How to build a Brick Patio
An easy to build brick patio guide
Decide on a shape.
It will make life easier on you if you have an accurate mark out of the area you intend to pave. Remember that rectangular shapes or design plans are often easier to create than curved designs, due to the less cutting of the paviours or flags. Using pegs with string or a hosepipe is an ideal way to decide on your final shape and area of patio. The other consideration you need to make is the final paving pattern. We have a number of patterns for both our block paving and flags available on this website. If the area is based on right angles then set out using the 3-4-5 method. This is a vitality important part of the process. The 3-4-5 method draws on the fact that any triangle which has sides of length 3 4 and 5 units it will contain a right angle. E.g. 3 metres by 4 metres by 5 metres triangles will contain a perfect 90 degree right angle. Pythagoras’ theorem is based on this and can be used to make sure the area you mark out is square.
Laying the patio
Start by laying the paving from one side of the base line and continue to work from left to right when laying. This ensures that your joints stay even if your right angle is slightly off.
We recommend if laying flags larger than 450x450mm onto a sand/cement mortar mix that has been screeded. It is important to get the mix of mortar correct – too wet a mix will have your paving ‘floating’ and as you tap them into place another ajoining one will rise slightly, leaving an uneven surface.
For flags we recommend a mortar mix of 10:1. A useful tip for the mortar mix is to add hydrated lime to the mix, as this helps the sand and cement not to separate. The mortar also becomes much more waterproof. Shrinkage cracking can often be eliminated when hydrated lime is added to the final mortar mixture.
If you do decide to go ahead and use the hydrated lime in you mortar you can mix it with your cement in the following proportions: 3 five gallon buckets of dry sand, 6.38 gallons of cement and 1.12 gallons of hydrated lime.
If you are laying 450x450mm flags it is perfectly acceptable to lay them on sand – likewise if you are putting paving blocks down sand is also acceptable. Sand should be a grit sand which is free draining and less likely to be washed out by ground water. Soft sands are much more likely to retain water and can provide a home for weeds. If you are confused as to which sand to use contact Acheson & Glover’s technical department.
If positioning the flags on mortar remember to tap them down until level – if the flagstone doesn’t want to bed – lift it remove the mortar from the slab and try again, this can be critical to prevent the flags from ‘rocking’ from side to side later on. Patience at this stage helps lots!
Pointing
We recommend using a flexible joint for a patio, jointing sand can be purchased directly from Acheson & Glover. Spread the jointing sand into the joints then brush directly into the gaps between the paving. Compact with the vibrating plate, spread more sand and repeat. Do this several times until you can definitely get no more sand in between the joints. Remember that the pointing process is not just for cosmetic purposes as it prevents the paving from moving over time with use.
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