Brick circle - How to
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michelle anderson
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Tue May 28, 2002 8:22 pm
Hi Tony, First post to you for a long long time,I want to build a 3m dia brick or clay brick bed about 3 courses high with a 1m wide path going right around it . The bed will be planted. There may be other areas adjacent to the path which will be raised a couple of courses as well.I was thinking simple stretcher bond. Any tips or advice most welcome.
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Tony McC
- Site Admin
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- Location: Warrington, People's Republic of South Lancashire
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At 3m diameter, you might want to consider trimming the bricks/blocks, as some of the innermost joints might be a bit wide, but not excessively so.
Start with the inner ring, get that laid as near to flat as possible, by which I mean try to get the northern half level with the southern half, the east with the west. If you have a low spot, say in the SE quadrant, it will stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. Use the "Floating edge course" method to establish the outer edge, and that will allow you to screed the bed for the inner courses, and then shove up the outer edge course to eliminate any awkward cutting.
You'll need some fall on the circle - either inwards towards the central bed, which should only be done if you have weLl-drained ground, or outwards away from the circle. With a 1m wide path, you only need 20-25mm of crossfall: anything more will look excessive.
Finally, as you lay the successive rings, you'll find that ever now and again, the transverse joints will align with that on the adjacent course. This is undesirable, so you'll need to cut down the occasional block to ensure the joints remain staggered.
Keep us informed about how you get on.
Start with the inner ring, get that laid as near to flat as possible, by which I mean try to get the northern half level with the southern half, the east with the west. If you have a low spot, say in the SE quadrant, it will stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. Use the "Floating edge course" method to establish the outer edge, and that will allow you to screed the bed for the inner courses, and then shove up the outer edge course to eliminate any awkward cutting.
You'll need some fall on the circle - either inwards towards the central bed, which should only be done if you have weLl-drained ground, or outwards away from the circle. With a 1m wide path, you only need 20-25mm of crossfall: anything more will look excessive.
Finally, as you lay the successive rings, you'll find that ever now and again, the transverse joints will align with that on the adjacent course. This is undesirable, so you'll need to cut down the occasional block to ensure the joints remain staggered.
Keep us informed about how you get on.
Site Agent - Pavingexpert
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michelle anderson
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Tue May 28, 2002 8:22 pm
Thanks for the excellent advice as usual- having thought a bit more about it, Ive decided to put a channel of gravel between the central bed and the path,hoping this might reduce the messing about and make the path easier to construct.
Also, the client now wants to use clay paviors which will possibly be smaller than a brick. Do you think these could be used to construct the central bed as well( I think its going to be about 40cm ht now).
By the way , Im definitely buying your book. ( creep creep)
Also, the client now wants to use clay paviors which will possibly be smaller than a brick. Do you think these could be used to construct the central bed as well( I think its going to be about 40cm ht now).
By the way , Im definitely buying your book. ( creep creep)
michelle anderson