How To Build a Stone and Brick Patio: Plans And Instructions (page 2 of 2)

Change Text Size

Change Text Size
|
Bookmark

Bookmark

Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThis
|
Print
|
E-Mail

Build a Stone and Brick Patio: Tips and Advice

A Cozy Spot Is The Main Requirement For A Patio Like This

But you’ll also want to consider the following:

Shade. You’ll want it. If you don’t have it, include shade plants or structures in your plan.
Drainage. Avoid low spots. Pick a spot that’s well drained.
Slope. A little slope, less than about 1/4 in. per foot, is OK. More than that and you’ll have to build retaining walls or regrade the surrounding soil.
Digging complications. Don’t build directly under trees. It could damage the tree, and besides, digging out roots is no fun. Contact local utility companies before you dig and have them locate buried lines.

Plan a strategy for getting the materials to and from your patio location. Sand and gravel will arrive in dump trucks that are too heavy to be driven on your driveway or in your yard without damaging them. You’ll probably have to use wheel-barrows. If it’s a long haul, ask your supplier for a smaller truck or skid loader that can get closer.

When you’ve found a suitable spot, make a rough sketch showing trees, shrubs and gardens, then take measurements. Transfer these measurements to graph paper, letting each square equal 1 ft. Lay tracing paper over your plan and sketch in the stone border and bricks. Experiment with different designs, and when you come up with a plan you like, use it to calculate the quantities of materials and help you place the stones. Remember that this is a casual, free-form patio. Have fun and let the plan evolve as you work.

It’S What’S Underneath That Counts
Stone and brick are what you see, but the landscape fabric, gravel and sand are what hold them together and make your patio last. If your stone or brick supplier doesn’t have these products, check the Yellow Pages under “Landscape Equipment and Supplies” or “Sand and Gravel.” Landscape fabric stabilizes the soil underneath the gravel base by keeping them apart while allowing water to drain through. We used 12-1/2 ft. wide, heavy, woven stabilization fabric purchased from our stone supplier ($2.20 per square yard). If this isn’t available, use the widest landscape fabric you can find.

Class V (“five”) limestone forms the foundation of our patio, but there may be different materials available in your region. Any granular fill will work as long as the size of the granules ranges from 3/4 in. down to a powder and they’re angular, not smooth and round. These qualities allow the fill to be tightly packed for a firm base that allows water to drain through. A mixture of recycled concrete and asphalt is widely available and is a good substitute for Class V.

Depending on your soil, you’ll need a 4- to 10-in. thick layer of gravel. Sandy soils require less gravel than soils with organic matter or clay. Gravel is sold by the ton or cubic yard. One cubic yard (27 cu. ft.) covers about 50 sq. ft. at a 6-in. depth by the time it’s compacted, and weighs 1-1/2 tons. We used 12 tons of gravel at $12 per ton and paid $50 for delivery.

Coarse washed sand is spread over the gravel in a 1-in. layer to form a setting bed for the stone and brick, and later to fill the cracks between the bricks and stone. We used 5 tons of sand at $10 per ton.

Pick Up Your Shovel And Get Ready To Move 16 Tons Of Dirt
Before you start digging, set up a string line across the center of the patio in the direction you want the water to drain. Adjust the string so it slopes 1 in. for every 10 ft. You’ll use this string to gauge the depth of the hole as you dig, and to set the slope of the compacted base.

To keep the patio flush with the yard, you’ll have to dig out about 10 in. of dirt, and then find a place to put the excess. That’s a lot of dirt. Consider building a raised planter bed or grassy mound in your yard. If that’s not possible, you may want to jump-start the project by hiring an excavator with a skid loader and dump truck to dig the hole and haul away the dirt. As a last resort, rent a large trash bin, at least 10 cu. yds., and move the dirt into it with a wheelbarrow. Let the company know you’ll be filling it with dirt, though, because it’ll likely limit how much you can put in. Use your plan and a garden hose to outline the patio and mark the excavation.

If your soil is soft or soggy, you might have to add more gravel fill to create a stable base. Ask your building inspector or a soil engineer to recommend the right base for you.

If You Get The Base Right, Your Patio Will Last Decades
Take a well-deserved break when you’re done digging. Double-check your calculations for gravel and sand and arrange for deliveries. Then call the rental store and reserve a gas-powered plate compactor or “tamper” (about $50 per half day). This is a heavy beast; you’ll need a trailer or pickup truck and a couple of strong bodies to move it around.

Before you start filling the hole, roll out the landscape fabric, allowing it to extend at least 6 in. beyond the patio all around. Use spikes to temporarily hold it in place. To establish a strong, flat base, follow our two-step procedure. First spread and tamp down two layers of gravel, each about 2 to 3 in. thick. Then establish a perfectly flat surface with a final 1 to 1-1/2 in. layer and tamp this down. When you’re done, you’ll have a solid, flat base that slopes slightly for drainage and is ready for the sand bed, stones and bricks.

Setting Stones Is Like Assembling A Jigsaw Puzzle
The next step in the project is to lay the stone border. Measure the thickness of a few stones to get an average and compare this with the thickness of the bricks you’re using. Then adjust the depth of the sand bed to compensate for the difference in thickness. Your goal is to get the stones and brick even on the top. Set up strings around the perimeter parallel to the gravel base as references for setting the stone.

Setting the stone is like assembling a complicated jigsaw puzzle. It’ll take time and patience, but the reward is great. Spread out the stones so you can pick the best shape. Stagger the joints as you fit the stones. If possible, limit gaps to about 1 in.

Once You Set The Pattern, Brick Laying Goes Quickly
With the border stones in place, it’s time to lay the bricks. The simple running bond pattern we’ve chosen looks good with the stone border and is easy to lay. Start by screeding out a layer of sand so that the bricks will end up about 3/8 in. above the surface of the stone. When you run the compactor over the bricks to seat them, they’ll settle down flush with the stone.

Snapping chalk lines directly in the sand is the best way to keep your bricks running straight. For the running bond pattern, you’ll only need a baseline and two lines perpendicular to the baseline, offset by half the width of a brick. Fill the area with full bricks. Then rent a masonry saw with a wet-cutting diamond blade to cut the border bricks. These don’t have to fit perfectly. You can plant ground cover in the large gaps to give your patio a more natural look.

We experimented with a few different cutting methods and settled on the gas-powered masonry saw as the best option for our pavers. The diamond blade on this saw is not nearly as dangerous as a wood-cutting blade, but even so, follow safety precautions. Wear rubber gloves, safety glasses and hearing protection. If the rental store doesn’t have a gas-powered saw, use an electric tile-cutting saw instead. It’ll cut a little bit slower.

When you’re done setting bricks, run the compactor over them to settle them in and create a level surface. Keep the compactor moving to avoid breaking bricks or creating a low spot. If your stone is thick like ours, tamp it along with the bricks. Don’t tamp thinner stone (2 in. thick or less); it may break.

Sweep In The Sand, Drop In Some Plants And Pull Out Your Patio Chairs
Before you spread the sand, pack dirt around the perimeter. Then sweep sand into the cracks. If your sand is damp, spread it out to dry before sweeping it into the cracks. If you run short, buy 50-lb. bags of mason’s sand at a home center or lumberyard.

Finish up by landscaping around the patio. We added a stone path and a few steps at the upper end of the patio and planted a perennial bed alongside. Our landscape consultant recommended planting a small ornamental tree at the front of the patio to create an inviting entrance. A table and a few chairs gave us the only excuse we needed to sit back and enjoy a well-deserved break.