After a long Michigan winter, spring is the perfect time to start thinking about your outdoor spaces. Maybe your patio needs a refresh, your walkway has shifted, or you’re finally ready to create that backyard entertaining space you’ve been imagining.
Whatever is on your wish list, a little planning can make your spring brick paving project more functional, attractive and enjoyable for years to come.
Start With a Post-Winter Paver Walkaround
Before deciding what you want to add, take a good look at what winter left behind.
Walk your patio, driveway, paths and other paved areas and watch for:
- Pavers that have sunk or lifted
- Uneven areas or trip hazards
- Low spots where water collects
- Loose or missing joint sand
- Shifting borders
- Cracked or damaged pavers
- Weeds growing between joints
Not every problem means you need a brand-new surface. Existing brick pavers can often be reset or releveled, allowing you to restore what you already have before considering replacement.
Repair, Expand or Start Over?
That’s one of the first decisions to make when planning your spring project.
- Repair may make sense when most of the existing pavers are still in good condition but certain areas have shifted or settled.
- Expand when you like your existing hardscape but need more room. A small patio, for example, might be enlarged to accommodate a dining or conversation area.
- Start over when the existing layout no longer works for your property or you want an entirely different design.
Don’t assume replacement is your only option. Mortar City Masonry can evaluate existing pavers and help determine whether restoration, expansion or a new installation makes the most sense.
Think in Zones, Not Just Projects
Instead of saying, “I want a patio,” think about what you actually want to do outside.
Breaking your yard into functional zones can help you create an outdoor space that works together:
- Cooking: Grill or outdoor kitchen
- Dining: Table and chairs
- Relaxing: Lounge or conversation area
- Entertaining: Fire pit and seating
- Connecting: Walkways between important areas
- Landscaping: Retaining walls, planters and borders
- Welcoming: Porch, steps and front walkway
You don’t necessarily have to build everything at once. Having the bigger picture in mind can make it easier to plan today’s project around tomorrow’s ideas.
Where Will Everyone Walk?
Here’s a simple spring experiment: watch how your family actually moves around your property.
Do people cut across the lawn to get from the driveway to the backyard? Is there an awkward route from the patio to the grill? Do guests have a clear path to your outdoor entertaining area?
Consider:
- Which exterior doors get used most
- How guests reach the backyard
- Routes between the driveway and house
- Access to grills and outdoor kitchens
- Paths to gardens, pools or play areas
- Where worn areas in the lawn reveal natural traffic patterns
Sometimes the best location for a new paver walkway has already been chosen for you—by everyone’s feet.
Plan the Furniture Before the Patio
It’s easy to choose a patio size and figure out the furniture later. Consider reversing that process.
Make a list of everything you’d eventually like the space to hold:
- Dining table and chairs
- Outdoor sectional
- Fire pit seating
- Grill
- Outdoor kitchen
- Planters
- Umbrella
- Additional chairs for guests
Then account for the space people need to pull out chairs and comfortably walk around everything.
A patio can technically be large enough for your furniture but still feel crowded when you’re actually using it.
Don’t Forget the View From Inside
Your outdoor improvements don’t disappear when you walk indoors.
Look through your kitchen, living room, dining room or patio doors and consider what you’ll see. A thoughtfully positioned patio, walkway or fire pit can become part of the view from inside your home.
Think about:
- Creating an attractive focal point
- Aligning outdoor spaces with doors and windows
- Using pathways to visually connect different areas
- Coordinating pavers with your home’s existing brick or stone
- Making the hardscape look intentional even when nobody is outside
Good outdoor design can complement the house from both sides of the door.
Should This Be One Project, or Three?
Spring is also a good time to look at how several improvements could work together.
Consider combinations such as:
- Patio + walkway + fire pit
- Front porch + walkway + driveway border
- Outdoor kitchen + patio + retaining wall
- Paver restoration + patio expansion + new border
- Walkway + landscaping + planter walls
Mortar City Masonry works with new brick paving as well as paver restoration, replacement and complementary masonry features. Planning related projects together can help create a more cohesive finished property.
Bring Your Spring Brick Paving Ideas to Mortar City Masonry
Whether you’re restoring an existing patio, adding a walkway or transforming your backyard into an outdoor living space, Mortar City Masonry can help you plan a project that fits your property.
We install, restore, relevel and replace brick pavers and can incorporate complementary masonry features to bring the entire space together. Call Mortar City Masonry at (586) 533-1305 to schedule your free consultation and start planning your spring brick paving project.
