Any tips on a brick-paver walkway?

I wasn't planning to do it this summer, but I found a great deal on 6x6 pavers, so I bought out the stock - all 206 of them. That's 51 square feet, and we need about 20 sq ft to go from front porch to garden gate, and 10 sq ft to go in front of the shed gate, and a few stepping squares in the garden area. (Got em for less than $75 with delivery, too.)

I need sand, I know that much. I'm sure there's other stuff I need to do, but I can't for the life of me figure it right now.

?

"Screenings" is crushed lime-stone I believe(in case they call it something else at the store).

We rented a mechanical tamper at Home Depot and packed the "screenings" down. It packs very well; almost like concrete. We laid the brick and then "swept in" sand in the joints to lock the brick in place.

'drifting' ... which they *will* do if the walk isn't edged.

Dig the path down about 3" deeper than the height at which you want the **bottoms** of the pavers to rest. You may want the pavers even with the surrounding grade or you may want it about the surrounding grade, which is why I say to measure from the **bottom** down.

Put some black plastic or some black weed cloth in the bottom of the excavation. If you use plastic, poke some holes in it for drainage. This liner will prevent weeds that spread by the roots from coming up in your walkway. Weeds that grow from seeds, from the top, just have to be hand pulled.

Next install the edging. Ideally, it extend to the bottom of the excavation.

Line the bottom 1" with some coarser material than sand to promote drainage. Whatever sort of material is available and cheap in your area. It could be crushed stone, it could be some concrete aggregate, it could be river gravel, whatever. Level that, but no need to be completely precise. Then top with the sand and screed it level. Use the edging to keep your screed the same height as you level the sand.

Place the pavers. you have a choice here. you can but them tight or you can leave a space (like a grout line). If tight, the walk will resist weeds better and stay more locked, but is also more prone to frost heave and is more difficult to repair/replace a paver if need be. It will also be more likely to form puddles after a rain. Laying with a space promotes drainage and encourages moss or low plant life to form in the 'grout' area. but it also encourages weeds. the loose lay is also easier to repair, if that need ever arises.

In both cases, you pour sand on the set pavers and then sweep it into the joints. Obviously the loose lay requires more sand, but the process, fundamentally, is still the same.

By the way ... ***great*** buy!

Frost heave is not a huge issue with bricks out here (though concrete is a whole 'nother story) so we ended up putting 'em close together. DH did the digging this morning while I dealt with Sweet Chariot and the idiots at Big O tires. (Grr. Argh. At least they're fixing it for me for free. Since they created the problem in the first place.) He's so lovely.

I didn't get pics before the sun set, and the rest of this weekend is amazingly disgustingly busy.

And we ended up with lots of extra dirt to level out the low places in the garden!

::::foot tap smiley to go here::::