10 Tips to Build a Better Concrete Sidewalk

Overbuild Your Concrete Forms

Every builder who’s poured a concrete slab or walkway has a horror story about forms that bulged or even collapsed under the force of wet concrete. To avoid a horror story of your own, build strong forms. Use 1-1/2-in.-thick boards (2x4s, 2x6s, etc.) except on curves. If you’re using 2x4s or 2x6s, place stakes no more than 3 ft. apart.

If the forms extend below ground, pack soil against them. If they extend more than 6 in. aboveground, reduce the spacing between stakes and brace each one with a second stake and a diagonal “kicker.”

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