How to Build a Brick Driveway

A brick driveway can completely change the look of any home and add to its value, but it can also be quite expensive to have installed. However, with the right tools, the right materials, a couple of hours and the help of a couple of friends, you can build your own brick driveway a lot easier than you might think.

Tools

• Level


• Maker and making paint


• Hand tamper


• Shovel and spade


• Cold chisel


• Wet saw


• Safety glasses


• String


• Rubber mallet


• Plate vibrator or power tamper


• 2 x 6, as long as your driveway is wide


• Wheelbarrow

Materials

• Sand


• Paver edging and stakes or nails


• Brick pavers or block pavers


• Road base or gravel sand mix

Planning
You have to decide what kind of brick you plan to use. The most common types available for driveway use are:

• Holland


• Oxford


• Cobblestone (a mix of both square and rectangle shaped stones)


• DecoraStone (octagonal blocks)

Site Preparation:

1. Dig out your driveway. It should be as deep as the stone you are using plus another six inches, for bedding. It should also be about eight to twelve inches wider so you have room for edging.


2. Smooth and level out the area using a spade so that it is even.

Bedding:

1. Fill the whole area you have dug out with five inches of road base and use a rake to make it smooth.


2. Using the vibrator plate, go up and down the driveway until it is packed down firmly.

Installing the Sand:

1. Place about 1 1/2 inches of sand on top of the gravel and rake it flat.


2. With the help of a friend, use your 2 x 6 to to smooth out the sand and make sure it is even. Start at one end of your driveway and work your way to the other.

Install Edging:

1. Choose an edging that is made for paving bricks and follow the manufactures directions for installing it. Typically, it is laid down with the tabs pointing away from the brick and anchored down using twelve inch nails.

Laying the Bricks:

1. Lay a row of bricks along all the edges of your driveway,


2. Start at the driveway's lowest point and fill in the rest of it using any pattern you want. Some bricks may need cutting once you are done so that they fit properly.

Seat the Bricks:

1. Compact all the bricks using the vibrator plate. When you are done they should all be even.


2. Spread fine sand across the driveway and allow it to dry. 


3. Once dry, sweep the sand into the gaps between the bricks.


4. Repeat the above steps until no sand will fall into the gaps between the bricks.


5. Fill the edge back in with soil and smooth with a rake.