Brick landscape border

miamicuse

I am thinking of using some reclaimed Chicago bricks to make a landscape border. One side of it will be grass and the other side a plant bed with mulch.

These bricks are not full size bricks but half bricks, size approximately 2"x2"x8". The soil down here in Miami is sandy. I am planning only two courses of these bricks, so the bricks would end up being 4" total in height, but the first course will probably be completely buried in the ground.

Since the bricks are narrow, I don't think I can just trench, compact, level the ground and drop them in like the larger stones. I think I will need something to stablize it.

Should I dig a trench say 2" deep, 4" wide (twice as wide as the bricks), then mix some concrete to a very wet consistency and pour into the trench 1" deep, then drop the first course of bricks into the trench, hence they will be sitting half way in the concrete?

Then wait for it to set, then lay in the next course using standard mortar?

Is this the best way or are there other options?

joecaption

1" think concrete will just crack.

miamicuse

May be. I am not building anything structural, if it cracks it cracks. I'd figure it's at least better than the plastic and staples they use to link cedar plank edging together?

sdsester

Have you looked into the cost of something like a Border Magic system. I know you have the bricks but such systems extrude brick or stone patterns around bends and so forth and look nice when finished. You can color the concrete whatever you want. You could use the brick for something else?

If you use your recycled brick you are going to have to give it a good, compacted foundation to sit on. I don't think embedding it in 1" of concrete is going to do much. If your base is not level you will just exaggerate the situation with a course on top.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.