Before I get started?

I plan on starting with about a 25 foot section and if it goes well do another section in the backyard. Just wondering if anyone has any pointers.

Build good borders,use larger grain sand,screed it as good as tou can and take your time laying it out.Laying pavers is gravy,its the prep work that has to be right.Make sire you have enough slope to drain the water as standing water is the enemy.Sand it in real good when you are done and broom the sand in a couple of times.At least 3 and then soak it and do it again if you need to.A dead blow 2 lb rubber hammer sure is nice for when you need to "adjust" bond.Good luck man.

I am assuming you are going to use sand instead of mortar and a concrete bed, eh ? If so....he's right about the prep work. It's everything.

It was easier for me to till it, smooth it, lay some sand down, build a form, pour concrete and before it dried, lay the pavers ( wet) right in the concrete, leaving spaces for the mortar joints. Next day I tossed the mortar in between them with a trowel and ran a jointer thru them after it set up a while. I didnt have the patience to deal with the "sand only method". But then again, I owned a small, 2 sack concrete mixer...and my step father was a masonry contractor.

Your step-father was a great man

You are a mason ? ( not the club, but the craft)

I spent many a weekend and summers working as a laborer for him. I bet I turn over more wheel barrows full of mud than any laborer he had..lol !
No way I was going to tote any less mud than the real laborers....even though I was about 12-14 yrs old at the time. You know how it is.

"TIGHTEN UP !"

Yes, masinry contractor. Father and Grandfather were both masons as well almost all of my uncles,cousins and brothers.Been brickin since I was a little runt. Other kids looked forward to summer break, I wonder what that was like.I really enjoy it, I would not do it if I didnt.

I'm most concerned about drainage, getting the slope in there and of course not looking forward to the digging. I'm doing the sand thing. I want to make sure the bricks are tight and don't shift.

Run a tiller through the area you want to dig up and that makes it a lot easier.Using a metal edge on it is about the only way to keep it tight in the long run.1/4" per foot at a minimum slope.

Dig out about a 4"-6" inch deep area where the walkway will go. Use 4" of crushed road base (limestone) and 2" of course sand. After the crushed stone goes down, compact the area with a plate compactor. Do the same after the sand.

Use a screed board a little longer than the width of the sidewalk to screed the area level. Lay the pavers working from a starting point and then stand and walk on the pavers and not the sand to keep it level. Work on the diagonal. This will keep them straight. If you need a border you can use a mortar border after they are in or they make a plastic border with holes in it to nail down with bridge spikes.

After finishing the pavers make sure and use "Polymeric Sand" in the joints. It has an adhesive compound built in so when you water it in, it reacts to the water and sets like glue. It will usually hold the pavers in place without any edge restraint. This is as along as you have a dirt border or flower bed up against the edge and it's not sitting on top of the surface.

Before watering in the Polymeric sand, make sure and sweep all the excess off the pavers. If not it will glue itself to the top of the paver and will not come off.

I do this with each walkway I build and have had no problems. It seems like overkill on the base, but that is where every good structure starts.

If you are concerned about drainage, it will not hold water if it is level. If you are concerned about the walkway backing up water in a flower bed or yard, you can install french drain like pipes to solve this problem. 2"-3" PVC works great for this problem. Bury it in the gravel and sand.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask. Remember if you prep it correctly it will never fall apart.

I forgot one thing. If you want to make curves, use 1/2" PVC and bend it in the curve you want and mark with marking paint. A water hose layed out in the design you want also works, although be careful not to paint the hose.

I am fixing to do the same project. where is the best/cheapest place to buy the base/sand?

Denton Sand and Gravel up by you or Custom Stone supply on 35W and Keller-Hicks south of Alliance.

any clue how to figure out how much sand and base you will need? some kind of formula.I am looking at laying exactly 200sqft

I'm wondering that myself ChaseUNT. I'm looking at about 100 sq ft for the first project, then 200 sq ft if all goes well.

What's the going rate for sand? besides home depot....

Didnt mean to steal your thread cuevl, just didnt see a point of making my own!

oh no, no problem as long as we both get help.

I'm not looking forward to the digging part, so I'm just wanting to find out as much as I can so that I don't have any surprises or mistakes.

Sounds simple though. (famous last words)

You will need about 2.5 yds for a 4" base and abot 2 tds for a 3" base to cover 200 sf.. Get an extra 1/2 yd to sand it in.You can get sand from $37-$45 per yd from a masonry supply co.

Make it easy on yourself. Rent or borrow a tiller. Till it up and it will be a snap to shovel the extra dirt out and shape it up. Or....you could choose to dig with a shovel all afternoon and wish you had rented a tiller for $20 for 1/2 a day.

where you live cuevl? maybe we could split the cost of a tiller for a day.
just would have to call dig test first, or else it could turn into a shocking experience

Like BUTSKY said is what you will need.

Volume = L X W X H. Your L X W = 200. Your H = 4" or .33 of a ft.

200 X .33 = 66

Divide that by 27 (number of square feet in a sq. yard)= 2.45 yds.

I always figure 100 sg. ft. two inches thick is about a yard of material.

OldFrog is right about the tiller. Tilled ground is much easer to excavate than packed soil. Worth the rental fee if you are talking about 200 sq. ft.