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Brick Pavers - The Art

By Steve Snedeker

More articles on our site: Brick Pavers - Planting Techniques - Structural Aspects of Pavers - Common Irrigation Problems - What To Expect From A Contractor- Water Features

In the realm of "art", I refer to the colors, patterns and all aspects of brick pavers which refer to the more exotic and cosmetic aspects. There is an absolutely mind boggling array of possibilties the landscape architect or garden desginer has at his or her disposal any more. These will require some pictures which I am supplying below. Suffice it to say, pavers can do almost anything that something laying flat can accomplish, aside from the obvious role of supporting traffic. Below I list the possible definitions and possibilities, divided by category.

AGING or Not

The clean look of a well-formed paver can actually be made "rustic" by a "tumbling process" at the manufacturers, where they place pavers in rotating vats full of abrasive material and the edges become "aged". You can see this example below, under "tumbled pavers". These softened lines offer a rustic appearance immediately and soften the often stark newness of precast pavers. In many cases, the "newness" of pavers, for lack of a better term, are simply gorgeous in their own right, especially when sealed with some form of "wet look" sealer. Flashy, enhanced colors are possible here, as well as simply something gorgeous enough on its own. I have examples of these in the "fresh pavers" below as well.

SHAPES

Pavers now come in a wide variety of shapes and forms. Irregardless of color, at least for this argument, they come in wide varieties of shapes, sizes and thicknesses. There are sets of pavers which are formed like "wings", compiled together forming and amazingly different looking product with various and numerous apparent radii, segments, or arcs, melded together in a whole. There are also sets of pavers made in the shapes of circles, smaller ones with certain angles placed centrally until the larger ones can be applied, whole as the pattern radiates outwards. There are rectangular pavers, those most of us are most familiar with, and some with squares to intermix with the rectangular ones in an "I" pattern. As well, there are others who are made to lay "randomly", with no discernible pattern, a combination of all sorts of squares and rec's large and small. Indeed, manufacturers seem to produce different patterns and shapes and colors yearly, a virtual cornucopia of possibilities.

COLORS

Here is maybe the most fascinating of all categories in the "new paver" scenario. Factually, manufacturers will color pavers to a designer's specifications. What this does is liberate a designer's possible plans incredibly. With this borne in mind, "off the shelf" pavers are also extremely varied, with a massive selection available. There are, literally, no limits here.

SEALERS

A good sealing agent locks in the sand between the joints, prevent the expulsion of limes and salts from extruding from the bricks and protects the pavers, somewhat from greases and oils or other accidents of spillage. There are a fairly wide number of methodolgies for sealing, the products are fairly straightforward.

The two typical varieties of sealants provide either a "wet look", similar to a clear high gloss varnish/urethane finish atop the pavers, or the "dry look", which seals yet does not shine. An important consideration in sealing involves the Sun. A high gloss finish will surely magnify sunlight when the angle is such that the pavers are in the line of the rays, creating glare. While they look marvelously "wet", the glossy finish can be obnoxious.