Morris Brick Co.

Serving homeowners and contractors alike since 1936. (973) 539-1176

Patio / Walkway Guide

A Patio is a popular home improvement that not only adds to the value of your home, but also provides a focal point for enjoying the outdoors. You'll want to carefully consider the design elements that go into your Patio. Planning is the most important part of building a Patio, because, chances are, you will be living with your design for a long time.

Review the following items of things to consider before you begin building your patio:

Location
Size
Material

When you are ready to start your new patio, here are the steps to follow for a solid patio project:

Tools & Materials
Choosing a Design
Excavating
Preparing subbase Material
Installing Landscape Fabric
Installing Edge Restraint
Setting the Road Dust
Setting the Concrete Pavers

Before you start a patio/walkway project, call your utility company and have all of the underground pipes and wires marked.

Things to Consider When Building a Patio

Location

The size and orientation of your property and house may limit you to one or two Patio locations, but within those limits, you may have more choices than you think. You may be able to build a walkway, or incorporate a privacy screen that will allow you to locate your Patio so it is most convenient for your intended uses.

The climate in your area and the views you'll see are the major factors to consider when deciding where to place your Patio. A north side Patio will probably be the coolest location. Southern or western orientations may be too warm in the middle of the summer, unless you include an overhead screen, or build the Patio around an existing shade tree. You may be able to avoid winds by locating your Patio where the house will provide some protection. Likewise, careful placement can minimize traffic noise, eliminate unwanted views, or provide additional privacy.

Size

You can build any size Patio you want. However, a huge Patio can look out of place next to a small house, just as a tiny Patio looks wrong with a big house. If you think your dream Patio is too large for your house, break up the expense by building smaller sections. To test your ideas, measure the size you want on your lawn. Drive 4-foot stakes at the approximate corners, and then tie string between them. Set your lawn furniture in the area to get an idea of how the space will work. The most common mistake people make is building a Patio too small.

Brick or Concrete Pavers?

BRICKS
Bricks chosen for walks or patios must be resistant to abrasion and weathering. Prime considerations when selecting the brick must be the amount of traffic, weather exposure and visibility. Use of bricks salvaged from old buildings is not recommended, as it may flake, pit and crack when exposed to weathering. Generally, hard-burned units are most resistant to eroding agents. However, this generalization can be misleading because some softer brick is extremely durable.

For the best performance information, consult your Morris Brick Company agent to be sure a given brick is suitable for use in paving applications.

CONCRETE PAVERS
Paving stones have incredible strength, durability and beauty. With so many more design capabilities, it is no fluke that thousands of homeowners and contractors are choosing concrete pavers. With additional patterns such as Dutch, Double Dutch and Roman Cobble, the possibilities are endless. Also, these pavers are twice the compressive strength of a normal concrete sidewalk. That’s what makes them such and exceptional value for walkways, patios, driveways and pool decks.

For the best performance information, consult your Morris Brick Company agent to be sure a given paver is suitable for use in paving applications.

Check out Morris Brick’s Materials Calculator to determine the amount of material you will need for the job.

Getting Started

Tools & Materials

Tools : tape measure, carpenter’s level, shovel, line level, rake, hand tamper, tamping machine.

Materials : stakes, mason’s string, compactible gravel subbase (3/4" gravel), rigid plastic edging, landscape fabric, road dust, concrete pavers or brick.

Please see our Materials Calculator to determine the amount of supplies necessary for the job.

Choosing a Design

One of the great things about bricks and pavers is that they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. This gives you many different options for your design. For more idea regarding available designs, please look at our Gallery section.

Excavating

First, stake out the area for your project. This can be accomplished using stakes and strings to mark out a rectangle that matches the length and width of your patio or Walkway. Drive the stakes so they are at least 1 foot outside the site of the planned patio or walkway. Check the area for squareness by measuring the diagonals. If a rectangle is square, the diagonals will have the same measurements. The strings will serve as a reference for excavating the patio.

You'll probably have grass that needs to be removed. Remove all sod inside the strings and 6 inches beyond the edges of the planned area. You will need to dig down to a point where you want your base to start. For your project, dig down seven inches. This will allow for a four inch base made of ¾" crushed stone, a 1" layer of Road Dust, and the brick or pavers.

For your patio, Morris Brick recommends that you slope the base away from the house one-inch for every four feet. This will help drainage.

Preparing the Subbase Material

Once your excavation is all flat and at the slope you want, you're ready for the subbase material. Mark along side the house the height for the subbase material. Make sure this line extends beyond the house so you can still see it when it gets covered up with subbase material.

The base material we recommend using is ¾" crushed bluestone. Pour the compactible gravel subbase over the work area then rake it into a smooth layer at least 4" deep. The thickness of the subbase layer may vary to compensate for unevenness in the excavation. Pack the subbase using a tamping machine until the surface is firm and flat. You can get a compactor at a rental store; we suggest a 4 or 5-horsepower compactor. Check the slope of the subbase by measuring down from the side strings. The space between the strings and the subbase should be equal at all points.

Installing Landscape Fabric

Before spreading out the main load of base material, it's a good idea to put down what's called "landscape fabric." This will help hold up the base and pavers if there's any movement in the soil under the fabric. Cut strips of landscape fabric and lay them over the subbase to prevent weeds from growing up through the patio. Make sure the strips overlap by at least 6 inches. The fabric should go up the side of the excavation and run a little bit up the side of the house, this will help protect the siding.

Installing Edge Restraint

For our paver project, we used a PVC edge restraint that is designed specifically for interlocking pavers. This edging can also be used with bricks. Install rigid plastic edging around the edges of the patio below the reference strings. Anchor the edging by driving galvanized spikes through the predrilled holes and into the subbase. To allow for possible adjustments, drive only enough spikes to keep the edging in place.

For curves and rounded patio corners, use rigid plastic edging with notches on the outside flange. It may be necessary to anchor each section of edging with spikes to hold curved edging in place. Remove the reference strings.

Setting the Road Dust

After your subbase material and edging are in place, you will need to lay another inch of road dust on top of the crushed stone. Road dust is the same material as crushed stone except it is ground much finer. Many masons and do-it-yourselfers use sand for this layer of base. Morris Brick recommends road dust because it should reduce the amount of uneven areas that may develop in your patio/walkway over time.

We lined up a one-inch thick pipe every six feet to serve as depth spacers. Fill road dust in between the pipes. Water the road dust thoroughly and pack it lightly with a hand tamper. Then screen the dust to an even layer by resting a long piece of wood across the spacers. Add extra sand to fill footprints and low areas, then, water, tamp, and screen the sand again until it is smooth an firmly packed.

Remove the embedded spacers along the sides of the patio base, then fill the grooves with sand and pat them smooth with the hand tamper.

Setting the Pavers

Lay the first border paver in one corner of the patio. Make sure the paver rests firmly against the rigid plastic edging. Lay the next border so it is tight against the previous paver. Set the pavers by tapping them into the road dust with a mallet. Use the depth of the first paver as a guide for setting the remaining pavers. Working outward from the corner, install 2-foot wide sections of border pavers and interior pavers, following the desired pattern. Keep the joints between the pavers very tight.

After each section of pavers is set, use a straightedge to make sure the pavers are flat. Make adjustments by tapping high pavers deeper into the road dust, or by removing low pavers and adding a thin layer of extra road dust underneath them. Use a long 2 x 4 to check the entire patio for flatness. Adjust bricks using a mason’s string to check the rows for straightness.

Finally, Spread a ½" layer of sand over the patio. Use the tamping machine to compress the entire patio and pack sand into the joints.

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Morris Brick Co.
Serving homeowners and contractors alike since 1936. (973) 539-1176
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Review the following items of things to consider before you begin building your patio: Location Size Material When you are ready to start your new patio, here are the steps to follow for a solid patio project: Tools & Materials Choosing a Design Excavating Preparing subbase Material Installing Landscape Fabric Installing Edge Restraint Setting the Road Dust Setting the Concrete Pavers Before you start a patio/walkway project, call your utility company and have all of the underground pipes and wires marked. Things to Consider When Building a Patio Location The size and orientation of your property and house may limit you to one or two Patio locations, but within those limits, you may have more choices than you think. You may be able to build a walkway, or incorporate a privacy screen that will allow you to locate your Patio so it is most convenient for your intended uses. The climate in your area and the views you'll see are the major factors to consider when deciding where to place your Patio. A north side Patio will probably be the coolest location. Southern or western orientations may be too warm in the middle of the summer, unless you include an overhead screen, or build the Patio around an existing shade tree. You may be able to avoid winds by locating your Patio where the house will provide some protection. Likewise, careful placement can minimize traffic noise, eliminate unwanted views, or provide additional privacy. Back To Top Size You can build any size Patio you want. However, a huge Patio can look out of place next to a small house, just as a tiny Patio looks wrong with a big house. If you think your dream Patio is too large for your house, break up the expense by building smaller sections. To test your ideas, measure the size you want on your lawn. Drive 4-foot stakes at the approximate corners, and then tie string between them. Set your lawn furniture in the area to get an idea of how the space will work. The most common mistake people make is building a Patio too small. Back To Top Brick or Concrete Pavers? BRICKS Bricks chosen for walks or patios must be resistant to abrasion and weathering. Prime considerations when selecting the brick must be the amount of traffic, weather exposure and visibility. Use of bricks salvaged from old buildings is not recommended, as it may flake, pit and crack when exposed to weathering. Generally, hard-burned units are most resistant to eroding agents. However, this generalization can be misleading because some softer brick is extremely durable. For the best performance information, consult your Morris Brick Company agent to be sure a given brick is suitable for use in paving applications. CONCRETE PAVERS Paving stones have incredible strength, durability and beauty. With so many more design capabilities, it is no fluke that thousands of homeowners and contractors are choosing concrete pavers. With additional patterns such as Dutch, Double Dutch and Roman Cobble, the possibilities are endless. Also, these pavers are twice the compressive strength of a normal concrete sidewalk. That’s what makes them such and exceptional value for walkways, patios, driveways and pool decks. For the best performance information, consult your Morris Brick Company agent to be sure a given paver is suitable for use in paving applications. Check out Morris Brick’s Materials Calculator to determine the amount of material you will need for the job. Back To Top Getting Started Tools & Materials Tools : tape measure, carpenter’s level, shovel, line level, rake, hand tamper, tamping machine. Materials : stakes, mason’s string, compactible gravel subbase (3/4" gravel), rigid plastic edging, landscape fabric, road dust, concrete pavers or brick. Please see our Materials Calculator to determine the amount of supplies necessary for the job. Back To Top Choosing a Design One of the great things about bricks and pavers is that they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. This gives you many different options for your design. For more idea regarding available designs, please look at our Gallery section. Back To Top Excavating First, stake out the area for your project. This can be accomplished using stakes and strings to mark out a rectangle that matches the length and width of your patio or Walkway. Drive the stakes so they are at least 1 foot outside the site of the planned patio or walkway. Check the area for squareness by measuring the diagonals. If a rectangle is square, the diagonals will have the same measurements. The strings will serve as a reference for excavating the patio. You'll probably have grass that needs to be removed. Remove all sod inside the strings and 6 inches beyond the edges of the planned area. You will need to dig down to a point where you want your base to start. For your project, dig down seven inches. This will allow for a four inch base made of ¾" crushed stone, a 1" layer of Road Dust, and the brick or pavers. For your patio, Morris Brick recommends that you slope the base away from the house one-inch for every four feet. This will help drainage. Back To Top Preparing the Subbase Material Once your excavation is all flat and at the slope you want, you're ready for the subbase material. Mark along side the house the height for the subbase material. Make sure this line extends beyond the house so you can still see it when it gets covered up with subbase material. The base material we recommend using is ¾" crushed bluestone. Pour the compactible gravel subbase over the work area then rake it into a smooth layer at least 4" deep. The thickness of the subbase layer may vary to compensate for unevenness in the excavation. Pack the subbase using a tamping machine until the surface is firm and flat. You can get a compactor at a rental store; we suggest a 4 or 5-horsepower compactor. Check the slope of the subbase by measuring down from the side strings. The space between the strings and the subbase should be equal at all points. Back To Top Installing Landscape Fabric Before spreading out the main load of base material, it's a good idea to put down what's called "landscape fabric." This will help hold up the base and pavers if there's any movement in the soil under the fabric. Cut strips of landscape fabric and lay them over the subbase to prevent weeds from growing up through the patio. Make sure the strips overlap by at least 6 inches. The fabric should go up the side of the excavation and run a little bit up the side of the house, this will help protect the siding. Back To Top Installing Edge Restraint For our paver project, we used a PVC edge restraint that is designed specifically for interlocking pavers. This edging can also be used with bricks. Install rigid plastic edging around the edges of the patio below the reference strings. Anchor the edging by driving galvanized spikes through the predrilled holes and into the subbase. To allow for possible adjustments, drive only enough spikes to keep the edging in place. For curves and rounded patio corners, use rigid plastic edging with notches on the outside flange. It may be necessary to anchor each section of edging with spikes to hold curved edging in place. Remove the reference strings. Back To Top Setting the Road Dust After your subbase material and edging are in place, you will need to lay another inch of road dust on top of the crushed stone. Road dust is the same material as crushed stone except it is ground much finer. Many masons and do-it-yourselfers use sand for this layer of base. Morris Brick recommends road dust because it should reduce the amount of uneven areas that may develop in your patio/walkway over time. We lined up a one-inch thick pipe every six feet to serve as depth spacers. Fill road dust in between the pipes. Water the road dust thoroughly and pack it lightly with a hand tamper. Then screen the dust to an even layer by resting a long piece of wood across the spacers. Add extra sand to fill footprints and low areas, then, water, tamp, and screen the sand again until it is smooth an firmly packed. Remove the embedded spacers along the sides of the patio base, then fill the grooves with sand and pat them smooth with the hand tamper. Back To Top Setting the Pavers Lay the first border paver in one corner of the patio. Make sure the paver rests firmly against the rigid plastic edging. Lay the next border so it is tight against the previous paver. Set the pavers by tapping them into the road dust with a mallet. Use the depth of the first paver as a guide for setting the remaining pavers. Working outward from the corner, install 2-foot wide sections of border pavers and interior pavers, following the desired pattern. Keep the joints between the pavers very tight. After each section of pavers is set, use a straightedge to make sure the pavers are flat. Make adjustments by tapping high pavers deeper into the road dust, or by removing low pavers and adding a thin layer of extra road dust underneath them. Use a long 2 x 4 to check the entire patio for flatness. Adjust bricks using a mason’s string to check the rows for straightness. Finally, Spread a ½" layer of sand over the patio. Use the tamping machine to compress the entire patio and pack sand into the joints. « Back to main page...
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