My yard is beach sand. I want to put a brick sidewalk, but i do not know what to put under the bricks to make sure they do not move. How do I this to stay? Barbara
Some folks might mix a little red clay for a base for the bricks but I don't think that's permitted in many places. As long as the sand on the sides of the brick walk is as high as the top of the bricks the sand under the bricks can't move away. The bricks should stay in place.
JdN
Posts: 7544 | Location: Elkader, IA, USA | Registered: Mar 07, 2004
Building a permanent sidewalk on sand will require maintenance over the years and if the foundation moves if will impact the walkway. The better the foundation you prepare for your brick walkway the less problems you will have. Building on a sand foundation may require a total rebuild of the walkway in 10-20 years depending on the elements in your area, though it may last much longer.
Layout your walkway, and excavate down 12". Make it level and add 5" of gravel and pack it with a vibrator packer to level. Layout cement forms for your walkway and prepare to add wire mesh reinforcement. Pour a cement pad 3 to 5" deep with concrete which is 3000 psi with fiberglass embedded in it. Once dry, cut the needed expansion joints. This will form the base on which you will lay your brick walkway. Once dry, cut the needed expansion joints. Realize the better the foundation the longer it will last with fewer problems. The finished height of the cement should allow you lay your brick walkway on top of it and should allow the bricks to be laid on a thin base of sand roughly 1" thick while the finished surface is level or slightly above that of the surrounding area whichever you desire. Adjustments in the original and various depths of materials are important to the finished height you desire.
This base should support your brick walkway for many years though as the sand many shift and settle so too may the cement but this should last for many years barring washing out by heavy rainfall, floods, etc. Not knowing exactly in what region you live makes this more difficult and less predictable.
You might want to consider concrete patio blocks. These are usually 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" thick and can be anywhere from 4" x 8" to 24" x 24". If you're laying them on sand, all you will have to do is rake out an area so that it is pretty level and then lay the blocks wherever you want them. Check out your local big box store or go to a concrete masonry supplier.
Posts: 551 | Location: Rogers City, MI | Registered: Sep 25, 2007
Thank you for responding. The blocks sound good but won't they move when it rains or when people walk on the. Should they be cemented together. hanks Barbara
They should be fine under normal conditions. As long as the underlying sand is stable, they won't move. No need to cement them, just make sure they are flat and lightly tap them in place with a piece of 2x4 or rubber mallet.
Posts: 551 | Location: Rogers City, MI | Registered: Sep 25, 2007
Also make sure you use a good edging to help keep the sides from moving. And, be prepared to fill in the cracks with more sand each year as the sand naturally erodes.
they sell the edging materal and the stakes to hold them in place, at the big box store. a tip for you..being in florida,sometimes the stakes you use need to be longer, due to sand. instead of buying WAY overpriced stakes, buy 10' peices of 1/2" emt. that would be in the electrical department. use a hacksaw to cut in half..lay out a small section, of the bricks then measure how wide you need to put the edging cut a board that length, and use as a measure stick. for installing edging. lay bricks then cover with sand,water the walk way,sand,sweep,water,sand,sweep,sand
Posts: 1665 | Location: i i live in southern mississippi | Registered: Jun 01, 2008
