What You Need To Do To Achieve an Elegant Brick Patio

Some people spend most of their time in their patios. Others think that they lack an enhancing element. Now to further help you out, below are some ideas on the things you need for an elegant brick patio:
1. Measure out the preferred area. Choose rectangular design plans since they are easier to execute than curved ones. Measure the 2 diagonals to guarantee that you have a perfect rectangle. They should be of corresponding length.
2. Excavate out the area with a depth of about 8". With a level, check that your excavation's floor angles away from the house for drainage water to run away from the house and patio.
3. Try laying your brick pattern to test out your measurements. This way, if your first measurement was off, you can correct it now. At every perimeter, give an allowance of 2".
4. While organizing the brick edging, an extra 2" is needed. These bricks are about 2" thick. Stand the bricks on end, doing it side by side. Assemble them into place with the use of a rubber hammer. The idea here is to outline the rectangular area.
5. Remove the bricks that you laid as a test run in Step #3, and then pour flattened stone into this framed area, to a depth of 4".
6. Compress down the stone. Lay landscape fabric down over the stone, to curb potential weeds later. Next, you have to pour 2" of sand on the landscape fabric.

7. Run this screed along the sand starting at one end of the rectangle while leveling the sand out. Note that the sand's level should end up 2" below the tops of the edging bricks.

8. Excess sand in Step #7 will then be reallocated to low areas, and you'll end up with an even surface. Stuff the sand down. Once done, begin laying the brick patio flooring.

9. Begin at the corner, giving pressure for the bricks down into the sand. Lay them as closely as possible. Strike the bricks using a rubber hammer to straighten them into the sand.

10. In this project, you would like "paving" bricks. The measurements to assume would be 4" x 8" bricks, about 2" thick. Brick pavers come in varying sizes but this size is easiest to work with.

11. You may try to acquire the "basket weave" pattern next.

12. The basket weave pattern is a simple yet elegant which requires no cutting of bricks. Avoiding cutting will save you in money, time and frustration!

13. Run a mason's line across your forms as you progress row by row in laying your bricks. The mason's line will serve as a guide for levelness.

14. After lying the bricks, spread some sand over them. Using a broom, work this sand into the cracks and with a garden hose, gently spray the bricks so the sand will patch up between the cracks.

15. If the cracks still aren't totally filled, repeat the step and then you're done!

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