Larsen Landscape | Blog

BRICK IN THE LANDSCAPE

One of the more timeless building materials in use anywhere is brick.  If you buy a vacation package to Europe, chances are you are not going to book a tour somewhere in Italy or Scandinavia to be driven around the new suburbs –visualizing a faraway land of vinyl coated walls and glass buildings.

Quite a few of those old estates still standing after a few centuries were constructed by true craftsmen of their time using those rectangular blocks called brick made from a clay bank somewhere in the vicinity.  Actually, part of what gives brick its charm is that clay banks are different and that bright red brick you might be thinking of in one part of the country could be a deep brown hue with a completely different texture somewhere else.

In fact, many of the bricks on sale today are subjected to special processes to add various colors and textures to what is actually dug out of the ground and thrown into a kiln to dry.  This appears to be an attempt to duplicate those various rich colors and textures that might be found in various climates all around the world.  They are, however, still real bricks and even with this facelift still have the lasting characteristics that are inherent in the basic material.

Just yesterday, I happened to drive by two properties that we had done the

Timeless Brick work

original landscape work on exactly 20 years ago.  The entryways, planters and light pilasters were all made of brick (installed, I might add, with enough care and integrity to keep them all in place).  They both looked great.  A few of the garden planters had additions, such as new flowers, but overall the landscapes both looked like they might have been done 3 years ago instead of 20.  There was a certain timelessness to them.

I am hoping that in a hundred years, someone will go by and remark on those charming old homes that still look great.

MORE ON FLAGSTONE

I am often asked to put in patios that feature flagstone with greenery, like sod or ground cover, filling the spaces between the stones.  In fact, I have several photos in my portfolio showing that very thing – and they often get commented on when someone is leafing through the pages.

Personally, I do like that look too and I think it adds a certain natural look to a garden setting.  I do, however, find myself explaining quite often that it is not the right choice for a main patio.

From experience, it has become obvious that any aesthetic gain that one achieves by using this type of flagstone approach for a main patio area is outweighed by the problems it creates.  The lawn or ground cover between the stones has to be watered, fed, trimmed or mowed as well as weeded.  The watering either involves getting any furniture wet that is on the patio – or relying on underground drip tubing (something that is usually not reliable over any long period of time).

The other problem involves the inescapable fact that the wet soil between the stones tends to move when it is walked on or furniture is moved across it.  This makes for an increasingly uneven surface over time and probably a tripping hazard as well.

Patio Garden

On the other hand, I absolutely love the look for a small patio that is really part of the garden setting rather than something that contains a table and chairs.  It could be tucked away amongst some trees and shrubs, possibly with a park bench perched in a corner, making it more of an occasional getaway spot.  Even if it hardly ever gets used, it always looks inviting, and that is a very important factor in a landscape design.  A garden and patio should always look like someplace you would like to go spend time in, especially when time is at a premium.

FLAGSTONE PAVING – HOW TO

Flagstone paving can be done in several ways.  This article is about the highest quality approach.

If you want your new flagstone patio or walkway to have that top quality look and stay that way, then this is the procedure to follow.  First, you start with removing the soil in the area to a depth of about 8 or 9 inches below where you would like the final patio level to be.  Then put in a couple of inches of sand and, while moistening lightly with water from time to time, run a vibrating compactor over the sand to pack it in tightly.  This really presses the sand down so there will be no sinking later.  The sand acts to “float” the concrete which will go over it so if the earth moves when it gets wet and then dries out the sand tends to move rather than the concrete.

Next, put some steel reinforcing bars in place and pour the concrete base over the sand.  Typically, this is laid in at a depth of about three to four inches.  The finish doesn’t have to look perfect but the level does have to be fairly accurate to help with the drainage grade you will need to achieve with the final stone layer.  We also use a product called micro-fiber, which gets mixed right into the concrete for extra strength.  The primary strength of your patio is from the concrete under the stone – and if done right will give you a patio that will never crack or sink.

Finally, it is time to add your flagstone.  In the best work, the random pieces are roughly fitted together by eye, one at a time, and then trimmed with a diamond blade saw to have joints which are random, but at the same time, do not have much variance from one joint to another.  In other words, if all the joints are a little under or a little over say half an inch, then it is a topnotch job of fitting.  This is where a lot of skill comes in.

Flagstone Entryway in Thousand Oaks by Larsen Landscape

The stones are set on a high quality mortar (we use a premixed product called Spec-mix which really grabs and holds the stones).  A bubble type mason’s level needs to be in constant use for this part to ensure an even surface that drains off the rain and sprinkler water.  Getting the drainage right and avoiding puddles is probably the trickiest part.

Finally, use a grout bag (sort of like a cake icing bag used for masonry grout) to squeeze the grout into the joints.  The nicest look is achieved by using silica sand mixed together with regular cement at a one to one ratio.  The mortar is scraped off level with a trowel while it is still somewhat wet and then a sponge is used to even it out.  The sponge needs to be damp but not soaking wet for this.  The sponge is also used to clean the stone at the same time and usually the bucket of water being used for this part has to be changed frequently.

If you want to add a clear sealer to the stone to really bring out the color (and keep softer stones from being eroded by water), this can be done after the grout is dry (a day or two later).  Be sure to add an anti-skid powder to the sealer to avoid people slipping after a rainstorm.  Some of the clear sealers can be like ice when they get wet.