How to build a brick and concrete porch

The most common type of porch in residential areas is a brick-and-concrete porch. Most homeowners use a simple, circular design constructed out of bricks, with an underlying layer of concrete preventing erosion. You need to know how to build a basic brick and concrete porch before you begin to play around with special layouts and techniques.

Pour crushed rock from a local quarry into the excavated space before you build a brick and concrete porch. Use between 10 and 15 cm (4 inches and 6 inches) of rock as a base for your porch.

Utilise a hand compactor to even out the initial layer of crushed rock as you build your porch. Run the compactor over all the of rock several times to provide a solid base for fine sand and bricks.

Drop a thin layer of fine sand as the next step toward a brick-and-concrete porch. A sand load between 2.5 and 7.5 cm (1 inch and 3 inches) will fill in the excavated area and stay tight without additional packing with a compactor.

Cut your decorative bricks with a concrete saw to reflect twists, turns and special shapes as you build your porch. Use a small amount of mortar to keep shaped bricks together as you complete your porch.

Protect your porch from water buildup and damage by laying 5 cm (2 inches) of gravel after excavation. The gravel should be packed, even though the space between individual rocks allows water to flow into the ground.

Spread out a thick concrete base into the excavated area as you build your new porch. Mix between 7.5 and 15 cm (3 inches and 6 inches) of concrete to place evenly along the open area as a base for your porch.

Angle your brick and concrete patio on a downward slope from your home to ensure proper drainage. A slight decline from the top of your porch to the edge of your property prevents water from pooling in large amounts.

Apply a uniform amount of mortar to each brick before placing on a dried concrete slab. Arrange the bricks into a simple pattern along the concrete slab to save mortar for brick posts and decorations.