Patio Paver Bricks and Yard Pavers in Landscaping
Using patio paver bricks, wall stones and other types of yard pavers in landscaping gives you a simple way of paving outdoor spaces to make your yard more usable. Brick paver patios and paver walkways are two of the most common types of paving projects, but don’t stop there.
Brick Patio Ideas and Beyond
You can use yard pavers and other types of patio paving stones and blocks for a variety of projects, including:
- Building a block fire pit with a patio surround to support seating
- Building a raised bed along a paver patio to add planting options to your space
- Creating a grilling pad in a backyard
- Building a bench in a secluded space in the corner of your yard
- Outlining flower beds to draw attention and protect plants from your mower
- Building a horseshoe pit
- Giving a backyard pond a more natural look
These are just a few ideas to get you thinking. The different types of paving and block designs means the possibilities are almost limitless. We’ll give you tips for using and choosing these hardscaping products below.
Pouring concrete slabs for patios is a common way of creating outdoor spaces. If you have a concrete slab patio that feels a bit bland, covering a patio slab with yard pavers is a brick patio idea that gives your space an entirely new look and design.
Wall Blocks, Patio Paver Bricks and Edging Stones
Concrete wall block, backyard pavers and edging stones replicate the look of stones or bricks in a variety of sizes, textures and colors.
Precast hardscaping products have uniform sizes that simplify planning and are relatively easy to install and maintain. They’re designed to require minimal or no cutting during installation. If you need to cut the material, you can do it with a masons chisel and drilling hammer or — for projects requiring a lot of cuts — a power saw with a blade designed to cut concrete.
You may see notations of common or nominal measurements in addition to the actual dimensions of the products. The slightly smaller, actual dimensions represent the physical measurements of the product. Use these when calculating the amount of block, pavers or stones you need for a project.
To get an idea of how many patio paver bricks your project might take, use our Paver Calculator for a materials estimate. We also have a Retaining Wall Block Calculator you can use to estimate materials if you’re building a retaining wall.
Make sure you’re aware of building codes and homeowners association rules that might apply to your work. Purchase 10% more block, pavers or stones than your estimate calls for. The excess should account for breakage, material you need to cut and replacements for future repairs. These products can be heavy. Enlist a helper and consider having your materials delivered. Always follow the product manufacturer’s use, installation and safety instructions.
Retaining Wall Block
Use wall block to create retaining walls, fire pits and even horseshoe pits. Wall block can look like naturally worn or hand-chiseled stones. Other styles have a clean look.
Types of Retaining Wall Block
Different types of block have different maximum wall heights, generally ranging from 2 to 3 feet. Make sure you know the maximum building height for the wall block you choose. Different block systems also use different methods for building walls.
Interlocking Block
Interlocking block has a lip or ridge cast on the rear edge of each individual block. As you build a wall, this lip butts against the top of the block below it. The lip helps position each block correctly and helps create stable rows or courses. The wall face will angle back a bit as you add each course.
Stacking Block
Some wall block simply stacks to create layers. The weight of the blocks in each course helps hold it in place against the previous course. This type of block gives you a little more flexibility in the profile, shape and design of the wall. Some of these blocks include optional pins to help with positioning.
Retaining Wall Caps
You can find coordinating caps for some types of retaining wall block. These flat stones fit over the top course of block to give the wall a finished look.
Read Planning for a Block Retaining Wall for instructions on estimating how many blocks you need for your retaining wall block project.
Patio Paver Bricks
Use patio paver bricks — also known as yard pavers, patio stones, stepping stones or simply as pavers — for brick paver patios and walkways. When you’re using these patio bricks for pavers, you have many options to choose from. Pavers in different colors, shapes and sizes let you create designs and patterns to suit any taste.
Here’s a paver brick patio idea that will simplify your project — consider paving a patio or walkway with pavers that have designs molded into them. These backyard pavers let you create patterns simply and quickly. Paving outdoor areas with these pre-designed stones can save time cutting and fitting the pavers together.
Types of Patio Brick Pavers
Whether you call them patio pavers, paving stones or brick pavers, backyard pavers are available in a variety of options to give your creations the perfect look. For example, you can install pavers for a patio or lay pavers for a walkway on a clear, leveled lawn or yard space.
Common types of pavers include:
Concrete Pavers
Many of the patio pavers you’ll see are concrete pavers. Manufacturers may add color to give you more design options and may cast designs into the pavers to give them a natural look that approaches stone.
Brick Pavers
True brick pavers are made from clay and offer an architectural appearance in reds, browns and tans. Brick pavers allow you to build patios or walkways with classic geometric patterns. You can also use standard clay bricks as pavers for patios and walkways and you can find other types of brick-style pavers as well.
Flagstone Pavers
The random edges and natural shades of flagstone pavers can interlock in a variety of patterns. The shape and appearance of flagstone pavers make them great for a stepping stone walkway or a custom patio. While many of these pavers are concrete, you can also find natural stone flagstone pavers.
Cobblestone Pavers
A cobblestone paver has the natural look of a worn or tumbled stone in variations of grays and browns. Cobblestone pavers are available in rectangular and square shapes to make designs and patterns easy to plan and create. Concrete construction makes these stones easy to work with.
Driveway Pavers
A driveway paver has a design that can handle some vehicle traffic in addition to foot traffic. Many types of pavers are for foot traffic only, so if you’re planning to build a paver driveway, make sure you choose stones rated for driveways.
Rubber pavers are slip-resistant, lightweight products that you can secure to hard surfaces such as concrete patios to create a new look.
Paving Outdoor Areas With Edging Stones
Edging stones allow paving for garden spaces like planting beds, creating visually interesting borders between the beds and a lawn. They help keep mulch where it belongs and provide a cleaner mowing and trimming line. You can create straight, angled or curved borders with ease. Some edging stones interlock for simple placement and design.
Like other types of patio block, edging stones are available in different colors and styles to let you select the look that best complements your home. Read Create a Border Using Edging Stones for step-by-step installation instructions. For an even quicker way to create borders, there are some edging options beyond patio stones.
Plastic Edging
Plastic edging is a relatively inexpensive option for creating borders around flower beds, foundation shrubs and trees. The flexibility of the plastic makes it easy to work with any shape of bed, but also makes this edging a bit more vulnerable to damage from lawn care equipment.
Wood Edging
The natural look of wood edging makes a perfect complement to planting beds. Many types of wood edging are designed to be flexible enough to follow the contours of your planting areas.
Metal Edging
Metal edging is the most durable alternative to edging stones, but it’s still flexible enough to shape to fit your landscape. You can find metal edging in several different colors with powder coat finishes that are designed to look good for years to come.
Rubber Edging
Rubber edging is flexible, durable and stands up well to all types of weather. This edging often comes in 4-foot sections to make borders easy to design. Many types of rubber edging are made from recycled material.
Landscape Edging
Landscape edging can be any type of material that you use to define areas in your yard. In addition to edging stones and the edging options we cover above, other types of landscape edging can include landscaping railroad ties and landscape timbers.
How to Install Brick Patio Pavers
The process for installing pavers in landscaping projects like brick paver patios varies by the project type, but whether you use bricks for pavers or use concrete pavers, many of the main steps are similar. Here’s a high-level overview of how to install pavers for outdoor paving projects:
- Lay out and mark the area.
- Dig out the area.
- Add a layer of paver base gravel or paver base panels.
- Pour a layer of paver sand.
- Put the yard pavers in place.
- Fill the gaps between the pavers with sand or polymeric sand, sweeping away excess before adding water to set the sand.
When considering the size of your outdoor paver project, think about these basics.
- Paver walkways should be at least 3 feet wide. A walkway that’s 4 feet wide will allow two people to walk side by side comfortably. If the walkway will be for wheelchair use, make sure there’s a 5-foot-wide turnaround area.
- Brick paver patios should be large enough to accommodate your furniture and accessories such as container plants, grills, umbrellas, etc. and allow plenty of space for walking and standing.
- Paver driveways should be wide enough to accommodate your vehicle or vehicles, along with room on each side of the vehicle for entry and exit.
Before beginning any excavation when paving for patios, walkways, etc., call 811 to check for underground utilities.
Installing wall block and edging stones requires a similar process, though without the polymeric sand.
How to Maintain Yard Pavers and Fix Sinking Pavers
The durability of pavers means they don’t require too much maintenance, however, there are a few things you can do to make your landscape paver project last and look good for years to come.
- Consider sealing the pavers with a sealant for concrete, stone or brick, depending on the paver.
- Sweep away leaves and other debris to reduce slipping hazards and prevent staining.
- Clean the pavers as necessary with a scrub brush or pressure washer.
- Replace broken or cracked pavers.
- Fix sunken pavers with the tips below.
It’s not uncommon for some pavers to sink a bit due to the settling of the foundation layers, poor drainage, erosion or even burrowing animals. Fix uneven pavers as soon as possible to reduce the risk of tripping. Here are the basic steps:
- Pry up the sunken pavers and the pavers from an area a foot or so out from the problem area.
- Remove the foundation sand and gravel but leave enough surrounding foundation material to act as a reference.
- Tamp down the ground.
- Add a layer of gravel to the sunken area and tamp it down to the level of the surrounding gravel.
- Add paver sand and tamp it down to the proper level.
- Replace the pavers, tamping them down so they’re all level.
- Add sand or polymeric sand to the joints, being sure to sweep away the excess before spraying with water.
Wall Block, Patio Brick Paver and Edging Stone Accessories
In addition to blocks, pavers and stones, you'll find accessories to help make your project a success:
Paver base is gravel that forms part of the foundation of block and paver projects. It gives the project stability, provides for drainage and helps compensate for small elevation changes in your landscape.
Paver base panels can replace traditional paver base and reduce the amount of paver sand you need for patios and walkways. The panels require less digging than paver base, are lightweight and interlock for simple installation. Note that these aren't for areas intended for vehicle traffic.
Leveling or paver sand is another component that supports block and paver projects. Paver sand helps fix the individual pieces of the project in place and allows you to make adjustments to maintain level.
Patio stone and paver restraints are flexible strips that hold pavers in place in patios or walkways. They work with both straight and curved designs. Spikes secure the restraints against the outside edges of the pavers.
Polymeric sand fills the joints between individual pavers in patios and walkways, helping prevent weed growth.
Using Pavers and Blocks in Your Outdoor Paving Projects
Patio brick pavers, paving stones and blocks give you virtually endless options for functional, architectural projects in your landscape.
- Clay brick and concrete pavers are good general options for just about any outdoor paving project, including driveways as long as you use the right pavers.
- Natural stone makes striking, long-lasting walkways and patios, but stone pavers are usually more expensive than brick or concrete pavers.
- Concrete patio block simplifies creating raised planting beds and retaining walls.
- Lay out the project area carefully to ensure you have the right number of pavers or blocks.
- Plan your pattern. The pattern you choose will also be a factor in the number of pavers or blocks you need.
- Create a good foundation. A layer of paver base or paver base panels and a layer of paver sand are critical to a long-lasting project.
FAQs on Patio Bricks for Pavers and Other Paving Stones
Use the answers to these questions to help you find the right pavers and stones for your landscape.
What Brick Is Used in Pavers?
Clay bricks and concrete pavers are the two types of pavers you can use for landscaping projects. Actual bricks are made from clay fired in a kiln. Concrete pavers are cast from cement and aggregate materials, often gravel and sand. Concrete brick pavers provide an alternative to clay bricks in a wider variety of shapes and styles, including styles that have the look of actual bricks or natural stones.
Can You Use Any Bricks as Pavers?
You can use standard clay bricks as pavers. The size and shape may limit some designs but the look of clay brick can be very appealing and is perfect for a more traditional or natural setting. Concrete pavers offer more shapes and design options and tend to be easier to cut. In addition, some concrete pavers have designs that help you lay them accurately and quickly.
Which Is Cheaper, Bricks or Pavers?
In general, you may find concrete pavers less expensive than comparable clay bricks but, in some cases, you can purchase bricks for a similar or lower price. An actual cost comparison depends on the style and size of the brick or paver, your location and availability of the product.
The best option is to find the bricks and pavers that appeal to you and then estimate the cost of your different materials based on square footage.
Do Bricks Make Good Pavers?
Yes, standard clay bricks can make good pavers depending on the project and the look you want. Clay bricks are strong, highly durable and can offer the classic red brick color as well as some earthy tones, depending on the brick and its composition. Bricks work very well for geometric patterns, such as herringbone and pinwheel designs, giving you options to create paver landscaping projects with lots of classic appeal.