Laying Brick Pavers

Work Begins on Thrasher Park Mosaic

Installation began yesterday for a whimsical, tiled circular mosaic in Thrasher Park, centered on a heart-laden guitar with vibrant stars, a sun and a moon.

The colorful piece was adapted from a work by Norcross artist Anne Labaire, who also displays at the Kudzu Art Zone. It will be 11 feet in diameter with brick pavers framing it.

The Norcross City Council approved the plan for the mosaic on Dec. 6. Each park in the City of Norcross has a designated space for public art. 

Johns Creek artist Jennifer Freeman will produce the mosaic. She has also done projects for Duluth City Hall and for the City of Suwanee through her business Mosaic Odyssey .

A print out of her plan was on hand as the concrete pourers made their way to the park. “I love it, I really love it,” said Freeman of the design that she and Labaire finally agreed on. “It is very colorful, very whimsical—just perfect for a park.” 

Her method is to break the mosaic down into segments, then put it together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Freeman said she has been laying out the tile in her studio in segments on mesh. She’ll bring the laid out pieces to the park—and anticipates completing the entire installation on July 8. 

Interior Thru-Out, Inc. is the contractor working with the artist to install the artwork. Steve Haney of Interior Thru-Out said that the day’s work will include pouring about 1/8 an inch of concrete with a slight crown in the middle so water will run off the work. 

He anticipates that they'll start the artwork in the middle, then work their way out. “That’s the intricate part,” he said. “The tile is so thin, you’ve got to get it just right.”

Check back in with Norcross Patch for updates. 

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Brick Paver Designs in Michigan, Patio Designs, Oakland County

Fortunately, brick paver designs are easy to understand once you break them down into a few basic decisions to make:

First, what type of brick do you plan to use? You can use mortar or mortarless brick for your paver patio. Mortar is a type of cement that is applied to each individual brick – like in a brick wall. While mortar is a more traditional method of installing a brick paver patio, it also can be troublesome to maintain, as it is prone to cracking. This is evident especially during harsh Michigan winters, when the ice can expand and break the brick. With mortarless brick, the bricks all lean on each other, and sand is used to fill the gaps. The beauty of mortarless brick paver designs is that a crack is not the end of the world. Instead, you can remove the individual brick and replace it with a new one, restoring the uniform beauty in your Oakland County patio. Second, you need to determine what other materials are needed. When you install a patio, you need a border around it. This can be other brick, or even wood. Concrete is also a popular method of bordering your patio. Regardless of the type of material you use, make sure you take accurate measurements so that you know exactly how much of what materials you need. Finally, determine the pattern that you will lay the bricks. Traditional brick laying uses what is called a “running bond” – this is the type of arrangement that you see on most brick walls. It is a simple and classic method of laying bricks. There are other variations on this theme, or you can have a more complicated pattern, such as a basket weave. In any case, map out your design and make sure that you know exactly where each brick goes before you start. The worst part of brick laying is discovering that you have to start over again. Avoid this by mapping out your brick paver designs.

With any of the brick paver designs , you want to make sure that you know exactly what you are doing before you start. This will ensure a beautiful and uniform look to your patio.

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