Pavers for Patios

Clay Brick Pavers

• Although standard clay bricks are suitable for some landscape applications, brick manufacturers produce a small, dense brick specifically for paving purposes. Once installed, clay brick pavers appear nearly identical to standard house bricks, but they're typically thinner than standard bricks and never have core-fill holes. The color of clay bricks depends upon the type of clay used to produce the brick. While red brick is the most common, green, grey and tan bricks are available.

Concrete Brick Pavers

• Concrete brick pavers imitate the size and appearance of clay bricks. As suggested by their name, these pavers consist of concrete--a mixture of cement, sand and rocks. Unlike clay bricks, concrete bricks may be colored with dyes prior to formation. Manufacturers mix a powder-like colorant with concrete mix to create bricks that range from clay red to greens, blues and yellows.

Precast Concrete Pavers

• The term "precast concrete pavers" refers to a broad range of concrete blocks manufactured specifically for exterior paving applications such as pathways, patios and driveways. Like concrete bricks, precast pavers usually imitate the appearance and size of another material, commonly cobblestones or natural stone formations. Precast concrete pavers are also available in geometric forms such as hexagonal or square blocks. The edges of many precast pavers are designed to interlock to form a strong grid and create visually interesting patterns.

Natural Stone Pavers

• Quarries offer several types of natural stone for paving applications, including limestone, slate and sandstone. Home improvement stores typically advertise natural stone pavers by their cut rather than by type of stone. The most common types of natural stone pavers are flagstone pavers and cobblestone pavers. Whereas the term "flagstone" refers to broad slabs of stone, the term "cobblestone" refers to roughly cubical pieces of stone. Flagstone pavers may be cut into rectangular shapes or left with irregular, natural edges. Cobblestones are generally cut into a rough, blocky shape.