Johnson's Nursery, Inc. Hardscaping Explained

A great alternative to concrete for patios or walkways is brick. Its warm colors; strength and greater artistic possibilities add aesthetic as well as monetary value to your home or business.

With proper construction, brick has a far longer lifespan than concrete. Damaged or settled bricks are easily replaced and re-laid in the area to its original beauty, while replaced concrete areas need to "cure" to match the surrounding undamaged area.

Properly installed brickwork begins with a solid foundation. This foundation must correctly direct water away from the building and allow water to run off the brick itself. Using gravel, traffic bond and limesand, compacted at least two times, the base is ready for the steel forms that set the proper height for the outside row of brick that will be set in concrete. This cemented row is the most important course as it holds the walkway or patio in place.

A brick patio is like a puzzle and requires custom pieces. Johnson's Nursery provides quality craftsmanship. When constructing a brick patio, the full bricks are layed first followed by the custom cut pieces. If we are installing a herringbone or basket-weave pattern, a string line is set to assure a straight line. This string line is less important for a running bond pattern. As each individual brick is laid, it is tapped in place with a rubber mallet. Full bricks are laid first and then the remaining bricks are cut to size, using a dry saw, to fill the gaps between the edge course and the full brick pattern.

The last two remaining steps are to sweep a fine, dry sand between the bricks and then use a motorized tamping machine to compact the new patio or walkway. A thin layer of plywood is placed between the tamping and fragile bricks to avoid chipping.

The types and colors of brick on the market today, along with the many variations of patterns and borders available, will make your new patio or walkway a wonderful addition to your home or business.

Please contact us to help you determine which of the myriad of brick choices is best for your home or business. We promise that it will be an asset well worth the project you have envisioned.