Name: Burnaby Blacktop LTD
Address: 4641 Byrne Rd, Burnaby, BC, V5J 3H6, CA
Telephone: 778.855.0513

Jan 31, 2022

If you want to upgrade your home’s exterior living space, brick pavers are the ideal option. Using brick pavers on your patio, driveway or outdoor living space is the perfect way to add curb appeal to your property. In this article, you can learn about the newest hardscape trends that will spruce up your home, expand your entertainment space and provide your home with the upgrade it deserves for this new year.

Paving bricks are designed and manufactured for durability and to lay flat on the ground, unlike the bricks that are used for walls and chimneys, which are manufactured to be stacked vertically. Bricks made to stack vertically for walls are called “face bricks.” They have a hole running through their middle to reduce weight. Pavers are solid instead of hollow, and so, are stronger.

Pavers come in a large variety of earth-toned colours and are made with compressed and highly heated clay. This results in a paver that is virtually impermeable. They are offered in simple single bricks with flat edges or interlocking pavers designed for easier installation.

Brick Paving in Vancouver

Proper brick paving requires a good foundation. At Burnaby Blacktop, our process starts by removing plant material and other uneven materials like rocks, roots, or branches, then grade a level surface. We lay down weed cloth or black plastic, followed by a layer of sand raked to be even and level. Once that is done, we start laying down the brick pavers. If they are laid close together, they won’t require any mortar. Not using mortar allows the bricks to expand and contract as temperatures and moisture levels change.

Here are some recent brick paving trends that we have noticed becoming popular in the Vancouver area over the last couple of years.

Herringbone Pattern:

This millennia-old pattern involves bricks laid in an L-shaped arrangement (the end of one brick is arranged on the side of another so that it is flush with the end). This design adds energy and a sense of movement to the surface. Also, the fact that the bricks interlock to create this pattern, means that they are one of the strongest and most impact-resistant patterns. Bricks are less likely to buckle when arranged in a herringbone pattern.

Whorl Pattern:

If you have a round patio, you may want a whorled pattern. This circular design draws attention to a center point, which could be a focal point for a table, fire pit, or an additional garden bed. This circular design provides a feel of a whorl pool or concentric ripples of water. The arrangement is created by placing brick side by side in concentric circles. This pattern requires more measuring, cutting, and fitting as the edges of the bricks need to fit snuggly and still form a circle.

Mixed Colour Brick Pattern:

You may want brick colours to integrate, and be in harmony with, surrounding areas of colour. Natural shades are always good, like sand, gray, tan, beige, or brown. Even certain blues are still harmonious if all the colours are muted or grayed back. Mixing lighter and darker values adds texture to the pattern. One of the tricks is to try to maintain consistent relationships in patterns so that there aren’t areas that call attention to themselves as possible mistakes.

Garden Edging:

Brick paver edging ties in your patio with your garden features and frames your beds, featuring your plants. Brick edging is not only esthetically pleasing but also protects the plants from foot traffic, which compacts the soil, and also erosion. Edging is an effective way to impede the ability of unwanted pests, like slugs and snails to access the beds and feed on the plants.

Burnaby Blacktop’s Long History of Brick Paving

residential concrete with a stamped finished

Burnaby Blacktop has been laying brick pavers in the Greater Vancouver Area for a long time. We have experience with several methods, materials, and designs. As always, we are ready for a challenge. Here are some of our recent brick paving projects:

Our team at Burnaby Blacktop knows all about paving and has been laying down brick pavers for years. Whether you are installing a new patio or laying down a new driveway, no job is too big or too small for us!

Contact us if you have any questions, get a free quote, or schedule an appointment we are available for a free walk-through.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Your Safety is Our Priority

To our valued customers

As a company, we prioritise health and safety for our employees and most importantly, our customers. We would like to assure you that we work under strict compliance with the BC Centre of Disease Control (CDC) and adheres to the guidelines provided by Health Canada and the World Health Organization regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our business procedures, including estimating, collections, on site work procedures and overall customer interaction have been adjusted to ensure a healthy interaction between our employees and customers:

All our estimators are being cleared daily via a health check to see if they are showing flu like symptoms (dry cough, fever, headache, etc.)
Anyone who have travelled outside the country or had any interaction with anyone who came from an overseas trip within the last 14 days are requested to complete a home quarantine procedure to ensure that they have not contracted the virus
When estimating a project, physical interaction is not necessary. Our estimator can visit the site if needed or look at the site plan, measure and calculate costs without a face to face contact with the customer. The quote will be sent via email and further questions or requests can be discussed over the phone
Our crew and clients must pass a health check before starting any project. Face to face interaction is limited as we practice social distancing on job sites. We maintain at least 6 feet distance from each other

Our employees have been educated with regards to the health and safety requirements amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We make sure that they strictly adhere to the following:

Regularly and thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unclean hands
Cover their mouth and nose with the bend of the elbow or use tissue when coughing or sneezing
Properly and immediately dispose tissues in a garbage can and wash hands and bend of the elbow after coughing or sneezing
Adhere to social distancing guidelines (at least be 6 feet away from others), refrain from going to gatherings, parties and public events
Frequently disinfect touched objects and surfaces such as door handles, computers, phones, remotes, toilets, tools, equipment surfaces, etc.
Refrain from greeting people with a handshake or via any physical contact like embracing
If a staff member has or will be travelling outside of Canada, they will not be allowed on-site until the recommended 14-day quarantine period has lapsed
Employees who have flu like symptoms or have been exposed to someone who have flu like symptoms are requested to stay at home to recover and monitor themselves carefully
Team members who have flu like symptoms or taking care of someone who have flu like symptoms are reminded to wear a mask to avoid spreading the virus
If a staff member suspects they have Covid-19 Symptoms, they should contact Health Link at 811 to obtain professional advice and testing if deemed necessary

Our company representative will contact the customer before starting the project to ensure a safe environment for our workers:

If the customer has travelled outside the country within the last 14 days, we will reschedule the job after they have completed the quarantine period
We will reschedule the job start date if any person in the household is displaying flu like symptoms

We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will ensure that all policies and preventive measures are adhered to. We also would like to encourage you to be up to date with COVID-19 pandemic by visiting the Health Canada’s website and watching the daily news.

If you have queries and concerns regarding the above practice, please feel free to contact us at 778.855.0513 or send an email to [email protected]. Be assured that we will continue to be at our best in providing a safe and healthy work environment.

Thank you.

Burnaby Blacktop Ltd.