Brick and Pavers do the Trick

My junior year of college, the Board of Governors decided that it would be a wise use of our money to repave many of the sidewalks on campus. It really was a good idea, I'm not saying that it wasn't. Our campus was a mixture of the flat, white concrete sidewalks and the “old school” red brick sidewalks. Of course all of the sidewalks were big enough to drive campus vehicles around on and I'm sure that for that reason, they preferred the flat, white concrete that covered the eastern side of campus. I, however, preferred the look of the beautiful red brick that was prevalent on the western side of the school. It was nice to look at. There was also a hidden advantage for me: I'm kind of clumsy, and the red brick didn't get as slick when the snow, sleet and ice rained down on us during the cold winter months. All the grooves in each brick and then again between the bricks made it easier to walk on, somehow, than the ultra-smooth white concrete.

There are other distinct advantages to using brick over concrete, I mean, other than the fact that it looks nicer. When you use brick, each is set individually. As such, each is able to move on its own, with the soil that is under it and it has little effect to the bricks surrounding it. With large stones and concrete slabs, the entire piece has to move together. Cracks and broken corners occur when one part of the soil underneath the slab has moved or shifted while the rest of the soil remains the same. This means that the brick need to be replaced less often than the concrete does. And if, for some reason, your brick does need to be replaced, you simply need to replace a single brick, not a large slab, which can be extremely costly. Bricks are much more cost effective. This means that your wallet stays fat. Who doesn't like a fat wallet?

The other distinct advantage of brick over concrete is that brick comes in a variety of colors that can be patterned in any particular fashion that the customer wants. Would you like a yellow brick sidewalk leading up to your house? Not a problem. How would you like a checker-board pattern on your driveway? It can be done. You could even use them set your favorite emblem (read team logo) into your driveway. You can do it all. Or, you could just use a variety of stone colors to create a mixed pattern. It's all up to you and your personal preferences.

Now, when looking for bricks, most people actually go with pavers, which are highly similar to brick. Both pavers and bricks carry the same distinct advantages over slab concrete, especially if you are in the Walnut Creek area and are working with a Walnut Creek pavers company. Pavers can be used just like brick and can be used for your sidewalks, driveways, patios and pool deck. My mother-in-law even used pavers to create a walkway around her garden. The pavers will keep all the weeds out of her vegetables, while giving her a nice walkway to stand on when the soil is too muddy. There are a multitude of uses for pavers or bricks around the house to make your home beautiful.

All in all, I'm glad that the Board of Governors decided to go with brick instead of that ugly old concrete. It's just a good idea. Now, hopefully, they will finish the job and fix up the rest of campus.