Home Improvement Ideas Patio Design Ideas and Makeovers Patio Installation How to Install Timber and Brick Paver Steps Brick treads framed with landscape timbers make attractive steps between different levels in your yard, and with our DIY guide, you can install them yourself. By Caitlin Sole Caitlin Sole Caitlin Sole is the senior home editor at BHG. She is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of interior design expertise. She has vast experience with digital media, including SEO, photo shoot production, video production, eCommerce content, print collaboration, and custom sales content. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 21, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Project Overview Working Time: 8 hours Total Time: 8 hours Skill Level: Intermediate Estimated Cost: $200+ Yield: Framed paver steps If your yard has a steep incline, you know how difficult it can be to get around outside. In addition, unstable ground can be a hazard, especially for families with young kids and older adults. Fix this problem yourself by building in-ground timber and brick paver steps, which look great in every landscape and are easy for any homeowner to install. Follow our directions below to learn how to build timber and brick steps. 10 Hillside Landscaping Ideas That Will Improve Your Yard What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Round-nose shovel Circular saw Handsaw Level Drill bits and extension Small sledgehammer 2x4 for tamping Rubber mallet Straightedge Broom Materials Stakes Mason's line Screed Pressure-treated timbers 1/2-inch rebar 12-inch spikes Gravel Landscape fabric Sand Pavers Instructions How to Build Timber and Brick Paver Steps Timbers come in various sizes, and the size of the timbers you use will affect both the dimensions of the steps and the possibilities for brick patterns within the frame. Find out what's available and use the actual measurements to draw a dimensioned plan. Most timbers come in 8-foot lengths, perfect for steps 4 feet wide. When you design your brick paver steps (and before you start digging), decide on a brick pattern. Use a pattern composed of whole bricks so you can avoid cutting them. Choose the brick, purchase the correct quantity, and dry-lay it on a flat surface in the pattern of your choice. Then, use the dimensions of this mocked-up section to cut the timbers to fit. The plan shown here uses rebar to anchor the timbers into the soil. If your soil is sandy, use a 2-foot length of 3/4-inch pipe or steel conduit instead. Carve Risers Make the steps with a riser height equal to the timber height and a comfortable tread length. Lay out the site with stakes and mason's line. Then, dig rough recesses in the hill, with the first recess 6 inches longer (front to back) than the actual tread. How to Pour Concrete Steps for a Porch or Outdoor Entryway Lay Out Brick Paver Steps Formation Lay out the brick tread on a flat surface and measure the dimensions of the layout. Cut timbers to these measurements and test-fit them around the brick. Square the corners with a framing square. Assemble Timbers To assemble the timbers, drill pilot holes for 12-inch spikes completely through the front face of the outside timbers and about 2 inches into the side timbers. Drive the spikes with a small sledgehammer. At the corners of the rear timbers, center a mark on the top face, about 4 inches from the ends. Mark the middle of the timber also. Drill a 1/2-inch hole through the timber. (You'll drive rebar anchors through these holes when you set the frames.) The 9 Best Cordless Drills of 2024, According To Testing Set First Frame Set the frame for the bottom brick paver step in the lowest recess in the ground. Lay a 4-foot level across the sides of the frame and level it. Slope the frame from back to front at the rate of 1/4 inch per foot. To get the slope right, lay a 2-foot level on the side timber with a 1/2-inch spacer under one end. The slope is correct when the bubble is centered. Set in Place When the first frame is correctly leveled and sloped, cut 24-inch lengths of 1/2-inch rebar and drive them through the holes in the rear timbers and into the soil. Lay Second Frame Lay the second frame on the first. The front timber of the top frame lies on the rear timber of the lower one, with their faces flush. Drill three pilot holes through the top timber and partway into the bottom one. Then, drive 12-inch spikes into the holes. Slope the second frame and anchor the rear timber with rebar driven into the holes you drilled in Step 3. Continue Installation Install the remaining frames, fastening and sloping them and anchoring the rear timbers with rebar. Make sure each frame is level from side to side before installing the next one. Fill Gravel and Sand Excavate the recess until it's deep enough for a 3-inch layer of gravel, 2 inches of sand, and your pavers' thickness. Tamp down the soil in each recess with the end of a 2x4, then lay landscape fabric on the soil. Shovel in the gravel, level it, and tamp it. Add the sand and tamp it as well. The 9 Best Landscape Fabrics of 2024 for a Weed-Free Garden Level Sand Make a recessed screed by nailing a 1x4 to a 2x4. The bottom edge of the 1x4 extends below the frame by the thickness of a paver. Screed the sand level and smooth. Set Pavers Set the pavers in the frame in the pattern for the brick paver steps you used to determine the frame dimensions. Bed them in the sand with a rubber mallet, and level them as you would the surface of a brick-in-sand patio. Fill Joints Shovel a thin layer of builder's sand onto the brick and use a brush to sweep the sand into the joints. Mist the joints and brush on more sand, repeating the process until the joints are filled. How to Build a Beautiful Brick Walkway or Patio How to Build Timber-and-Brick Entry Steps Timber-and-brick paver steps are easier to install than poured concrete and give an informal look. However, the 5-1/2-inch riser height may not be suitable in all instances. Lay out the steps, install the timbers, and set the brick for your entryway steps as you would for steps in the landscape. How to Build Outdoor Wooden Steps to Spruce Up Your Entry Build Timber and Install Gravel Build and anchor timber forms with proper rise, run, and interior dimensions to accommodate your brick pattern. Excavate the recess (if necessary) to hold 4 to 6 inches of gravel, 2 inches of sand, and the paver thickness. Install the gravel and sand, then screed the sand in the recess. Lay Pavers Starting with the bottom step, lay the pavers, bed them with a rubber mallet and level them. Spread fine sand on the surface and sweep it into the joints. Mist the sand with water, add more sand, and repeat the process until the joints are filled. Outdoor DIY Projects for a Beautiful Yard How to Build and Maintain a Landscape Retaining Wall How to Build a Cedar Planting Box How to Refinish a Deck, Including Cleaning and Selecting a Stain How to Build a Classic Arbor for a Charming Outdoor Entryway How to Build a Rock Wall with Mortar and Line Your Yard with Charm