Concete Pavers Design / Patterns

Paving Patterns

Decisions about paver laying patterns are determined by two main factors:

1. Overall formality of the design.

When choosing a paver laying pattern, keep in mind the emphasis or attention created by certain types of laying styles. The general rule of thumb is that laying pavers or tiles at a 45 degree angle to the lines of your house will draw attention to the area. This angle also has the effect of making the space look smaller than if is it was laid at 90 degree angles to the line of your home.

2. Cost considerations.

Every time a paver has to be cut, the laying costs will increase dramatically both for the time involved and the wastage of materials.

Herringbone

Herringbone Paver Pattern The 45 degree herringbone pattern is becoming increasingly popular in feature outdoor living space as the pattern works well with stand-out borders and edging. It is a busy pattern to choose so it will definitely be noticed. Whereas straight or 90 degree herringbone has the ability to blend into existing paving and have a natural flow to other sections of the house.

Stretcher Bond

Stretcher Bond Paver Pattern

This side-by-side style of paving is the plainest of all paving patterns, but it has the illusion effect of seeming narrower or wider depending on the direction in which it is laid. Stretcher Bond is good if you want to make a path look longer. If you position them so that their length runs along the length of the path it will look longer. On the other hand if you want a path to look wider in a Stretch Bond pattern, lay them perpendicular to the length of the path.

Stretcher bond patterns are good for a less formal design where it is not desirable for the eye to be strongly led. The pavers tend to look more rectangular and it is also the best pattern for coping with gentle curves. Again, choosing the right size will minimize cutting but wastage will still be higher - at least 7%.

Basket Weave

Basket Weave Paver Pattern Basket Weave is best suited to old world English landscaping themes. This style of paving can be effective if you are using recycled or old pavers as it brings out the rustic charm of cracked old textures.

A regular grid pattern looks great in formal designs and will have the least wastage (as low as 5%) as long as the designer has had the good sense to create paths and spaces sized in multiples of the selected paver's width. A one meter wide path is hardly common sense for a 400mm x 400mm paver.

Diamond patterns can look great but will require a great deal of skill and experience on the part of the contractor – many may just not be interested in the job. Wastage increases substantially at 12% and up.

Hints and Tips

  • In small areas, use simple pavers and patterns, like the running bond. 
  • In large areas, you can break up the expanse with a variety of patterns or dividing bands.
  • Curves add interest and grace to the overall design - but also loads of cutting and extra work. 
  • The inclusion of a header course in the same or different-colored paver can also be incorporated with all the patterns shown to create a feature around the pavement.