Brick patio construction
Have you been admiring the brick patios you see in magazines? Building one is not hard, and can be done for the most part in a weekend. Almost anyone can do it.
You will need some lumber such as 2X4X12's, or edging to keep your bricks in place. Sand in a quanity sufficient to cover the area of the patio at least two inches deep, or more if the ground is uneven. You will also need some bags of mortar (not concrete), a hose, a broom, chisel and a hammer, or concrete saw. Of course you will need some brick.
Use your lumber to mark out the area you will be covering with brick. Nail it together firmly, but don't worry you will be removing it when you are done. remove any weeds, or debris that lie within your selected space. Make sure the ground is relatively level, you can do this with a shovel or wet the ground and drag a piece of lumber over the ground pulling the excess dirt over any low spots.
Pour your sand in the area selected and level it using a board dragged from one side to the other. You will want to keep some sand set aside for later, you won't need a great deal, but about 1/3 of it will help to seat your bricks.
Start at one side and lay your bricks on the sand, make sure they are as tight as you can get them. Push them down firmly into the sand as you go. If you find your bricks don't match your edge exactly use a chisel and hammer or a concrete saw to cut the end bricks to fit. Remember to stagger your bricks so you will have a sturdy patio when you are done.
Once all of your bricks are in place dump the remaining sand over the top of the bricks trying to spread it more or less evenly all the way to the edges. Use your broom to sweep the excess sand off the top into the spaces between the bricks. Now use the hose to soak the bricks and the sand. You will want to let it sit and dry for several hours or overnight.
When you are ready to resume the patio, dump your mortar directly from the bags onto the brick, again brushing it into the cracks between the bricks. Soak the bricks and mortar down, being careful not to wash the mortar from between the bricks. A sprinkler set in the middle of the patio, if it can be set to cover the whole area is ideal for this.
Keep the mortar damp for at least 6 hours before allowing it to dry. You will not want to allow any unnecessary walking on the patio for at least 48 hours. This will give the bricks and mortar time to settle and set without disturbances which could weaken your finished patio. After 48 hours or so you can remove the lumber, and enjoy your new brick patio.
You will need some lumber such as 2X4X12's, or edging to keep your bricks in place. Sand in a quanity sufficient to cover the area of the patio at least two inches deep, or more if the ground is uneven. You will also need some bags of mortar (not concrete), a hose, a broom, chisel and a hammer, or concrete saw. Of course you will need some brick.
Use your lumber to mark out the area you will be covering with brick. Nail it together firmly, but don't worry you will be removing it when you are done. remove any weeds, or debris that lie within your selected space. Make sure the ground is relatively level, you can do this with a shovel or wet the ground and drag a piece of lumber over the ground pulling the excess dirt over any low spots.
Pour your sand in the area selected and level it using a board dragged from one side to the other. You will want to keep some sand set aside for later, you won't need a great deal, but about 1/3 of it will help to seat your bricks.
Start at one side and lay your bricks on the sand, make sure they are as tight as you can get them. Push them down firmly into the sand as you go. If you find your bricks don't match your edge exactly use a chisel and hammer or a concrete saw to cut the end bricks to fit. Remember to stagger your bricks so you will have a sturdy patio when you are done.
Once all of your bricks are in place dump the remaining sand over the top of the bricks trying to spread it more or less evenly all the way to the edges. Use your broom to sweep the excess sand off the top into the spaces between the bricks. Now use the hose to soak the bricks and the sand. You will want to let it sit and dry for several hours or overnight.
When you are ready to resume the patio, dump your mortar directly from the bags onto the brick, again brushing it into the cracks between the bricks. Soak the bricks and mortar down, being careful not to wash the mortar from between the bricks. A sprinkler set in the middle of the patio, if it can be set to cover the whole area is ideal for this.
Keep the mortar damp for at least 6 hours before allowing it to dry. You will not want to allow any unnecessary walking on the patio for at least 48 hours. This will give the bricks and mortar time to settle and set without disturbances which could weaken your finished patio. After 48 hours or so you can remove the lumber, and enjoy your new brick patio.
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