Walks and Floors
Brick walks and floors, with the brick on edge or flat, are usually laid on a filling of cinders or sand, but if subjected to hard use, they should be placed on a bed of concrete the same as steps. Two favorite patterns of edge set brick are shown in [Figs. 55 and 56]. The brick may be laid flat in the same patterns, but the effect is not quite so pleasing. The joints in the brick walk or floor are usually filled with sand, swept into place with a broom so as thoroughly to fill the joints, but they may be filled with cement grouting if desired. The thin grouting is carefully poured into the joints after the brick are laid, and all grouting that spills on the surface of the brick cleaned off before it hardens. The borders of the walk or floor may be made of brick set on edge or on end; or, if preferred, of concrete, especially when the walk or floor is placed on concrete. If it is desired to prevent grass and moss from growing in sanded joints, mix salt with the sand before filling the joints.
Fig. 43. Pergola Post
Pergolas
For pergola posts, brick imparts a feeling of strength and solidity, yet care must be taken not to make the posts too large, as they will be entirely out of fit proportion to the light wooden rafters and vines which they support. In most cases, a post 12 inches square will be about the right size. Foundations for these posts should always extend below the frost line and be of brick or concrete. A long, one half inch steel rod with nuts and large washers at each end should be imbedded about 18 inches in this foundation and extend beyond the top of the finished post. The brickwork of the post above grade should be one brick thick, laid in cement or cement-lime mortar giving a hollow space 4 inches square in the center of the 12-inch post. As the work progresses this space is filled with concrete around the rod, which, passing through the center, binds the brickwork together in a solid, reinforced mass ([Fig. 43]). The cap of the post may be either brick, stone, or concrete placed when filling the interior. The wooden girders of the pergola may now be bolted to the post by means of the bolt projecting above the top.
If conditions or design demand a heavier post than 12 inches square, as in [Fig. 44], no steel rod reinforcing will be necessary for stability.
