Brick Patio Ideas... For Your Backyard Paradise

Are you embarrassed to entertain your guests in your backyard? Perhaps it is time to take a look at some design ideas so that you can transform your tired yard into a beautiful and welcoming entertaining spot. Brick is so versatile and easy to work with that it is no surprise that there are many brick patio ideas available.

Although you can make a patio by lining up bricks in rows side by side, there are plenty of more interesting patio design ideas. Try creating a checkerboard pattern by using two different brick colors. For a slightly more intricate look, alternate two bricks laid lengthwise with two bricks laid widthwise. This is very simple to do, but looks difficult.

If the checkerboard look doesn’t interest you, you can create a brick patio using one of the other traditional designs, such as the running bond, the herringbone, or the basket weave.

The running bond is extremely easy to create. Simply lay a row of bricks. Then, when you start the next row, lay the first brick at the halfway point of the first brick in the first row. This offsets the entire second row by one half a brick. On the third row, start your first brick at the same point that you began your first row. This design does need one half brick per row so that you can make your patio perfectly square. However, cutting bricks in half is simple if you use a wet saw.

The herringbone and basket weave patterns both require bricks to be placed on the diagonal. These patterns are fairly challenging, so you may not want to attempt them if you’ve never tried to lay brick before. However, with time, patience, and a few extra bricks, you should be able to successfully law a herringbone or basket weave brick design.

Once you decide on a pattern for your patio, why not make it even more beautiful with a few other brick patio ideas? One popular design option is to create a starburst design in the center of the patio. Although this design can be time consuming, since it involves cutting a lot of bricks to fit the starburst shape, it makes a beautiful focal point on the patio.

Another fun way to dress up your brick patio is to create a planter in the center. Of course, for an informal patio style, you can simply leave a space in the center of the patio for a small garden instead of laying bricks. However, a raised planter made from matching bricks gives the patio a much more elegant appearance.

If you don’t want to tend more plants, why not build a raised pond in the center of your patio instead? For many people, nothing is more soothing than the sound of water trickling quietly in the background.

Once you choose a few of these brick patio ideas for your yard, don’t be surprised if your guests no longer spend much time inside your home. After all, why wouldn’t they want to enjoy relaxing on your beautiful patio?