Driveway

Mindy -

Some pros and cons to using old bricks. They might look really good, and are a great example of recycling, which is great to see. But I doubt they'll have the strength that a concrete paver driveway will have, which may mean something, or may not. If it's just a standard homeowner driveway, with a small car parked in it, then that might not be a big deal. If you park more vehicles on it, or it has some traffic, or might have a truck or so occasionally park on it (ie, something heavier), then maybe you might care about the strength. Also, pavers are made to "interlock", where bricks aren't. This adds a lot of strength to the entire job, as well as means they aren't as prone to shifting and allowing grass etc. to grow through the cracks (your preference there, some like it).

All in all, I would go with the pavers for a driveway, and save the bricks for a decorative walkway or other use that doesn't get the heavy loads on it.

Hope that helps!

------------------------------------- Douglas E. Ruhlin

Environmental / Sustainability Consultant, CCPf, LEED GA, REM, CEA

Resource Management Associates (609) 693-8301 snipped-for-privacy@resourcemanagementassoc.com

Most of the work is putting a proper base, and over time whatever bricks you install will look shabby. Plus there are all sorts of bricks most too soft for car loads. Dont even think of bricks with holes they will fall apart they are designed for walls.

Heck a neighbor had pros install a beautiful concrete paver driveway and sidewalks. Looked awesome:)

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER:( but your brick idea will be falling apart by the time its done:(

ith paver bricks. =A0I found a brick yard selling old (dirty) bricks (with = three holes) at 20 cents each.

? Since it has three holes in the middle of the brick, I am not sure if it = firm enough for driveway.

Replace your concrete driveway with a new concrete driveway. You asked.

Friend of mine did this. He's a handy guy, also restores classic cars. He built an elaborate garage/machine shop and decided to accent it with antique gas pumps and a semicircular driveway and parking pad made of recovered bricks. He did a proper job laying the foundation bed and installing the bricks, but even so, the bricks settled unevenly in some spots. Also, he'd decided not to clean the bricks before installing them. Since they look old and dingy, they detract from the look of his new garage. I think he'd have been better off to use new pavers.

The bricks have holes to reduce weight and to lock them into place with the mortar used when laying up a wall. I suspect - suspect, not "know" - that they would be fine for a driveway. I also suspect they would be even stronger if laid on edge rather than flat.

However, as others have mentioned, it is a *LOT* of work to clean up old bricks; if all four edges are clean and just the face, not so bad.

To do what you want, these are the necessary steps...

1. Demolish and remove old driveway

1. Lay down, grade, smooth and compact a bed for the pavers. Around here, they use crushed concrete for that; elsewhere, stone dust and/or sharp sand. My only experience is with crushed concrete and it serves well, makes a good bed. For a walk or patio, you need about 3" compacted by 1/3, don't know how thick for a driveway...6"?

2. Lay the pavers. Many will have to be cut, very messy.

1. Vibrate pavers to compact

2. Sweep sharp sand into joints, compact again

1. Provide an edging so pavers don't move laterally. Edging can be metal, plastic, stone, concrete. The edging on my patio is crushed concrete mixed with cement and extends a couple of inches below the pavers to about an inch from the top and is sloped from bottom to top.

There are two kinds of pavers...concrete and clay. All have nibs on an end and side to provide space for the finishing sand and to help alignment. The concrete pavers are available in many shapes and colors; clay is pretty much confined to a standard brick shape and colors (reds, browns, yellows).

IMO, clay is vastly superior to concrete. They are stronger, color extends through the entire paver (also true for concrete pavers if you pay for it). However, ALL concrete pavers - even color through ones - will eventually weather thus exposing the aggregate. Looks crummy IMO.

I had about 1700 sq.ft. of patio done last summer with clay pavers. Total cost was $5.00 per sq.ft. That included ALL materials, ALL labor and cleanup (no demolition needed). The bricks themselves were $2.50 sq.ft.($0.50 each), got a good deal, normally about $3.00. I could have used concrete pavers and saved about 10%.

In short, unless money is a very big object and the used bricks are pretty clean, I wouldn't use them for a driveway.

Info re clay pavers...

The city of pittsburgh installed concrete pavers in the downtown area for appearances.....

First they did the base with drainage pipes, big gravel smaller gravel etc.

They they put in a foot thick concrete pavement.

Over this they put the pavers

If I were the OP I would cut and patch the concrete driveway, or replace it completely....

SOME pavers are made to interlock - but MANY are not Square and rectangular pavers do NOT interlock. My driveway, and several in the neighbourhood are rectangular "brick" pavers. Concrete bricks may work, depending on your climate. Bricks with holes in them are more prone to breaking from freezing (if they hold water) and clay bricks will not stand up at all as pavers.

There are 10s of 1000s of miles of streets paved with clay paving bricks from the 1800s and early 1900s.

But very few of them are level any more. There's a reason concrete is used today. It seems expensive but the entire cost over the life is less.

Mindy wrote the following:

paver bricks. I found a brick yard selling old (dirty) bricks (with three holes) at 20 cents each.

Since it has three holes in the middle of the brick, I am not sure if it firm enough for driveway.

I don't know about the brick for paving, but... You can replace the concrete with new concrete that has stamped patterns in the wet concrete for a paver look.