How to Stagger Joints on Paver Bricks Laid in a Curve

Lay as much of the path as possible without cutting the bricks, following the staggered pattern of your choice. Unless the curves are extremely tight, it is usually possible to get within one or two courses of the edge without cutting.

Insert as many full bricks as possible into the innermost courses, leaving spaces between them as determined by the staggered pattern: follow one installment of the pattern to the edge, then miss an installment, and repeat. This will leave you with a checkerboard pattern of one brick in place, one space, the next brick and so on.

Position a full brick over the first space. Rest the brick so that both ends are supported by the brick either side of the space; the upper brick should look like the lintels that rest above the uprights of window and door frames. The center of the brick should be above the center of the space. Note where the inner edges of the lower bricks are, and transfer those lines to the top of the bridging brick; mark the lines with a thick felt marker.

Remove the marked “bridge” brick to a safe place and cut through the lines, working from top to bottom. Use a circular saw fitted with a masonry blade, or a proprietary stone cutter. The latter is available for rent from most tool rental companies and home improvement warehouses, and the outlay is well rewarded if the project is large.

Return the cut brick to its location in the project and insert it between the two bricks it previously rested on top of. It should slip in neatly, and the width of the cutting blade should allow you to eventually brush in builder’s sand that will finish off the project; if there is no room for the sand, recut one end to make a little more space.

Repeat the process for every space between the full bricks, working one at a time to avoid trying to put the wrong trimmed brick in the wrong space. Once the course is complete, repeat the entire process for the following course or courses until the inside of the curve is where you need it to be.