Facing The House With Bricks (113 Photos): Laying Facing Bricks With Your Own Hands. How To Properly Lay Material Around Windows?

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 04:10

Brick-faced houses are found with enviable regularity. Such structures are not only distinguished by their aesthetic appearance, but also by their reliability and durability. Many owners finish their homes with high-quality and durable bricks on their own, saving money on the services of professionals. Of course, you can really do it yourself, but it is important to take into account the characteristics of the specified building material and read the instructions.

Material features

Brick is rightfully recognized as the most popular building material, which is very common. Brick houses and brick-faced buildings can be found on every street. Many consumers opt for this particular product. The distinctive characteristics of modern facing bricks can be safely attributed to its attractive appearance, coupled with wear resistance.

In addition, this raw material is not afraid of negative external influences, bad weather conditions and mechanical damage. It is not so easy to break or break a high-quality brick, therefore it is simply irreplaceable in the cladding of private houses and summer cottages.

According to experts and home craftsmen, today's facing bricks can be somewhat inferior to other facing materials in terms of their external characteristics. Recently, however, this trend has ceased to be relevant. In different retail outlets, people can come across different types of bricks. It can be not only red and smooth elements. There is an opportunity to pick up textured options for other colors that look very interesting.

Using a reliable facing brick, it is possible to form an additional protective layer for the walls. Thus, it will be possible to protect these bases from the penetration of destructive dampness and moisture. In addition, heat loss from masonry is usually significantly reduced, as noted by many owners.

In most situations, in the desire to decorate a house with brickwork, people rely on their "wishlist". At the same time, quite a lot of important points are missed that have a direct impact on the brick itself and the facade from it. Experts say that the material for decorating the front of the house must be thought out even at the project stage. Leaving this business "for later" is not worth it.

If you do not pay attention to this rule, then after making the box, a lot of problems may appear. It may turn out that the width of the foundation is not enough to support the facing brick, because during the construction the owner decided to additionally insulate the wall structures.

So, a facade made of facing bricks has a more significant bearing capacity, which is capable of exceeding these indicators of the foundation, which, as a result, will lead to cracking of the masonry. It is quite possible to clad the house with brickwork with your own hands. Of course, this process cannot be called very simple and easy. In fact, this is a laborious job, but it is possible to cope with it. The main thing is to observe all the nuances of the cladding and act in stages, observing the technology.

Advantages and disadvantages

Today, many users choose brick as a facing material. For this reason, facades from it are most often found. This popularity of brickwork is due to the many positive qualities that are inherent in it.

Let's get acquainted with their list

• First of all, you should pay attention to the attractive appearance of the brick cladding. Thanks to this design, the house can become much more aesthetically pleasing.
• Brickwork is able to provide good protection to the main wall material (for example, from a foam block or a bar). Being behind the bricks, the base will not be subject to the destructive effects of precipitation and other external factors that can cause serious damage.
• There are many different materials with which it is possible to effectively design a residential building, however, brickwork is recognized as one of the most reliable and durable solutions. For example, the same facade plaster is more susceptible to mechanical damage.

• The brick is not afraid of exposure to aggressive ultraviolet rays. Upon contact with them, the masonry does not lose its color and presentation, which cannot be said about the popular vinyl siding or painted profiled sheet today.
• Decorating the facade of a house with brickwork allows you to additionally insulate a residential building, as many experts say. Of course, the thermal insulation properties of bricks are not highly effective, but the combination of hollow building material and insulation can achieve a good effect.
• Another significant advantage of brick cladding is that it makes the house even more fireproof. Brick itself is a non-flammable building material, and it does not support combustion itself. If there is a wooden base under it, then it simply needs to be closed, since it is prone to fire.

• Brick-faced facades boast durability and wear resistance. They are not afraid of external influences or harsh weather conditions.
• Brick is characterized by minimal moisture absorption, therefore, over the years it does not crack and does not lose its positive qualities, even if it is located in a region with frequent rains.
• A brick-faced facade does not require complex and regular maintenance, unlike the same wooden one.

It does not need to be treated with antiseptic compounds and other protective agents. Brickwork is protection itself.

• Such building material is famous for its environmental safety. It does not harm either human health or the environment. Moreover, the brick has the ability to destroy harmful substances - they are simply removed from the base. This cladding is self-cleaning during rains.
• Brick can be used for both exterior and interior decoration of buildings.
• Facing brick is famous for its frost resistance. You can safely refer to it, even if you live in a northern climate. In addition, these materials are not afraid of temperature changes - under their influence, the masonry is not damaged and does not lose its positive qualities.

• It is not necessary to trust professionals to work with facing bricks. It is quite possible to decorate the house yourself - you just need to adhere to the guide and use high-quality raw materials.
• Brickwork has a good soundproofing effect. A house with such a facade will always be protected from annoying street noise.
• Modern facing bricks are presented in a wide range. In retail outlets, there are products of different textures and colors, so everyone can choose the optimal model.

As you can see, there are many advantages to masonry. That is why it is so common. Many consumers do not even have a question about how to decorate the facade of the house - they immediately acquire a suitable batch of facing bricks. But we must not forget that, like any other building material, it has its own weaknesses, which you also need to familiarize yourself with.

• Brick is prone to the formation of a noticeable white bloom called efflorescence. Due to such formations, the appearance of the lined building can be seriously affected.
• It should be borne in mind that brick cladding is not cheap, especially when compared with other options. For example, using the same Don board will cost several times less.

• There are too many low-quality building materials in stores that do not last as long as we would like, and during the operation such products bring many problems. That is why professionals argue that only European bricks should be used - practically no marriage occurs in them. But such options are not so common, and their authenticity is not always possible to verify.
• When choosing a facing brick, you need to make sure that all building materials are selected from the same batch. If the shades do not match, it will simply not be possible to correct the situation, and this will be very noticeable.
• Despite the fact that brickwork can be built independently, it is still difficult to call such work simple and easy. Covering a house with bricks is laborious and sometimes very expensive.

• Brickwork creates a serious load on the foundation. That is why experts strongly recommend that this issue be worked out even at the stage of preparing a project and a scheme for future construction.
• It must be borne in mind that the use of facing bricks can lead to a noticeable decrease in ventilation. Because of this, moisture can accumulate in insulating materials, which will negatively affect their properties.
• With such a finish, the shrinkage of the wall bases will be different, therefore, it will not be possible to firmly and rigidly tie the base to the cladding.
• In stores, bricks are often found that do not differ in ideal geometry. Such products can be difficult to work with.

• Such cladding materials can be subject to shedding if you have chosen an unsuitable brand (not strong enough).
• Brick is a building material that is very often damaged during transportation. Often it turns out to be chipped - the edges fall off. It is impossible to work further with these elements.
• A brick is capable of collapsing if low-quality raw materials were used in its manufacture. Incorrectly processed limestone, which is always present in clay, often remains in the mass of products. Because of this, noticeable "dudes" appear in the bricks. In these places, products absorb moisture especially strongly, and then completely collapse.

You can see that facing bricks also have many disadvantages. However, you may never encounter many of them if you initially purchase high-quality products manufactured in accordance with all norms and rules.

There are several types of facing bricks. Let's consider them in more detail.

Ceramic . This type is the most common. Such products are made from clay and special mineral additives, from which a special mixture is obtained. It is passed through dies, and at the exit a formed block is obtained, which is then sent to the kiln for firing. In such conditions, the building material turns out to be very practical and then serves for a very long time. It is robust, low moisture absorption, robust and wear / fracture resistant.

Clinker . This type of brick is distinguished into a separate category, although it is one of the varieties of ceramic products. Clinker models are also made, and the raw materials are the same. The only difference is the harder firing mode. After this stage, the brick turns out to be almost monolithic - it acquires increased strength characteristics. Such products serve for a long time, and it is extremely difficult to damage them. However, it must be borne in mind that clinker is not the most effective sound insulator.

Hyper-pressed . Such building material is made without the use of clay. A lime-cement mixture with a number of specialized additives is used to obtain a higher level of strength and different colors. During the manufacturing process, the hyper-pressed building material is not fired. Such products are also distinguished by their impressive weight. They can have a beautiful stone texture.

Silicate . Silicate facing brick is produced from silicate sand, water and lime. Such building materials are characterized by high rates of moisture absorption, therefore, they are not resistant to frost. The service life also suffers from this feature. For this reason, silicate bricks are rarely bought in recent years.

Types of masonry

There are several types of brickwork. Let's get to know them better.

Spoon-type dressing . This is the simplest masonry. With her, the stones are shifted by a quarter or half their length. In the construction of houses, such options are used very rarely, but in facing work this is a frequent decision.

Chain ligation . When building wall structures in one brick, such a ligation will be as reliable as possible. In such works, one row is butted, and the second is spoon with parallel laying of two stone elements with a gap in the seams.

Multi-row dressing . In the process of carrying out work, in extremely rare cases, every second row is made butted, and there is no need for this, because because of this, the level of strength of the wall structures will suffer minimally. For this reason, in most cases, from 2 to 5 (sometimes 6) spoonfuls are combined with one butt row.

Lightweight . As for lightweight masonry, as a rule, they resort to it in low-rise construction. This method is characterized by the presence of large voids in the wall structure. Most often they are filled with insulation.

The walls, built using lightweight technology, are two walls connected to each other using brick bandages or special metal ties.

Reinforced . This type of masonry is used if it is necessary to build high-strength and strong brick structures. Reinforced masonry is relevant if you need to tie the cladding to the load-bearing wall, take care of the additional strength of the structures.

Decorative . Thanks to this method of masonry, it is possible to create a beautiful architectural image of the facade of the house. If we turn to this option, then the building can be made very effective, it will stand out among other constructions.

Bavarian . This masonry technology is considered German, but this type of design has many different buildings located in many European countries and even in Russia. With this technique, bricks of different colors are mixed - they do not alternate evenly.

Facial . With this method, only facial building materials are used, which can be found in modern retail outlets with various kinds of decorative effects. There are simply countless varieties of such masonry. However, in most situations, when finishing facades, the classic technique is used - half masonry (in half a brick).

Openwork . With this option of masonry, spectacular perforated structures are obtained. They are erected using the spoon method of laying in half a brick, just between the joints of the bricks next to each other, small gaps are specially left and the seams are meticulously closed.

Required tools

As mentioned above, it is quite possible to do the facing work both inside and outside with your own hands. But before that, it is extremely important to stock up on all the necessary tools and devices.

Let's get acquainted with their list

• trowel (this is another name for such a device as a trowel);
• hammer pickaxe;
• grinder (with its help it will be possible to cut bricks as accurately and accurately as possible);
• level and plumb line;
• rule;
• ordering;
• jointing;
• special construction lace;
• square.

Please note that the number of tools used largely depends on the qualifications of the master performing the facing work. Thus, more experienced bricklayers with a wealth of knowledge can use very few tools. If the employee is less trained, he may need a much broader set of tools.

Preparatory stage

If you decide on your own to decorate your home with brickwork, then you should first carry out a series of preparatory work. You should not neglect them if you want to achieve a good and sustainable result. Make sure that the foundation of the house, as well as its structure in general, is designed for installation of brickwork. The foundation must be built in compliance with all building codes. It must necessarily withstand significant loads. Cheap and simple bases will not work in this case.

You should also make sure that the base of the house is made of raw materials such as monolithic concrete (concrete blocks are also acceptable). The foundation itself must be of sufficient width. This requirement is especially important, because the facing brick will be based on the foundation structure. In some situations, bricks are placed on special steel corners, which are attached to the base using anchor bolts.

In addition, it is allowed to organize an additional foundation if the quality of the main one leaves much to be desired. Another base must be poured along the perimeter of the structure, stepping back about 30 cm from the first foundation.

The additional structure will need to be covered with a waterproofing material. For this, roofing material laid in two layers is ideal. You can fasten it to the previous base using anchor bolts.

Next, you should pay attention to the structure of the roof. It is very important to take a closer look at the roof. In most cases, in old houses, the cornice part does not protrude beyond the perimeter of the structure by more than 25 cm. With such a structure, the bricks will become infinitely wet and may even be destroyed. After about 5 years of such use, the brickwork will become unusable. This problem can be solved in one correct way - you will need to coat the walls of the dwelling with a special hydrophobizing compound every year, but keep in mind that such funds are quite expensive.

If you plan to close the main walls of wood with brickwork, then before starting work you will need to coat the wood bases with antiseptic compounds. If you are decorating external walls, then you need to buy the appropriate product for them. For external work, you should not purchase internal impregnations - there will be little sense from them. In addition, it will be necessary to attach the vapor barrier to the wooden walls using a construction stapler. These coverings should be laid with an overlap (minimum - 10 cm).

You will also need:

• carefully examine the surface of the walls of the house, remove all unnecessary details, such as flashlights, gutters and other similar objects;
• the old paint and varnish layer, exfoliated elements, shedding should be removed;
• all noticed defects must be covered with a layer of putty;
• if the damage to the walls is too serious, then you will have to completely plaster them;
• in order to mount the insulating layer, it is necessary to put a layer of primer, which will be responsible for better adhesion of the wall and adhesive.

In addition, it will be necessary to properly prepare the solution. A simple cement mixture is hardly suitable here, because the facing brick is resistant to water absorption. This problem is especially acute when it comes to the installation of clinker bricks, which simply need specialized additives to ensure more effective adhesion.

The correct solution consists of the following ingredients:

• cement grade M500 - 1 part;
• sand - 4 parts;
• water.

The finished masonry mortar should have a consistency on which the bricks will not "ride". Better not to resort to adding a variety of additives. The only exceptions are pigments, which give the seams and joints a contrasting shade that creates an interesting decorative effect.

Some craftsmen add a little clay to the solution to achieve greater plasticity of the composition. However, here the opinions of different masons differ - someone sees this only as harm due to the washing out of the clay component from the composition and reducing its strength, while someone, on the contrary, believes that clay makes the seams of brickwork more durable. In this matter, each user relies on his own opinion and experience.

DIY cladding technology

Let's consider step by step how to clad the facades of houses with bricks.

• Do not start such work in the rain or snow. Wait for dry and warm enough weather.
• First, the starting row is laid out along the perimeter of the construction. The lower brick layer must be laid especially carefully and carefully - it must be perfect.
• In areas with the presence of windows, the brick should be laid without breaking the row.
• Apply the mortar to the bricks using a special tool called a template.
• Further, on both edges of a row of bricks, you need to lay out 4-5 levels of stone - they will play the role of beacons. Pull the thread between them, and then mount the rest of the rows. Be sure to check their horizontality.

• Aligning the rows of bricks with the uppermost beacon, you should repeat the arrangement of the following beacons. So you need to act until the entire wall is faced.
• Stir the cement mortar often before laying the bricks on the wall so that the sand in the composition does not settle.
• If you want to properly lay the bricks, you should be mindful of the seams between them. These elements should be as smooth and neat as possible. The thickness of the seams should not exceed 12 mm.
• Leave thin ventilation gaps between internal load-bearing walls and external brick surfaces.
• In the second bottom row of cladding, you will need to make a small hole and close it with a special lattice. This will be needed to ensure natural air circulation.

Beautiful examples

• Brick-lined houses look more attractive and fresh. Moreover, it can be not only a standard red building material with ideal geometry, but also an original hand-molded brick, which has a brownish-burgundy hue. This cladding will be combined with a high gray-blue gable roof and snow-white window frames.
• The façade, lined with small red bricks, combined with a rich red-tiled roof, will look great when complemented by white double doors and white-framed windows. Paths decorated with gray paving slabs should be laid around the house.
• For cladding, you can use bricks of different colors. For example, a combination of yellow and brown building materials looks stylish and attractive. Against the background of this fashionable tandem, dark window frames and the same dark roofing materials look harmonious.