Give Your Front Porch An Elegant Old-World Vibe With Brick Pavers

Imagine sitting on a dreamy brick porch, rocking in a chair and sipping sweet tea. Whether you love old-world European character or sweet southern charm, adding brick pavers to your boring concrete porch can transport you to another place, and it's relatively simple to do it yourself! Before getting started on this DIY paver project that will instantly elevate your yard, you'll need to verify that your front door can open freely once the extra height of the bricks is added to the porch. Installing brick could be a safety concern if it elevates the porch enough to make it a tripping hazard. Instead of installing full bricks, which will add too much height, you can also use thin brick pavers, sometimes called brick veneer. This gives the look of brick with a much thinner profile, making it suitable to place over concrete. You can also get thin bricks that are attached to a mesh backing. This style lays down quickly, but requires you to mortar the sheets into place and apply grout between the bricks.

The current condition of your porch may also affect the possibility of this project. You'll need a solid, level foundation with good water drainage for the brick pavers. If your concrete porch already has issues with water frequently pooling, the problem will likely get worse when you add brick. Once you've determined that your porch is in proper shape for this charming makeover, read on for tips on selecting the perfect brick paver style for your front porch.

Brick pavers and brick veneers come in a wide range of colors, including white, whitewashed, classic red, and mixed tones. This lets you find a look that fits with your home's color palette and creates your desired look. Once you choose your bricks, you can get creative with the design using paver patterns that will add interest and texture to your patio. Before installing anything, test different brick-laying patterns to decide what you like. A classic option that's relatively easy to install is the running bond, which uses straight rows of bricks that are staggered by half. For a timeless look, consider a herringbone design, which forms a series of V shapes with the bricks meeting at 45-degree angles. Single- and double-basketweave patterns use a mix of vertical and horizontal bricks to mimic the look of weaving on a basket.

The basic process starts with installing slightly taller pavers around the edges and corners of your porch using polyurethane construction adhesive. This creates a tidy border for your interior bricks. Next, cover the porch with landscaping fabric and add a thin layer of sand to even the surface and prevent moisture building up under the bricks. Lay the pavers like you would for a traditional paver patio, finishing with joint sand. Alternatively, you can use mortar to attach bricks or mesh veneer directly to the concrete without landscaping fabric and sand. Then, you'll grout the gaps between the bricks. You can use a similar simple paver DIY to upgrade boring walkways leading to your porch.