I just wanted to get an opinion on the use of clay bricks on a pedestrian pathway. I recently inherited 800 wire cut face bricks that have 8 perforations in the middle. I was wondering if you could advise me on the pitfalls of using this brick on a pathway before I invest alot of time putting it together.
I will lay it on an old concrete sidewalk with about 3 inches of sand for drainage and leveling. It will stay on it's side (2 1/4 inches x 7 1/2 inches) with the wire cut side up(just like if it was on a wall). It will be dry laid into the sand (patio area) bordered around the perimeter with large limestone blocks ( to keep from shifting). The area will only be for light pedestrian residential use and is flanked by pine trees on one side (frequent pine needles and sap droppings) and a house on the other. I am in zone 5, in gardening terms (freeze/thaw cycles).These new bricks were also used in a commercial building in my area so I assume that it meets standards for the severity of weather conditions for the midwest(USA).
My main concern is the possible durability of the perforated bricks as a patio material. Other concerns is the eventual effect of sap sticking and removal. The combination height of sand and brick was calculated to meet the height of an adjacent landing.
I think my plans are feasible but need reasurrance from more experience builders that I will not be wasting my time on an ill concieved project. If I am wrong I will use the bricks for more suitable applications in another project.
Thanks in advance for the advice!
Facing bricks are NOT suitable for paving. It may be different in your country as I'm not familiar with brick quality in the States, but as far as British and Irish bricks are concerned, facing bricks are only suitable for masonry.
Incidentally, "zones" mean nothing to us - they are a US-ian invention devised for a continental climate and totally meaningless for a European maritime climate. British and Irish gardeners tend to blow a fuse when American gardeners insist on knowing what 'zone' we are in.
Thanks for the reply!Sorry for assuming that the temp. zones are universal. The extreme winter temperatures where I live is from -29 c to -23 c.
Even though it isn't the best brick to use,I still might use the bricks for the patio because it didn't cost me anything but labor. The worst thing that could happen is that I lose a day's labor pulling it apart. Since no mortar wil be used, everything would be recycled on another project.
Anybody else have any other comments before I lay it down this spring?
The "mechanical" reason is that facing bricks are not capable of surving repeated saturation and permanent contact with damp ground. The fail in various ways, ranging from turning to mush to splitting, fragmenting, spalling and generally falling apart.
This information is already stated on the main website.
