Thinking about a way to spruce up your outdoor areas for the warmer months?
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Paving is a great choice for DIY projects because you get immediate impact, they are relatively easy to lay, and the range and laying patterns means you can unleash your creativity.
“For variety, style and impact for your home, the flexibility that pavers provides is hard to beat. With any one paver, you can create four to six different paving pattern styles allowing you to find the right match for your home,” Adbri Masonry’s Brand Ambassador Jason Hodges said.
Another important consideration is the colour and texture, as this will set the scene for the entire area. “Consider which paving colour will best complement your existing space by matching them with roof tiles, guttering, bricks or render,” he said.
Jason provided some tips for paving:
- When laying a paver, leave a 3mm gap between each paver for the jointing sand that is swept over the surface once you’ve finished the job. This sand will help to avoid the pavers from rubbing and chipping.
- “Some paving patterns will require cuts via the use of a brick saw which can be hired from Bunnings or a local hire shop. While the hiring is easy, the operation of the saw requires caution and all of the required safety gear, so take your time or better still, engage the help of a tradesman,” Jason said.
- If you are using pavers that will be cut, there’s one great tip Jason recommends to help ‘hide’ the smaller paver throughout the overall space; “I like to run a header course around all of my paving which means you won’t end up with a little paver on the edge.”
Try these patterns:
- Stretcher Bond: This most common paving pattern requires minimal cutting and leaves little wastage. It’s a traditional pattern that replicates the classic look of brickwork and can easily hide imperfections in the pattern.
- Stackbond: This pattern is an excellent choice when the finished look is important. The large format pavers can make smaller layouts appear bigger.
- Herringbone: This design choice is making a stylish comeback. Using a smaller format sized paver, interlock the pavers on a 90-degree or 45-degree angle.
- Basket Weave: This design that adds character, dimension and complements existing brick surfaces. You need a rectangular paver to achieve this.
- Mixed Euro Stone: This is a new trend for both residential and commercial applications that incorporates mixed pavers of different sizes and colours for a modern paved look.