IMPROVEMENTS : Sand, Sweat Are Major Ingredients in Do-It-Yourself Brick Patio Project

A brick patio is an old-fashioned and attractive addition to a yard, a perfect spot for outdoor dining or entertaining. When it’s done, it has a way of looking like it should always have been there.

Besides, brick patios are perfect homeowner projects.

They’re not at all hard to build--as long as you don’t mind a little digging, hauling and sand stomping. Start by figuring out a design. There’s nothing wrong with a simple square or rectangle, and those spaces are generally the most versatile when it comes to placing furniture.

The next step is to decide on a brick pattern. This is the fun part; the pattern can be straight courses, up-and-down or diagonal herringbone or whatever strikes your fancy. If you’re not experienced in working with bricks, however, it’s a good idea to choose a pattern that doesn’t require a lot of brick cutting. You split a brick by tapping a groove on both sides with the chisel end of a brick hammer. Then you hit it sharply with the hammer, and it should split along the grooves. It should--but there’s a knack to it.

Once you’ve decided on the pattern, figure out how many bricks you’ll need. If you have some spare bricks, try laying out a section of your pattern so you can count how many bricks cover a square foot. If that doesn’t work, figure five bricks per square foot; or ask the brick purveyor for help. Be sure to get a few extra. When you choose bricks, remember that old bricks look nice, but may not be glazed, so they can absorb water and can also crack.

The other major raw material is sand. Brick patios can be laid in mortar over a concrete base. A brick patio laid over concrete won’t move or sink, and if the slab is straight, the bricks will be, too. However, it’s a lot more difficult, and you may need professional help to pour the slab.

The simpler choice is to place the bricks on a two-inch bed of sand. Sand-bed patios may not be perfectly straight, and may need to be adjusted--a brick or two may settle--but they’re a lot easier to build. The sand supplier should be able to help you figure out how much sand you need.

Mark the outlines of the patio with stakes and string, making sure the corners are square. Then dig out the dirt inside to a depth of six inches. Once the dirt is gone, tamp down the surface of the hole with a hand tamper (a metal plate on a stick), or a roller.

If you’re not using a concrete base, the patio needs some sort of border to help hold the bricks in place and to keep the sand in. The border can be concrete, pressure-treated wood or a small concrete footing with bricks set into it on end.

The simplest is the pressure-treated board. Set boards in the hole and drive pressure-treated stakes along the outside every four feet or so, driving stakes below ground level. Then use a drywall screw to secure the stake to the board. Fill in the outside gap with dirt, covering the stakes. Use a level to check the border edges; you want the patio to slope away from the house, so water runs off.

To help keep weeds out, put a layer of landscape cloth over the dirt at the bottom of the excavation.

Pour in a layer of sand, dampen it and tamp it down. (Think of it as a day at the beach.) Continue filling until the sand is two inches deep and thoroughly tamped down.

To ensure the surface is level, pull a long board across the sand at the right depth to set the bricks. You can notch the ends of a board so it rests on the edges of the border. If the patio is too wide for a single board, install a temporary center board, level it and run the long board along each section separately. Then remove the centerboard.

Now it’s time to place the bricks. Start at one corner, putting each brick down and tapping it into the sand with a rubber mallet. If you’ve tamped the sand sufficiently, moving around on it won’t disturb it much. If you get a divot, tamp the sand back in place as you go.

When all the bricks are in place, scatter dry sand over them, then wet it down and sweep it into the joints between the bricks. Keep spreading sand, sprinkling and sweeping, until all the joints are full.

You can put the lawn chairs out immediately. Don’t throw out unused sand; in the first few weeks there will be some settling. You may need to repeat the scattering, sprinkling and sweeping routine several times.