- While patio bricks and blocks may seem modern, the use of interlocking paving stones has a long history. The Romans used closely fitted stone slabs laid over a prepared bed to build the Via Appia more than 2,000 years ago. The Palace at Knossos, Crete, built between 1300 and 1700 B.C., featured terraces and porches paved with flagstones cut to fit together. The Patio de Los Leones in Granada's Alhambra Palace features an intricately designed courtyard patio paved with marble and flagstone surrounding the fountain that gives its name to the courtyard.
- Block and brick patio pavers fit together evenly, making it easier to design patio floors and walls. Since the bricks or stones are made in standard, uniform shapes and dimensions, do-it-yourself builders can work from pre-planned designs or create their own patterns with the bricks as easily as one might create a pattern with building blocks. It's easier to repair damaged or stained areas on a block patio than it is to repair a concrete slab patio or wood deck--just pull up the stained blocks and replace them.
- Patio pavers come in many different sizes, shapes and colors, but they fit into two basic categories--interlocking and non-interlocking. Interlocking patio blocks fit together like puzzle pieces. Since there's no need to measure the distance between bricks or mortar the blocks, interlocking patio blocks are generally easier for do-it-yourself builders. Non-interlocking patio blocks generally have straight edges and are rectangular or square in shape, though some may be hexagonal or octagonal.
- The floor pattern is one of the most obvious elements of a brick or block patio. Some traditional brickwork patterns are among the easiest to lay because they require little cutting, according to Lowes' "Creative Ideas for Outdoor Living." The "Jack on Jack" pattern, for instance, is simple rows of bricks that line up with each other horizontally and vertically, while the "running bond" involves offsetting each horizontal row of bricks so that the vertical columns don't align. A "basket weave" is a simple two-row pattern with two bricks laid vertically followed by two laid horizontally, creating a woven appearance.
Herringbone patterns are more difficult. They involve placing bricks at 45 and 90 degree angles to each other, and usually require cutting bricks along the edging to fit a straight edge. Some designs combine paving bricks and stones of various sizes to create symmetrical and asymmetrical designs, and a skilled brick layer can create intricate medallions and curved shapes with brick. - A well-designed patio is more than a brick floor--it may include borders, walls, raised beds, water features and benches, any of which you can build using brick or block pavers. Many manufacturers even offer interlocking wall blocks that coordinate with their pavers so that you can build a wall or raised flower bed that exactly matches your patio floor. A raised flower bed or knee-height wall defines the outer border of the patio, while a path leading away from the patio can integrate it into your backyard space.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -