Hardscaping 101: Brick Patios
We learned this young: When the third little pig chose brick, he knew what he was doing. As a building material, brick has stood the test of time. Its hardworking, aesthetically versatile, easily maintained, and affordable. Although its sometimes considered a formal look for a patio, that depends on the type of bricks, the color, the pattern, and the application.
Heres everything you need to know to design a brick patio:
Brick Patio Step #2: Lay The Bricks
Youll want to lay landscaping fabric in the trench giving the bricks a material that they can lie on top of. Then lay the bricks level and side by side on the material, following along the string line guide. Continue this process as you continue to add more rows in the same manner. As you lay the rows, add gravel between the fabric and the back of the wall to prevent soil from washing through the cracks in the wall.;
Brick Patio Step #1: Build A Retaining Wall
This is the step that sets a raised brick patio apart from one flat to the ground as it provides the area in which you can add the fill materials that will create the patios base. Start by marking off the boundaries of your patio with stakes. Using a string, line level, and a tape measure, mark the stakes at the height at which you plan your finished wall to reach.;
From there, determine how many rows of bricks you are going to need to reach your desired height. Bear in mind that you will end up completely burying the first row of bricks in order to give the retaining wall its stability.;
Dig out a 12-inch wide, 6-inch deep trench for your first row and compact the ground firmly in the trench. Add 2 inches of finely crushed gravel and even out the surface. You should also have a string line that serves as a guide for the top of your first row.;
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Building A Brick Paver Patio Without Cuts
- Pin
- Yield: 10 x 10-foot patio
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Estimated Cost: $600 – $800
Patio bricks can be laid in a variety of;different patterns. The pattern is strictly for looks, and the brick surface will perform the same regardless of the pattern. For beginners, it makes sense to use a simple pattern that requires little or no cutting of bricks. Perhaps the best option is the;basket weave, which is decorative and eye-catching but also very easy to install. And if you choose to build a square or rectangular patio and size it to fit the bricks, you shouldn’t have to cut any bricks at all.
The best bricks to use for this project are paving bricks or brick pavers. These are about 2 inches thick and have smooth, solid faces to create a nice walking surface. For a basket weave design, which has a;checkerboard pattern, you want the;widths;of two bricks to equal the;length;of one. Therefore, an ideal size of paver is 4 inches wide by 8 inches long.
The easiest way to install a brick paver patio is the sandset method. The bricks are laid on the ground, over a layer of compacted gravel topped by landscape fabric and a smooth layer of sand. After the bricks are laid, you sweep sand into the cracks between the pavers to lock them in place.
Install Gutters And Downspouts
If you want to install gutters for your under deck ceiling, plan ahead and leave space for them. You may have to get creative to come up with an attachment method, depending on how your deck is built. Since the in-stock 12-ft. panels didnât quite reach the beams on Runeâs deck, he nailed vertical 2x4s to every other joist to provide an attachment point for the gutters. Then he screwed the gutter hangers to the 2x4s. Slope the gutters toward the downspout for drainage.
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Make The Most Of Your Outdoor Living Space With Raintight
The weather in the Midwest and Southeast can fluctuate often, sometimes from one day to another. Even when the weather is pleasant enough to enjoy the outdoors, blazing sun, rain, and strong winds can send you running for indoor shelter. And if you dont have those factors keeping you in, the annoying insects and pests will.
Raintight has unique solutions that allow you to enjoy your existing deck, patio or porch without the negative side effects. We can build on your current outdoor structures that provide shelter and shield you from the weather and pests that invade your space.
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Mix And Match With Complementary Materials
The versatility of brick knows no bounds. In addition to tying in nicely with other brick exterior features, a brick patio looks right at home alongside wood, stone, and metal. A brick patio adds to the yesteryear appeal of homes with a wood pergola or stucco;exterior. You can also pair it with a wrought-iron fence or steel patio furniture for an industrial aesthetic.
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Offset The Ordinary With The Running Bond Pattern
Versatile and visually varied, offset brick patterns work in classic or contemporary brick patios. For traditional appeal, opt for a 50 percent offset consisting of rows of brick laid horizontally so that each brick joint lines up with the center of the brick above and below it. To modernize the pattern, choose the more striking one-third offset pattern whereby each brick joint is offset by 33 percent of the length of the brick below it to evoke diagonal lines across the patio. In both designs, partial bricks help fill in spots where full bricks wont fit, which means youll have to cut the bricks before placement, preferably with an angle grinder affixed with a diamond blade.
When And Where To Lay A Brick Walkway
Building the brick walkway in warmer seasons is always more comfortable, but you can build it at any time of the year, as long as the ground is not frozen.
If possible, avoid laying the brick walkway over tree root systems, as they will eventually cause the walkway to move. Sunny areas are best. In shaded areas, moss, mildew, and fungus can develop on the bricks.
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How To Build A Raised Patio With Retaining Wall Blocks
Once you have determined the location and design of your raised patio, stake out the location and use a string line or paint to mark out the area. A garden hose is an excellent tool for marking out curves. Then excavate the area by removing all the surface vegetation and organic materials from the area. These cannot be used as backfill material.
- Starting at the lowest point dig a base trench 24 in. wide by 6 in. deep plus 1 in deep for each 1 ft. of wall height.
- Compact the base trench as well as the entire patio base area, making a minimum of 2 passes with a walk behind plate compactor. Compaction of these areas are very important as they make up the foundation of both your wall and raised patio.
Like any other Allan Block retaining wall, your raised patio needs to have proper drainage. A drain pipe is used to prevent water pressure from building up behind the retaining wall. Place the drain pipe at the back of the trench and vent to daylight at the lowest point.
In addition to managing the water the drain pipe, you will need to manage the water flow around the house foundation . To do this you will need to waterproof the foundation wall. Check with your local building officials or with the material manufacturer on recommended installation of this waterproofing material.
To begin building the retaining wall that will make up your raised patio, start by preparing the base.
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$1400 $2100 Per Square Foot Installed
Genuine fired clay brick patios deliver classic beauty to your outdoor living area. Brick patio cost includes $6 to $11 per square foot for the bricks plus $6 to $12 per square foot for labor if you pay a landscaper or handyman to do the work. Labor is based on the excavation needs and the complexity of the brick patio design plus additional factors explained below.
Part 1 Of 3: Plotting Your Patio
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How To Build A Paver Patio
This article was co-authored by Scott Johnson. Scott Johnson is the Owner and Lead Design Consultant for Concrete Creations, Inc., an award-winning landscape and design company based in the San Diego, California metro area. He has over 30 years of experience in the pool and landscape construction industry and specializes in large estate outdoor environment construction projects. His work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Magazine and on Pool Kings TV Show. He earned a BS degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in Architecture and CAD design from Northern Arizona University.There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 14,973 times.
With the addition of a few rustic paver stones, you can transform a humdrum backyard into an enchanted wilderness escape. All you need is a basic plan for your new patio space and an eye-catching design for the stones themselves. Once the initial planning is out of the way, you can begin the process of excavating your lawn and installing the foundation layer-by-layer. When its all said and done, youll have an idyllic, professional-looking outdoor haven to show for your efforts.
Part 3 Of 3: Installing The Pavers
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Build Your Dream Patio Brick By Brick
Choosy homeowners choose real brick to pave their patios for its rugged beauty and resilience. Its also wallet- and DIY-friendly: You can install a brick patio for $10 to $15 per square foot using one of two straightforward methods. With the dry-laid method, youll put compressed bricks known as pavers directly over a sand or crushed stone foundation. The more involved mortar-set method involves pressing brick pavers into a mortar foundation atop a concrete slab with crushed stone underneath.
Beyond the construction considerations for a brick patio build, including location, size, and shape, the fun part is deciding on the design: the pattern and color of the patio brickwork and what, if any, surrounding structures and materials will best complement it. Then, once you get the results you hoped for, youll want to keep your brick patio looking its best. Ahead, all the tips you need to design and maintain the perfect brick patio for your backyard.
Add Plantings Under A Deck
Plantings are probably the easiest and one of the more popular ways to address an under-the-deck space. Of the under deck ideas, this is one that is all about aestheticsjust taking that bare space and making it look great.
Success with adding plant beds or a garden area under a deck comes down to having some horticultural knowledge. It will be essential to select plants that can perform well in shade or else you could risk investing in plant material that wont survive. Weve used groundcover on under-deck areas to fill in the space nicely while still adding some greenery. There are also some shade-loving ornamental grasses that can work well. You could also incorporate boulders into an under-the-deck planting area for a solution which is obviously not impacted by the weather in any way. The point is, there are definitely ways to make this unused space look like a nice aesthetic addition instead of leaving it completely bare.Functionality and aesthetics can even be combined in a dual-purpose space. On one property, we built a small boulder retaining wall bordering the under-deck space and actually created an area where the homeowners could toss their shoveled snow when clearing the hardscaping so it wasnt just on display in big piles.
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Overview Of Brick Patios
We should note upfront that this page of Costimates discusses genuine brick patios. If youre planning a brick paver patio using bricks made from concrete rather than clay, see our Paver Stone Patio Costimate. A Stamped Concrete Patio that looks a lot like brick, especially if color is added to the concrete, is another option, along with a more affordable patio made of gravel or crushed stone.
A real brick patio delivers a classic touch and creates an outdoor living area that adds value to your home, especially if you install an outdoor firepit or kitchen to the space.; Cost is higher than poured concrete patios and paver patios, but the look can be superior and high end like stamped concrete patio pads, especially on upscale homes. A major advantage of building a brick patio over having a concrete slab patio is that you can build it on your own with minimal equipment.; Another advantage is that you can be creative and use different colored bricks to make designs that are aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.
Brick patios can be installed or built in a variety of ways and can use many different types of bricks.; A dry brick patio is a patio that has sand or slag between the bricks to keep the bricks in place, rather than mortar.; A few advantages of using a dry set brick patio are that you can replace bricks easily and the patio is less expensive to build and upkeep.
Lets dig deeper into cost factors, retail brick and material prices, DIY tips and much more.