How do you cap off an extension to a classic Victorian-era home in Surrey Hills? With a new outdoor entertaining area, of course!
The extension looks terrific, with pressed red bricks complementing the original red brick and render facade. Wisely, the family decided to reverse the house's colour scheme, picking up the exterior paint colour with a light-coloured 400 x 400 mm paver, trimmed with red clay pavers.
A low retaining wall - about 700 mm -is needed to tame the slope and provide a level area for paving. Sleepers work well but their rustic appearance is at odds with today's cleaner look. Retaining wall blocks - permanent, easy to lay and attractive - are the answer. Nubrik Vertica Linkwall blocks create a low near-vertical wall that retains the lawn and garden behind, and a terrific garden seat that is used as part of the entertaining area.
Building this retaining wall would take the average do-it-yourselfer about three weekends. The same for the paving. Day-hire a Wacker to compact the crushed rock and sand. Mark pavers for cutting by a brick-cutting service or landscape supplier.
The result? A great addition that's clean and safe under foot with lots of casual seating.
Words by Mike Scully
Pictures by Roger du Buisson
Austral Bricks products used in this project:
Handy hint
Leave a narrow gap - about 2 mm - between pavers. Fill with a fine sand.
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Step 01: What a mess! The builder saved a lot of hard work by levelling the area and excavating a small trench along the retaining wall line. | |
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Step 02: Lay and compact crushed rock over the site. Level the trench to form a base for the retaining wall blocks. | |
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Step 03: Lay the first course of blocks, checking continuously against a stringline. With the first course level, the rest is easy. Simply stack one block on top of another. | |
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Step 04: Set out the steps using capping blocks as treads. | |
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Step 05: Glue the capping course with construction adhesive. Place drainage pipe at the base of the wall and back-fill with screenings. | |
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Step 06: Lay pavers under the verandah in a thin bed of sand and cement over the existing concrete Sand-fill the narrow gap between pavers. | |
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Step 07: Level the crushed rock in the open area and lay pavers in a thin bed of compacted sand. Sand-fill the gaps. | |
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Step 08: Almost there! Bands of red clay pavers pick up the house colour and mark the pavement edge. | |
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Step 09: What a difference! A fabulous entertaining and play area. | |
