What Is a Brick Paver?

Brick pavers give a vintage and natural look to new patios, driveways and garden trails. Made from compressed clay and heated at high temperatures, brick pavers are durable and they are available in a selection of natural, earth-toned colors. The brick pavers available range from simple solid bricks with flat borders, to interlocking pavers designed for easy installation.

Brick Basics

True bricks are produced from natural clay. The clay is formed and then fired at high temperatures. When the clay originates from fire, it’s strong and nearly impermeable. Because bricks are produced from natural clay, there is a massive number of natural colors and colors to select from. Each area that produces bricks will have its own color, based on the clay and dirt utilized. Some manufacturers provide bricklike pavers made from concrete and coloured to look like natural brick. While perfectly suited to a project and an appealing material, these aren’t accurate bricks and lack the colour edition of natural brick pavers.

Brick Pavers vs. Regular Brick

Bricks are designed either to be either laid flat or to stack. When building a garden wall, home or other structure, bricks with holes through the middle are used. These bricks are called face bricks. A paver is solid, which makes it more durable, and it’s intended to lay flat on the ground. Any sound, flat-sided brick may be utilized as a paver, but to make setup simpler and produce a tighter fit, a few manufacturers make interlocking brick pavers with ridges that match together.

Laying Brick Pavers

When installing a new patio or pathway utilizing brick pavers, it’s important to begin with a good foundation. The very first step is to level the area and eliminate weeds, rocks and roots. Once flattened and graded, lay down grass cloth or black plastic to deter weeds from growing up through the bricks. After that, apply a layer over the grass cloth and rake it level. The brick pavers are then laid over the mud. Brick pavers are laid tight together and do not need any mortar between them. Once installed, the natural brick expands and contracts slightly as the temperature and humidity changes throughout the year.

Care and Maintenance

True brick can stand the test of time and doesn’t require a good deal of care, but to maintain your patio looking new and lovely, you a few cleaning and maintenance will help. Bricks work best when they are able to naturally absorb and release moisture, depending on the season. You shouldn’t use sealants, paint or water repellants, which might stop the bricks from doing their normal function. A easy scrub with a biodegradable soap removes most stains and any moss that begins growing on the brick pavers as time passes.

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