How to Lay Out an Outdoor Walk

Outdoor walks are a good way to dress up your property and believe it or not they are good for walking as well. If you have an area you want a path to or from this is a pretty easy way to get started making a walk. There are many different ways to go about this but the first thing you need to do is lay out your edges whether they are straight or curved. Typically a walk is at least 4 feet wide, this is so two people can pass comfortably, this is not necessary because most likely the walk you are going to make is not made for actual walking or running or anything other than getting from one place to another without getting muddy. In this case your walk can be about 2 feet wide or whatever you want for that matter. If you are going to use pavers or bricks you can make the width multiply by the width of the pavers so it will work out even. To prevent flooding, you need to make sure it slopes away from the house at least 1 inch for every 4 feet. You can also crown the walk so the middle is higher than the sides so it will drain off, usually 1/4 inch per foot will work good.

First I will explain how to lay out straight edges for your walk. Build a pair of batterboards to lay out each side of the walk. To make a batterboard, cut a point in the end of two 3-foot 2x4's, then nail a 2x4 cross piece to them about 2 inches from the top. Drive in a batterboard at each end on one side of the walk. If the walk is right against another structure, tack a nail into the structure. If an end is not at a fixed reference point drive in the batterboard 12 to 18 inches beyond the end of the walk. Run a mason's line between the batterboards. Next you need to level the line with a line level. Once you have the one side level do the same thing with the other side with batterboards in the same way as the first side. Measure between the lines at points along them. Shift the lines until the distance between them is equal. Once you are ready for a corner, lay out the second leg with batterboards and mason's lines. Check for square with the 3-4-5 triangle. Measure along one line and apply a piece of tape 3 feet from where the lines cross. measure 4 feet along the other line, and tape. Slide the lines on the batterboards until the distance between the two points equals 5 feet.

Once you have all your lines set up with the batterboards and line levels you need to transfer the ends of both sides of the walk to the ground with a plumb bob and chalk powder. Mark the locations of lines on the batterboards so you can reinstall them later when you are building the walk. At each chalked point, drive a 2x2 stake into the ground. Now you have marked the corners of the walk, next you need to run mason's lines between the stakes a few inches above the ground which will outline the walk. Level the lines on the stakes with a line level. Next you need to mark the slope for your walk. Starting at the high end of the walk which is nearest to the house you need to calculate a slope of 1 inch for every 4 feet of drainage. Mark the total drop on the stakes at the low end of the walk and slide the mason's lines down to the marks. These are the basic steps to laying out straight edges for a walk, but you may want to have some free turns or curved edges in your walk as well.

To begin laying out a curve, drive stakes where you want each end to be and stretch mason's line between the stakes. Find the middle of the line and stake a second line (the pivot line) through the midpoint and perpendicular to the first line. Any point along the pivot line can be the line from the pivot point to the stakes, marking the end of the curve. Swing the line around the stake like a giant compass to mark the curve. I like to use chalk powder because it is very visible and you are not relying on a scratch in the ground. Once you have your line down simply place your stakes accordingly.

Now you are well on your way to creating a walk on your property, getting the edges put in properly will assure that you are on the right track and get you going in the right direction to creating the perfect walk for you.