Brick is positioned and grade leveled to control water flow away from patio.

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Examine the picture at the left.  Notice how the patio drops lower to the right.  It is easier to see if you focus on the bottom bricks of the back wall.  This is grading; bricks laid at slight angle to allow water to drain off patio naturally.  Every single brick must be leveled to the proper angle for this to work properly.  This patio has about 2500 bricks, each one very carefully laid.  Not a job for beginners or "hot shots".

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The semi-circle directly outside the back door consists of a herringbone pattern within a circular arch ribbon.  There had been a brick step there earlier.  No more.  Nothing to trip over now.

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Here's a closer view of the semi-circle directly outside the back door.  The herring bone pattern is encircled by a ribbon of bricks each of which has been precision cut and perfectly positioned and laid.

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Look very close (in the enlargement too); see the very small pieces?  Each was precision cut for each exact spot.

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Further into the outside curve, each brick is individually cut to fit using a special rotary saw with a diamond blade.  Few brick masons have the experience and skill to do work such as you see right here.  There are many bricklayers in the Tulsa area.  Jerry Cartwright is THE Tulsa Bricklayer.

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Notice the ribbon of bricks on the outer left edge; a gradual curve with each brick precision cut for its own exact location.

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Here the ribbon curves again just a few feet from the far end of the patio.  I wish you could see this patio in person.  To say that it is "Impressive" is clearly an understatement!

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The next to last part of the patio project was doing the piers.  The bricks were selected to match the house brick.  The final step was applying the seal using Thompson's Water Proofing.  This prolongs the life of the patio surface and needs very infrequent maintenance, just 1 hour's work every 10 or so years.

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This is the pier to the right.  Totally stunning!  The can on the window ledge in the rear is the Thompson's water seal.  Great stuff!

This, of course, is the pier to the left side of the patio.  Pay no attention to the angle, it was caused entirely by the camera angle.

 

 

 

 

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This is the top section of a pier.  Both, of course, are the same.

This is a view of the top section of a pier.  Look at the vertical bricks on the left side.  See how the bottoms protrude?  Like marching soldiers.  Wonderful effect.  Soldiers "march" all around the tops of the piers.

Click the photo at the upper left for an enlargement that will show greater detail. 

Plumb lines are very time consuming to setup; they must be done for each direction and each line of bricks.  Brickwork angles and levels must be checked very frequently for accuracy.

As the work progresses the old lines are removed and new ones are setup.  Few bricklayers know how to do this at all.  Fewer know how to do this correctly.  These lines, made of white or colored string, are an essential part of producing work that is truly excellent. 

I have earned the title "Master Bricklayer".  It did not come easy.