Brick Patio Designs

If you are undecided about the kind of materials, patterns and bricks which are to be used for brick patio designs, don't worry; it is neither tricky nor that complicated as you think. As a matter of fact, most of the brick patio designs can easily be implemented and the best part is that you can do it yourself in a few simple steps. The most important thing is to use the right tools and you would get a long-lasting patio designs.

Types of Brick Patio Designs

Herringbone Pattern
In the herringbone pattern each course of paving bricks are laid at an angle of 45 or 90-degrees. With each sequence the angle rotates. This pattern provides a high degree of interlock between the bricks thereby making it a popular choice among the people.

Basket Weave Pattern
The Basket Weave Pattern is also called Checkerboard pavers, because this pattern is laid in the form of a checkerboard. This pattern is easy to install and is attractive to the eye.

Circle Design
The circular brick patio designs is one of the most popular, but one of the most difficult designs to install. The paving material, which in this case is brick, in this design are laid in a circular pattern giving your patio the look of a circle.

Random Design
If you think of using random brick patio designs for your patio, you would need different kinds of bricks that too, of different sizes. This gives the patio a bold and attractive effect. Random design patio can also be used for driveways and walkways.

Some of the other brick patio designs include running bond and stack bond design. Depending on your choice you can opt to modify these designs as per your choice. You can try changing their look by changing the angles of the designs mentioned above. Once you figure out the design you want, create a mock-up before you set them permanently.

Bricks to be Used for Patios
There are two major kinds of bricks which are used for brick patio designs - common bricks and face bricks. Clay is the main component of both these types, but the main difference is that face bricks are glazed before being fired. This makes the face bricks slick and hard. The downside of face bricks is that they tend to become slippery during wet weather.

There are two types of common bricks - SX and MX, which are popularly used in patios. If the temperature in winter, where you stay, doesn't dip below freezing point, you should use 'SX' bricks, while if the winter temperature frequently dips below freezing point, you should use 'MX' bricks.

Mortar or Mortarless Brick Patio Designs
One of the first design ideas is to decide whether you would use mortarless or mortar designs. Mortar is nothing but a kind of cement which is used between every brick, e.g. during the construction of a brick building. The use of mortar is a traditional method, but they have some pitfalls. If you plan to use mortar keep in mind that they may easily be damaged by vibrations, frost and ground shifting. Cracks may be formed easily and they may be difficult to repair. In case you think mortar is best to use, taking the help of a professional may be a better choice in the long run.

Today, patio designs which don't use mortar are much more popular. Rather than using mortar, each brick is adjoined against the other, and the space that is left in between is filled with sand. Even though, there is wear of this type of construction over time, it's installation is easy, mostly for those of you who want to do this thing by yourself.

If you plan to use vehicles over your patio, paver brick patio designs would be best suited for you. Make sure that the size of the brick is about 4x8'' with a thickness of 1½ to 1¼ inches. Though there are other sizes, the size mentioned is the best size recommended. There are some specially designed paving bricks which are much harder and durable, so go for them rather than the soft ones. You can also opt to use historical brick designs, designs which were once used on old buildings, sidewalks, alleys and streets. If you use these, it is bound to increase the price of your patio to a great extent.

I hope this article has given you enough information on brick patio designs and the kind of bricks which, if used would give the best effect to your patio.