No doubt about it—brick is beautiful and durable. It is classic, timeless and one of the oldest building materials. Many people are landscaping with brick. It's easy to do with the proper instruction and tools, a little spare time and some extra brawn.
Whether you're creating a path or patio, there is a brick to complement your garden. Before you pick your paver, it's important to know that not all brick is created equal. Consider clay pavers over concrete. Generally speaking, they're stronger, they come in a wider variety of colors, and if you don't want to do any maintenance, they're an excellent choice. Three easy patterns that you can use are basketweave, running bond and herringbone.
Before you begin, purchase the materials. No matter what the pattern, the number of pavers you need is determined by the square feet of your project.
Materials
clay pavers
underground line markers
spray paint
crushed limestone
plate compactor (rent this!)
sand
plumb line
2' x 4' piece of wood
1" pipes
tub saw
plastic edging with metal spikes
Steps:
1. Start by prepping the area. The first task is to remove seven inches of soil so that the brick will be flush with the house.
2. Mark underground lines before digging in.
3. After leveling out the area with the help of a 2' x 4' and outlining it with spray paint. Lay the base layer.
4. Put down crushed limestone as a cushion. You'll need at least four inches for the bottom layer. Add about two inches at a time, compacting the limestone between each layer. You can rent a plate compactor for this purpose from a rental center.
5. Use pipes as a guide to create an even one-inch layer of sand. Lay out the one-inch pipes, arranging them so they slope away from the house. Add sand between the pipes, and lay the 2' x 4' over the top of the pipes. Pull the 2' x 4' over the pipes, dragging and smoothing the sand as you go. Fill in any empty areas with sand and smooth until the sand is even. Remove the pipes and repeat until the entire area is even and smooth.
6. Next, lay the brick. For a herringbone pattern as illustrated here, start in a corner. Set up a plumb line to keep the patio square with the house.
7. The pattern on the edge serves as a border around the whole patio. It's called a soldier course, and it's basically bricks lined up next to each other. On the inside, create a herringbone pattern. Place a brick in each direction, end-to-end. As you lay the brick, try to alternate the colors of the pavers as you go. Don't worry if your pattern leaves a hole that requires half a brick. Rent a tub saw and cut the brick to fill in the holes.
8. Plastic edging helps keep the pavers in place and keeps them from sliding sideways. Sink the edging about a half-inch lower than the brick. That way, it's hidden when covered with mulch. Then, use big metal spikes to anchor the edging into place.
9. The last step is to sweep sand into all the cracks. It's important to spread enough sand so that it gets deep inside the cracks between pavers. Using the compactor will help the sand settle and stabilize the bricks. Repeat this process about three times until no more sand can get inside.
Tip: Circular patios are best left to the professionals, since they have a more complicated layout (and because the bricks need to be cut with a circular saw). Embellishments to your new patio might include medallions, which are cut and laid into the patio, and stoops which can be dressed up by attaching pavers with an exterior construction adhesive.
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