The Brick Driveway and Sidewalk: Glamour Shots

Because of the overwhelming demands of fans for the immediate release of the photographs of the brick driveway and sidewalk, we are taking a different and risky approach. Rather than release the photos of the step-by-step process of putting this together, we are presenting the more finished glamour shots. If your interest is titillated, you may want to stay awake for the sequel, or prequel, Brick Driveway and Sidewalk - the Uncut Version. It's due out sometime in October.

As just a hint of what the prequel holds in store, the photo on the left shows the herringbone design, with a soldier's course on the right, in its infancy at the base of the driveway and the one on the right shows the driveway at the halfway mark. Notice the areas that will need cut bricks to fill in gaps at the edge.

Cutting bricks to fit curved edges was a challenge.
Here, in the photo on the right, you can see
Sharon's "cutting edge" work on the window well curve,
with some nice finishing touches by Joe.

The photo on the left shows how the bricks were cut to hug the chimney. Lafi cut his teeth working on these custom pieces.

Curved edges require not only cutting bricks to fill in the odd shapes to meet the edge, but also cutting keystone bricks to make the soldier's course curve. The picture on the left shows a curved area on the right edge of the garage formerly the garbage area, now known as the small side patio. [Garbage will no longer be allowed. Hmmm, I've always wondered what that black stuff on the bread tastes like.] Getting the edge right was definitely a team effort between Sharon and Lafi. Lafi drew on his knowledge of European arches. Sharon drew on Miss Misho's geometry class. The picture on the right shows a curve under the juniper at the front of the house - Sharon's signature is on that one (Fortunately, she wiped it off.).

But as with any major opus, it's not all about glamour. One of the reasons for adding the sidewalk to the project was to solve an ongoing problem of rain water drainage away from the house. Joe and Lafi reworked the limestone base three times to get the grade correct. The photo at the left shows Joe justly proud of a job well done. That rain water is going south and east, for sure.


Although the driveway was done in herringbone design, we used a different design for the narrower sidewalk. The design is called running bond [Everyone now sing along with me: "Hooga, hooga, hooga, Running Bond loved Little White Dove, Little White Dove felt the same..." Repeat every time someone says the words, "Running Bond."]. We laid the running bond lengthwise for most of the sidewalk but in front of the door and front steps, Joe chose to run it perpendicular to the rest, giving it a look that we think says "sassy."

At the corner of the house, the sidewalk divides and the path less-traveled goes to the backyard. The other makes an S-curve path down to Charlie Meyer's driveway. Here the emotion generated by the almost poetic use of bricks - bricks qua tree - may bring tears to some eyes. They did to Sharon's who had to figure out how to incorporate Joe's design, ultimately embracing the triangle (shown in detail here). But then again the tears also may have been due to the cuts and blisters on her fingertips.

Here are some long views,
toward Richardson's ivy-covered wall [Note Joe's beautiful crop of new grass.] and
the view from the street.

That's Not All Folks!
Stay tuned for the prequel.