordless Impact Wrench - Not the Same Tool as Your Cordless Drill The cordless impact wrench is quickly gaining in popularity among professional mechanics and the hobby mechanic as well. You may be thinking "I already have a cordless drill that I use for impact applications, why do I need a cordless impact wrench as well?". Remove Ink Stains From Carpet One of the best solvents you can use to remove ink stains from carpet is also one of the cheapest: rubbing alcohol. It works better if it is 90% isopropyl alcohol, but there is no danger in trying the ones that are 70% if that's what you have available. Refrigerators Electric Consumption - Lower It In 15 Minutes I recently had a customer ask for my advise about cleaning her refrigerator.I started to describe the pros and cons of different cleaners that can be used to clean the interior when she stopped me abruptly. Use the FHA Mortgage Specifically Created for Home Improvement Almost everyone knows about FHA mortgages. They are tailor-made for first time homebuyers and others with less than perfect credit or other financial issues. A Lasting Scent Look no further for long lasting perfumes. House of Rose makes them and they last more than twice as long as the other perfumes. Kitchen Remodeling Guide A kitchen can make or ruin a family life. A badly designed, ill-equipped and cluttered kitchen is likely to affect the peace of mind of an otherwise happy couple. How to Replace the Rollers on Your Patio Sliding Glass Glass Door Hiring a professional to replace your rollers could cost you around $100 not including the cost of the replacement parts. Below are detailed steps containing all the information you will need to know to replace your patio sliding glass door rollers yourself. A Few Simple Facts About Gas And Electric Heating Systems To make your home more energy efficient, you need to understand the energy efficiency of different types of heating and cooling systems. Many times people are confused by inaccurate information they receive from manufacturers and sellers of heating and cooling equipment. If You Think Mold and Mildew Hibernate During The Winter, Think Again! If You Think Mold and Mildew Hibernate During The Winter, Think Again.Free Tips For Removing Winter Mold & Mildew Stains From the Makers of InstaGone"The development of mold and mildew stains can actually be intensified during the winter," says InstaGone Consumer Products president Peter Chicarielli. The Art of Ice Dam Removal You may have noticed long icicles hanging from your gutters and not realize the significance of the damage that may be occurring behind them. Icicles are usually one of the first warning signs of possible ice dams on your roof. How To Choose House Style Mailboxes Your mailbox is not simply a receptacle for your mail; it is an extension of your home and a statement of your good taste. You can find extraordinary house style mailboxes that will be a beautiful addition to your outdoor dcor. Which Water Purification Systems Are Best? - A Comparison of the Three Most Common Technologies Fresh water is essential to our health and comfort. Not only do we rely on it to stay hydrated, we use it in many other ways including bathing, cleaning and cooking food, and laundering our clothes. Planning Permission Tips UK - Is Todays Popular Quest For Contemporary Design The New Bad Taste Can you remember when people used to install slatted louvre windows as replacement units in their Victorian semis or the stone cladding revolution of the 1980's.We look back & 'tut tut' at these blunders with a comfortable glow of self satisfaction that we would never make such obvious design & development errors in our own projects - we have a far greater sense of good taste haven't we?Trends in the residential development world seem to go in huge swings of about 7 to 10 year cycles and it is often not until the end of one cycle we realise what the mistakes were which is usually triggered by the complete abandonment of the previous trend or methodology for another system. Soy Candles? What Will They Think of Next? Quick: What comes to mind when you think of soy candles? Before my formal introduction to soy candles, I thought organic (read expensive) and BEIGE! And not just the color beige, but beige as an overall description for soy candles-blah like baby food, ground chick peas, and a pale winter pallor. I had no idea why it would even occur to anyone to purchase a soy candle. Log Home Mistakes Ebook Review Ok, you are ready to build a log home. If you are not going to build it yourself, it mean you will hire a builder. Research Concerning Color in Homes and Workplaces Over the years, many studies have been done in countries around the world to try to discover how human color preferences affect the choices we make in decorating our homes and workplaces, and one dominant fact has consistently emerged: our choice of colors seems to be based largely on the intended use of the space, whether it's in our homes or at our places of business. Here are a few of the findings from various studies:A Japanese study found that people prefer warm colors in the interiors of their homes, which was mirrored by a study in England, although the English were a bit more eclectic, preferring warm colors in their bedrooms and neutral colors in their living rooms.
|
Electrical |
General |
Heat & AC
| Pool / Spa
| Plumbing
| Roofing
| Solar
| LP Gas
Landscape
| Contact Us |
Links |
Home Improvement |
Home
Home Improvement Information Site Map
site map
MediaRocket
|
