Home Improvement Outdoors Decks & Patios

A Guide to Basic Brick Patterns for Patios and Paths

Easy guide to brick patterns for walkways at home

grid

The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

There are many different brick patterns for houses that can be used to build structures like walkways, paths, and even walls. As uniform modular units, bricks can be arranged in all sorts of ways and still come out with straight, tidy edges, which is what most people want when paving a brick patio or walkway.

While some brick patterns are used for solely aesthetic reasons, some brick patterns are actually used to make the structure stronger. Brick patterns, also called bonds or bond patterns, also help tie the bricks together to keep them from shifting. This is especially important for wall construction but also comes into play with paving.

For DIYers laying a brick walkway, appearance may be the top consideration, but just as important is the ease of installation. Some brick patterns have the benefit of requiring fewer bricks, which are easier to lay, more affordable, and produce less waste than complex brick patterns.

Here are eight brick pattern ideas for your patios and paths.

Tip

When discussing brick patterns, it's important to understand the terms "header course" and "running bond." Courses refer to each layer or row of horizontal brick. Header courses consist solely of header bricks, which are bricks that are laid flat and perpendicular to the face of the wall. A running bond is a type of pattern that creates a one-over-two pattern,

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    Herringbone

    herringbone pattern

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    The herringbone pattern has a mesmerizing look but could not be simpler. The bricks are merely laid at 90-degree angles to one another in a zig-zag pattern. This pattern requires no cuts in the field area, but if you want straight edges, you have to cut every outer brick at a 45-degree angle.

    The herringbone pattern is the strongest type of brick-laying pattern, making it excellent for paving driveways.

  • 02 of 08

    Running Bond

    running bond

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    Also called stretcher bond, the running bond is perhaps the most classic brick pattern for walls. It's an equally good choice for paving, but it requires more cuts than some of the other patterns.

    The simplest version of running bond places one brick over two below—known as a 1-over-2 pattern—so that each joint between neighboring bricks falls over the center of the brick below. This can also be varied to create offset joints, and this staggered pattern can even vary from row to row, if desired.

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    Basketweave

    basketweave

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    The basketweave brick pattern is one of the simplest bonds to work with, but its visual effect is magical—it looks like a woven basket! This is a popular choice for patios due to its decorative value and ease of installation. You can also mix things up by running the paving diagonally.

  • 04 of 08

    Grid

    grid design

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    The grid brick pattern consists of square sections brick set into a grid-like frame of wood timbers or other material. The basketweave pattern is a classic choice for this treatment, but other straight-edged patterns also work well, such as jack-on-jack and even pinwheel.

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    Half-Basketweave

    half basket weave

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    The half-basketweave brick pattern is laid with two horizontal bricks butted against a single vertical brick. The relative positions of the three bricks in each grouping alternates from row to row. The visual effect is similar to that of the basic basketweave but slightly more complex.

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    Jack-on-Jack (Stacked Bond)

    jack on jack design

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    The jack-on-jack brick pattern, also called stacked bond, is the easiest brick pattern to lay. It is nothing more than bricks laid in perfectly aligned rows. The effect couldn't be more orderly and geometric.

    This pattern is more commonly used in wall construction than in outdoor paving. Wall brick is always mortared, so the bricks do not shift. In paving, any movement in the brick distorts the neat lines of the pattern. However, jack-on-jack works well for grid patterns or edged paths because the grid or edging keeps the brick from shifting.

  • 07 of 08

    Pinwheel

    pinwheel design

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    The pinwheel bond will require some brick-cutting skills, but it is an interesting and great-looking pattern. As you can see, it is a geometric representation of a basic pinwheel. At the center of each pinwheel shape is a half brick, which means you have to make at least one cut for every two pinwheels.

  • 08 of 08

    Whorled

    whorled

    Illustration: The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

    The whorled brick pattern is just one example of a very complex—and very time-consuming—brick pattern. It involves tricky, precise cuts on more than half of the bricks. The effect of complex patterns like this can be stunning, but the difficulty of installation makes it unsuitable for DIYers. Often, this highly decorative pattern is used as a centerpiece within a larger area made with a less complex pattern.

Brick Patterns for Walls

There are various brick patterns for walls. These patterns include both header courses and running courses. Learn more about the different types of brick patterns for walls below.

American Bond

The American bond brick pattern (also known as the common bond) consists of varying running bonds with a course of full-length headers at regular intervals. Header courses show up at either every fifth, sixth, or seventh course (row).

 English Bond

The English bond brick pattern is comprised of only one course of stretcher and a course header above it. The English bond alternates between one row of larger bricks to another row of smaller bricks, creating visual interest.

Flemish Bond

The Flemish bond brick pattern is made up of stretcher bricks and header bricks. In each row, stretcher bricks and header bricks alternate.

FAQ
  • Can you lay bricks sideways?

    Yes, you can lay bricks sideways. This can help with the strength and stability of the structure you're building.

  • What is the best pattern for a brick patio?

    The best pattern for a brick patio is the herringbone pattern. This provides the strongest bond possible.

  • Is laying brick difficult?

    Laying brick is not difficult. In fact, it is considered to be one of the more easy-to-learn construction skills. However, you should still do your research and get proper instruction before bricklaying yourself.

  • Should I wet bricks before laying them?

    Yes. Many types of bricks, such as clay bricks, will need to be wet prior to laying them. However, pressed or extruded bricks of low porosity should not be dampened before laying them down.