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How to build a brick paved patio

A completed brick paved patio complete with two lounge chairs

Overview

When interior designer Chontelle Samios (@ellesindesignsydney) renovated her Blue Mountains home, she was left with a big pile of bricks from an old fireplace. Spotting their potential, she used them to create a brick paved patio space in her front yard. “I call it the 'Circle of Love’, where I sit while the kids play on the lawn,” she says.

Steps

1Measure the space and dig

Work out the pattern and size, and then mark the area to be paved by tapping in a garden stake at the centre. Attach builder’s string half the width of the circle. Hold it taut while moving around the stake to mark the circumference with spray paint. Use a square-mouth shovel to dig out the area to 130mm deep.
A circle patio base is marked and dug out

2Pour the base and position the bricks

Spread the road base with a rake and compact it with a tamper to be 35mm thick. In a wheelbarrow, mix up one part cement with four parts river sand, Shovel the mixture over the area and screed flat with a level to 20mm thick. Start laying the bricks, beginning at the centre and working outwards. Lay the bricks one course at a time, tapping them into the sand-cement mix with a rubber mallet.

Green Bunnings hammer
Pro tip: The key to a completely flat paved area is to use a level to check each layer of material as it is positioned, adjusting as needed.
A partially completed brick paved patio

3Fill with landscaping pebbles

Mix one part cement with four parts river sand and sweep the mix into the gaps between the bricks, filling them halfway. Top up the gaps with small landscaping pebbles, extending them around the outside edges. Lightly hose the area to dampen the sand-cement mix, and then leave it to cure. The mix will harden as it dries, holding the bricks in place.

4Keep in mind ...

  • When handling dusty materials such as gravel and concrete, always wear safety gear (mask, gloves and eye protection). 
  • Cement and sand vary by state and territory; contact your local store for further information.
  • To pave a 2.7m diameter circle, we used six 20kg bags of road base and eight 20kg bags of sand mixed with two 20kg bags of cement. Adjust quantities to suit the size of your area.

5More D.I.Y. garden projects

Browse our D.I.Y. advice page dedicated to gardening, where we share makeover projects and inspiration.

 

Photo credit: Sue Stubbs and Chontelle Samios 

Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.