Are you looking into renovating your patio, or re-paving some part of your front lawn? Maybe a sidewalk to connect different areas of your house or you are planning a full-on decoration project at home and are having a hard time figuring out where to start. Inspiration is always a great first step in making your dreams come true.
Paver stones can be as diverse as you can imagine. Some of the most common being stone, concrete, brick, and tiles but also clay and recently even plastic or rubber. Pavers come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, textures, and colors. So let’s break it down a bit and check out some of the variety of colors and shapes you may find depending on the materials you choose.
Most used colors for paving:
- Red
- Brown
- Silver
- Different tones of Grey
- Different tones of Beige
- Blue
- Green
- Tan
- Black
- Yellow
- Multicolor
Color can already start to give you a great feeling of the space. Try testing out colors that either match your house materials or contrast with them so you can bring a wow moment every time you step into your amazing paved space.
Most common shapes:
- Brick
- Square
- Hexagon
- Trihex
- Fan
- Dumble
Some shapes even have sub-variations within the base shape. Take for example the dumble, you can find round dumbles and dumbles with all kinds of different edges. If you start to look into it you will also find a wide variety of trihex variation and also a combination of shapes in order to create wonderful patterns.
And speaking of patterns… Another great aspect about paving and the main topic this month is picking the right pattern for your space. You can of course customize to your wildest dreams, but depending on your budget, time and your particular likes, sometimes the most simple of patterns can bring the exact feel you are looking for. Let’s take a look at some of our most asked patterns and how you could apply them to your space.
Herringbone:
Herringbone is definitely one of the most popular patterns used in paving not only because it looks absolutely stunning but because herringbone’s cross hatching makes an extremely strong surface that will outsand any use throughout the years. With every weight passing on a herringbone surface, it becomes more and more solid. Herringbone pattern can be placed either in a 45 degree or a 90 degree angle. And even though it requires cutting paver in order to complete a space, it is totally worth the extra work.
This beautiful pattern is an all time classic that will never go out of style, it will definitely be an improvement that will last a lifetime.
As a last tip, this pattern is mostly recommended for large or open spaces. Look into it if you are looking for a new look for your driveway, a backdoor patio, or even a sidewalk.
Stack Bond and Running Bond:
The stack bond and running bond patterns will be grouped together since they are all part of the same family.
It’s called a stack bond pattern when the bricks or square pavers are stacked one directly on top of another in a grid like manner. This means that they are aligned both horizontally and vertically creating a uniform look throughout the pavement. This pattern as the herringbone is a sturdy structure that will handle regular traffic for a lifetime, it is an excellent option for tight schedules because the installation process is very simple.
Now, if you find this pattern to be too simple and you want to top it up a notch, you can start by simply shifting the entire pattern 45 degrees or move to our next pattern, the running bond.
It becomes a running bond pattern when you offset the row below. It can be done in different degrees to create different and more complex looks according to your design. The most common are ⅓ running bond and half running bond. This last one is the pattern we first think about when we think of a brick wall or a subway wall.
Whichever you choose and as simple as they may seem you can create visually interesting timeless spaces with simplest of variations.
Basketweave:
The basketweave pattern or parquet is a checkerboard style pattern. Bricks are laid alternating between horizontal and vertical pairs. It’s definitely a favorite for its vintage feel and the fact that installation is very simple. It’s called basketweave for a reason and it’s why this pattern is so popular, it creates a comforting visual effect. Because of it’s decorative properties it’s preferred in patios and spaces for entertainment. As with any paving project you can get creative and look into all types of variations like single basket weave, boxed basket weave, the single offset backetwave, double offset basketweave and so
Ashlar:
Now moving on into a more random feel we have the ashlar pattern. This pattern has the intention to give your space a more rustic appearance while still using a fixed pattern to keep installation easy and simple. As with all patterns you can play with the shapes and you can also choose between having a perfect cut paver or a rough paver, simulating a rustic stone to give your space the personality you are looking for.
Circle:
This pattern may not be very flexible in the shape of the stone you can use, but it creates stunning spaces, particularly large driveways or patios, and it works beautifly when paired with another pattern like the herringbone, or basketweave pattern. This pattern has the fun quality that you don’t have to stick to the full circle and can play around creating fan patterns also.
The fun part about a paving project is that you can really customize your project to fit all your needs. We will leave you with the names of a few other interesting patterns to look into like attice90 or lattice45, the pinwheel pattern and all the running bond variations .
If you have any questions or want a free estimate, give us a call at Euro Paving Chicago+1 773-988-2353 or email us at contact@europaving.com. You’ll see that the possibilities are infinite.
