Lay out the site

Step-by-Step

Use the techniques on Laying Out Sites for Slabs, Related Projects, to lay out the site. Select the style of edging and the brick pattern you want. Use the 3-4-5 method to establish square corners and use a line level or water level to establish the correct slope, about 1/4 inch per running foot. If your yard already slopes a bit, but not more than 1/2 inch per foot, you can follow its contour so you will not have to fill in and resod the lawn after building the patio.

Excavate and tamp

Remove the sod and dig to the correct depth. Remove roots 1 inch in diameter or larger. The paving material should be 1 inch above grade. Dig out the soil for the edging and patio to a depth that leaves room for adequate bedding material. Adjust the surface height by using more or less bedding material. Tamp the ground firmly, especially if you have not reached undisturbed claylike soil.

Install edging

Stretch a mason's line to serve as a guide for the height and alignment of the edging. For the brick soldiers shown here, place a small amount of sand in the bottom of the excavation and tap the bricks with the handle of your trowel to set them at the height you want. Fill around the sides of each brick with sand as you work. At this point, backfill with just enough soil to keep the bricks from leaning outward. For other edging options, see Selecting Edging Materials, Related Projects.

Cover with landscaping fabric

If your bedding is only sand, cover the tamped soil with landscaping fabric before adding the sand. The fabric reduces weed growth, but allows water to filter through into the soil. For a sand and gravel bed, lay the fabric on top of the tamped gravel. Overlap the sheets about 2 inches. Then spread, smooth, and tamp the sand.

Screed sand

Shovel in the sand to roughly the correct height. Dampen it and tamp it down. Draw a straightedge across the sand to smooth it out. For this purpose, make a screed out of a straight 2x4 with a length of 1x4 or 1x6 nailed to it. If the patio is wider than 8 feet, you will need to install temporary supports for screeding. With a helper, work the screed back and forth as you move it sideways to achieve a level surface.

Crown walk

When screeding a walkway, give it a slight crown so water will run off easily. Make a screed with a curved cut, as shown. Pull it across the edging or forms as you would with a flat screed.

Lay bricks

Start in one corner and begin laying the bricks or pavers. Set them straight down rather than sliding them into place so as not to disturb the level sand surface. Set each brick snugly against its neighbors and tap each one gently with a rubber mallet or block of wood. Use a level to check for proper slope and to make sure the bricks are all at the same height.

If a brick is too low, pick it up, trowel in more sand, and tap it into place until it rests at the correct height.

Check straightness

Every third or fourth course, use a taut string line as a guide to make sure you are laying the bricks in straight lines and at the proper elevation. Do not step or kneel on the bricks as you work: Use a piece of plywood as a kneeler.

Cut bricks

To cut a brick or paver by hand, score it all the way around by tapping a brick set with a baby sledgehammer. Place the brick on a bed of sand or loose soil several inches deep and give it a sharp blow with the brick set.

For a cleaner-looking cut, use a circular saw with a masonry cutting blade. Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection.

Fill joints

Spread a thin layer of fine sand over the patio surface and gently sweep it back and forth so the sand fills the joints. Be especially careful at first not to dislodge the bricks. Once the joints are full of sand, hose off the entire surface with a fine spray to wash away the remaining sand particles. This compacts the sand and forces it into the joints. Repeat this process, sweeping in more sand and spraying, until the sand is level with the top of the bricks.

You can make your patio more permanent by using dry mortar mix rather than plain sand in the joints. For this method, leave 1/2-inch spaces between the bricks when you set them in place. Sweep the dry mortar mix into the joints, remove excess mortar, and sprinkle the surface gently with water until the mix is wet. Repeat the sprinkling process twice at 15-minute intervals to ensure you have enough water in the mortar. The mortar will harden within a few hours and cure in a week. If your ground heaves with the frost, the mortar lines will crack.