Brick, stone and concrete have found a range of applications in domestic construction projects. Each of them has their own set of benefits that they bring to the table. For example, brick brings a traditional and unique feels to any section it is used in construction. Stone, on the other hand, is renowned for its brute strength and inexpensiveness.

Concrete blocks also have lots of tensile strength, and they are a perfect fit for driveways that deal with heavy automobile traffic regularly. Note that patios and driveways are also a perfect way to add aesthetic appeal to your outdoor space. Here are the various designs you can use when paving your outdoor space:

Diamond Design

A diamond paving design involves stacking small squares without using fabric or mesh to back it. This design is quite demanding in terms of the stone material and labour hours you will employ, but the aesthetic possibilities you might attain are beyond measure. It requires comprehensive planning, with the procedure beginning by a sketch of the paving on a piece of paper to determine what colour goes where. You can play around with the design to form circle, octagon, square and triangular patterns. This will depend on what best suits your lawn, patio and driveway.

Basket Weave Design

In a basket weave design, two narrow rectangular stones, blocks or bricks are placed simultaneously in beside each other. They are then adjoined to another pair with the seams facing in opposite directions. When using a basket weave, the design can become monotonous and boring if you just fall for the flow. On that note, try varying every fourth horizontal or vertical block and use a different colour to spice up the design. The colour variant block can be lighter or darker than the dominant colour in the design. You can also vary the spacing of the blocks in some cases.

Stretcher Design

A stretcher design is another alternative you can go for when paving your patio or driveway. It is probably the simplest of the three designs discussed here. The paving blocks are laid out in the same traditional pattern as they are on a brick stonewall. The end joints of two bricks intersect at the centre of the one below. This pattern is simple but neat. To spice up the look, try alternating the colour of the brick on every third, fourth or any other layer.