Brick Sidewalk Herringbone on a 45. Lancaster P.A.

When we started this project there was an exhisting dry layed walk way that had to be removed. Due to the fact it had been undermined by years of freeze and thaw cycles. Often that is the reason why a patio or walk way breaks down over time. They last for a while but eventually water becomes the enemy. It will saturate the area and when it freezes it expands pushing the material apart just a little bit each time. Slowly but surly breaking down your dry laid patio or walk way. If your hardscaped area is under a roof and not exposed to the elements then it can last a lot longer. Also if you live in an area where freezing temperatures are not an issue, then dry lay can be a good option. However here in south centeral P.A. that is not the case.

The original design of the walk way was running bond that followed the curve or it bent around the with radius. That was an interesting choice that had some issues. Such as, each course of brick was longer than the one before it. Making it impossible to stay on bond, or keep your head joints from eventually lining up. Even if you cut each brick the difference was too great to make it work in a way that looked good. In general I’m not a fan of using running bond in an area where there is a radius. In my opinion there are better options as far as a pattern choice. Basket weave looks pretty good but most people like herringbone on a 45. In order to match the patio herringbone on a 45 was the only option.

The home owners on this project were interested in having a walk way that was prone to the same issues that hardscape has. So, after the exhisting walk way was removed a reinforced concrete pad was poured. Then the large stone that meets up with the driveway had to be taken out so it could be pressure washed and set to the proper height. To ensure that water would drain away from the residence. The next step was to start laying brick. The soldier boarder was first. Each brick was mitered in order to keep a consistent mortar joint size in the radius. After the border was complete it waas time to fill it all in with the herringbone on a 45. It’s the most difficult pattern to do for sure. As you can see it makes for a lot of cutting. I had 2 days of saw cuts for this walk way. While it can be a challenge if you do it properly it looks really good.

This job is located in Lititz in Lancaster county P.A.