Threw A Brick

Laying brick is hard. Oh, there are any number of videos on YouTube that will show you just how easy brick laying is, and Lowe's wants you to believe that the DIY brick project is definitely within your skill set. But let's face it, if it was that easy, we wouldn't have brick masons.


There really is such a thing as ACME Brick. Sounds cliche, but there it is. My bricks look nothing like this one, but I still thought it was cool. My version of the brick is throwing up an airball while playing basketball, not this grunt work. Mine is a simple job of laying pavers in a small, nearly rectangular area. Should be easy, yes? No!

My mistake was in 1) digging too deep, 2) not measuring depth with a string/snap line, and 3) not back filling in with enough rock base and sand to bring it up to grade. Now my bricks are lower than the grass area around it -- not good. There is nothing like preparation for a job to make it go right, and this is nothing like it.

Sigh. I'll have to dig 'em up again and try again. It's because I have nothing else to do, right?