Courtyard renovation, brick paving, drainage and base preparation from start to finish. Fixing a poorly built courtyard that never worked properly.
In this build, I strip everything back and rebuild the space from the ground up. Excavation, setting levels, installing proper drainage, compacted crushed rock base, and laying reclaimed red bricks on mortar. Every step is about getting the fundamentals right so the space actually works long term.
Along the way I talk through why granitic sand works in some situations but not others, how to set falls and string lines, managing variation in reclaimed bricks, and why what’s underneath matters more than what you see on top.
By the end, the courtyard is no longer something that gets avoided or tracked through the house. It’s a space that holds together, drains properly, and can actually be used.
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👉 How to tutorial:
https://youtu.be/Z66v3R-WU2E?si=3i1rMjFVHEiwg2Ey
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44 Comments
Awesome video bud, love hearing the story of the products through the times. If it helps in the future, we have used large style "caulk" guns (you can fill) for the mortar in between the bricks for grouting which helps sooo much for the grout clean up. Love your vids bud!
Love your work, do you come up with these designs yourself? Also I'd love to know what you charge for these jobs? it's probably not something you want to mention but I'm super curious as I'd love something similar done to my place… I'm on the wrong side of the country though unfortunately
OMG.!
Your workmanship is gorgeous.!
I’ve was a landscaper when I was young and every other trade in the building industry. Landscaping is by far the hardest on the body. You are a machine.!
It’s refreshing to someone who still has pride in what they do.
I tip my hat you fine sir
Inebriate's retreat sounds like fun.
Looks great. Warm and timeless design.
First time viewer and all I can say is Wow 🤩.
11:15 that was beautiful
0:50 – these stickers don’t bother me. Moving on.
This simply free therapy for me. Hit the right spot after a long hard day.
A Kelso narrow barrow is far more easy to handle.
Those bricks looked gorgeous 🥰
Why did you use mortar, rather than sand? Up until you introduced the mortar I thought the goal was a walkway that allows a permeable surface.
I'm confused. You use a crushed rock base for drainage. Doesn't the mortar you used to hold the bricks in place seal the entire surface on top of it?
Its fantastic watching a master of his craft at work. We had our patio redone and lets just say it was not done like this, I had to point out obvious major issues to the person doing the work
And the Oscar for Best Short Film goes to….
Seriously man I enjoyed the hell out of this. I actually heard myself let out an awkward chuckle as you spoke that last line, only because I realized I had just watched something unexpectedly great and didn't know how else to react. Part how-to video, part history lesson, and just a tidy little work of art in every sense. Oh and then there's the courtyard. It turned out beautiful, too, but you know that.
I've been tearing out little fireplace surrounds in a rental property I manage here in So California for the past couple of years now, and my demo helpers always look at me funny when I insist they separate out all the good bricks and put them in buckets for me to take home. Now I've amassed a big pile in my backyard that will become a courtyard, bbq area, path to and from the outside shower and whatever I can stretch it to. Part of my motivation for hauling it all back here is that it's a free, usable material. But the real reason is the history. Not many people around here understand that but you clearly do. Awesome work, mate. And thanks for the inspiration.
Impressive work! One thing I did question is the use of "road mix" (U.S. term for gravel/dirt mixture) under the brick. Given that water drainage was the issue being corrected, pure gravel would seem superior. Maybe that doesn't matter, given the other drainage upgrades that were installed. Also, I was surprised that he had to buy all new tools. Given his high skill level, I expected he already owned them.
Just finished my first of your videos. Loved it and the fact that you enjoy your work, it’s not just a job and the fact that you repurpose materials that have a story to tell. Thanks 👍🏼
Great video, thank you for sharing. While watching I was thinking about how much time and effort goes into the work, the video, the narration, the stories, everything. Really shows you are a hard working creator for many mediums. I would love to see a slower walk through of the finished product in the next video, want to take in all that you did.
Love your videos. I've only seen you do running bond or basket weave brick paving. Do you ever do any other patterns like herringbone or pinwheel? Is there a reason not to use those patterns, other than extra work required cutting bricks?
Thank you for this ❤❤❤
Thank you! Thank you for showing the work that needs to go into a project underneath the finished surfaces and elements! I am a landscape architect from Germany and I keep explaining to clients that much of the attention and cost needs to go into invisible parts of the job so the visible ones will last – and that no, you can not cut corners on this!
I could have watched an listened for another hour.
that was so relaxing video. Thanks!
Stunning.🇺🇸
Cracking video; I'm about to buy a new place and this is fantastic inspiration. Re: 9:41– I am a doctor who looks at lungs with exposure to mineral dust and you are dead right. Good advice!
Great video. I‘ve sent it to a mate … who lives in Northcote 🤙
anakin's gunna really appreciates this video, he friggin hates granitic sand
Excellent video. Thank you for all of the information. Very beatiful job.
What a beautiful film. Thank you.
interesting that your Paper wasps in AU. are black. here in the US, at least in California, ours are yellow with orange stripes. and they're mean little suckers! they will chase you down and sting repeatedly if their nest is disturbed.😵 not sure if they are similar colors in other places in the US tho. Awesome job on your courtyard. it looks great! 👍
thanks for posting! PS I have an interest in entomology, thanks for showing the wasps and exoskeleton of the hunter spider! I bet you have a lot of interesting insects in Melbourne and other areas of AU…
Hello, new subscriber here. What a great video. I loved watching this, the brick history and what a fabulous job you did of the paving. Well done I loved it. May I ask why you grouted instead of brushing sand into the gaps. Thank you for sharing.
enjoyed your video very much. your commentary over the video was powerful, well done
Wow! What AMAZING skill you have…AWESOME. That drainage & brickwork was nothing short of perfection. Just brilliant!
This is one of the best background stories I have heard on these DIY sites. I Enjoy working with reclaimed bricks… yes I'm an older male haha
its my first time watching your videos and I got emotional at the mention of the hilux 😭
This was so unexpected. I'd like to give it two thumbs up! Loved the history and what's common in suburbia as time goes by. There's something so endearing about old red bricks. Appreciated the Aussie poetic ending too.
Loved this video, and loved the explanations and history . Fascinating
Does the mortar layer & grouting render the paving non permeable for rainwater? Will you get puddles forming on the paving?
Thanks for the watch, man.
It happens very rarely.
When I'm bouncing around from recommendation to recommendation, not watching any one video for more than a minute, in an ADHD daze while procrastinating on my studying. I'll click on some long-form video about a topic I'd normally have zero interest in, expecting to move on almost immediately. Then it'll grip my rotted brain with both hands and before I know it, I'll have watched the entire thing without skipping ahead once.
The last video that did this was three months ago: Geowizard's "The next windows background that appears, I travel to." Now the most recent one is this.
Thanks for the quality content in this day of online slop. Your narration, choice of topic, and editing rival your skill as a landscaper. Hope you have an awesome retirement.
Question? Aaaa! Is Clifton bricks made in Clifton hill?
Oh! Oh! Gambles’ house still stands in Brunswick/fitzroy north, near the merri creek.
hot damn; this is the most beautiful and thought provoking bricklaying video i've yet come across — and what excellent courtyard refurb, too! thank you for sharing.
Excellent work! Thanks for the video, the story and the history lesson.