Understanding Brick Pavers and the Creative Patterns They Make
Brick pavers are a durable and versatile construction material that can add beauty and functionality to your outdoor spaces. You can find brick pavers in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and styles which can support unique designs and projects.
From winding paths through the garden and patio flooring to lining driveways, brick pavers create aesthetic appeal and a sturdy surface at the same time. Their ability to transform any space from ordinary to distinct is one reason that brick pavers have become so popular in outdoor landscaping design.
What are Brick Pavers?
Brick pavers are similar to standard bricks, but they do differ in some significant ways.
- Size and Shape – Brick pavers are rectangular like standard brick dimensions but the broader category of pavers features a wide variety of unique shapes and sizes. Brick pavers are thinner, or lower in height than standard bricks.
- Material – Brick pavers are made from clay or concrete.
- Purpose – Paving bricks are specifically designed as the floor surface material for patios, walkways, and driveways.
- Texture – Brick pavers have a pronounced texture on their face, unlike the smooth surface of bricks, to help give them some traction to prevent slippage in rainy or freezing weather conditions.
- Installation Method – Standard bricks are installed with the use of mortar, but brick pavers are typically secured without mortar though not always as in the case with driveways. Instead, many paver bricks are laid on a bed of gravel or sand. The gaps between the pavers are also filled with small gravel or sand. This allows you to replace broken pavers more easily.
Pattern and Style Ideas Using Brick Pavers
Bricks pavers add a touch of class and classic charm to your outdoor spaces like always, patios, and driveways.
Colorful Herringbone Pattern
These colorful brick patio pavers are set in a classing herringbone pattern. This pattern has striking visual appeal as well as a classic design. You can achieve this design by arranging the brick at a 450 angle, creating a zig-zag pattern that resembles the bones of a fish. The interlocking bonds created by this pattern help to distribute weight evenly, making this a particularly useful pattern for driveways and walkways that receive heavy use.
Running Bond Walkway with a Straight Edge
A running bond pattern features brick pavers laid end to end with another line running beside it with offset seams. This is a common paver brick pattern because it is a simple pattern, easy to install, and has the least amount of waste. The running bond pattern creates strong vertical lines that help make your space appear visually longer. The straight paver border is also simple but it gives the walkway a definitive edge.
Basketweave Brick Paver Accents for a Driveway
The basketweave pattern looks like the strands in a basket that have been woven together. This pattern is achieved by alternating vertical and horizontal bricks placed perpendicularly to each other. For this driveway apron, the builders alternated two horizontal brick pavers with two vertical pavers. They edged the design with straight pavers to create a distinct edge to frame the design.
Circular Vertical Paver Patio Design
This is a pattern that is common in European gardens, so it is useful for a homeowner looking to create a garden with a classic design. This is one of the most challenging types of paver patterns because of its irregularity, but it is ideal if you want to give your garden a definite focal point. You can modernize the look of the fan by using brick pavers in diverse colors or use monochrome brick pavers to give the garden a traditional European style.
Brick and Concrete Paver Walkway
Concrete pavers have a more varied shape than rectangular brick pavers. You can give your walkway a more textured appearance by using both paver options. This builder used gray, square concrete pavers to edge the brick pavers set in a basketweave pattern.
Brick Paver Driveway
Rather than add a typical concrete driveway, this homeowner used straight-set pavers to create running tracks for the car tires. Brick pavers are a good option for driveways. They have a strength rating of 12,000 pounds per square inch. Brick pavers are typically more expensive than poured driveways, but brick paver driveways elevate the look of your home and they are easier to repair as you can easily remove a broken paver and replace it.
Basketweave Paver Walkway with Pea Gravel
Another way to vary the look and texture of a brick paver walkway is to intersperse pea gravel with brick paver sections. This gives your walkway a pleasing visual and textural contrast without inhibiting the walkability. Pea gravel can escape easily unless confined. Use brick pavers to create a distinct edge to keep pea gravel where it should be.
Simple Herringbone Patio
Even if you choose to use a single-colored brick paver for your patio, you can still create an elegant look with a herringbone pattern. Choose a paver that has a rough and textured appearance to give your patio a classic and aged look. Don’t use a starkly colored contrasting mortar, but choose either beige or dark off-white to create a more subtle look. With brick pavers, you can also opt for no mortar. Choose instead sand or small gravel sediment in between the pavers.
Circular Running Bond Pattern
Landscape architects can also create a circular pattern with horizontally laid brick pavers. This gives the patio the look of concentric circles and has a more modern style than the fan pattern. This pattern is accomplished with regular-sized brick pavers in a running bond pattern interspersed with smaller pieces to allow for curvature.
Brick Paver Walkway with Grass
Grass instantly softens the look of this brick paver walkway. Grass is difficult to maintain if you place it between each paver. Instead, you can create sections of brick pavers and intersperse grass to give your garden a whimsical style.