When facing walls with bricks, a certain skill is required, because the masonry must be perfectly even and neat. To do this on your own, you need to study in detail how to lay facing bricks, what laying methods are, how to do the jointing correctly. Finishing with such a brick is very much appreciated for its visual appeal and durability.
Probably, we have all seen dirty whitish spots on the walls of ceramic bricks. They have a very insidious feature - when buying bricks, damage is almost impossible to detect, even if you cut each brick out of the two tens of thousands needed for the complete decoration of the cottage. It is important to note that the technological properties of the material - for thermal conductivity, strength, durability - these creeping spots do not work. However, just a few grams of salt can seriously damage the aesthetic image of the most luxurious home.
To remove salt precipitation marks, you first need to figure out what they look like. Where do salts appear? Salt stains are salt crystals that come into bricks with moisture that seeps into walls with deposits and from the ground. Surface stains are only a small part of wall damage. Most of the salts lie inside the bricks. When the steam has evaporated, the salt crystals deform and destroy the walls of its structure, which leads to cracking, the surface is elastic.
| brick parameters | Hyper pressed brick | Clinker brick | silicate brick | ceramic brick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compressive strength, kg/cm² | 150-300 | 300-500 | 75-200 | 100-175 |
| Frost resistance, cycle | 75-150 | 50-100 | 35-50 | 15-50 |
| Moisture absorption, % | 6-8 | Less than 6 | 6-12 | 6-8 |
| Thermal conductivity, W/m° С | 0,7-0,8 | 0,7 | 0,3-0,7 | 0,3-0,5 |
| Weight at the size 250х120х65., kg. | 4 | 3-4 | 3,8 | 3,5 |
For high-quality cladding, you need the appropriate tools:
- building level - without it, laying bricks in even rows will not work;
- trowel - a solution is applied with it, the excess is removed, the brick is trimmed during laying;
- hammer-pick - used for splitting the facing material;
- grinder with diamond discs - used for cutting bricks;
- a square metal twig with a section of 10x10 mm - for the formation of identical seams between rows;
- round rod with a diameter of 10 mm - for jointing.
Additionally, you will need a thin construction cord or a strong thread, anchors and knitting wire for tying masonry with bearing wall.
Therefore, salt affects not only aesthetics. At the same time, they indicate problems in the array wall. How to deal with salt stains? It is unlikely that anyone is interested in the composition of these salts, but they contain metal oxides of carbonates, sulfates, sodium, potassium and calcium chlorides. Much more interesting is the question of how to dismiss these uninvited guests. Depending on the chemical composition salts salts they can be dissolved in water, alkali and acids. In other words, salt deposits are a light chemical weapon.
Chemicals need to be dealt with chemicals- they will need to use building chemicals. We offer time-tested two-step stain removal technology. At the first stage, salt deposits are destroyed by special liquids - thinners and solvents. First of all, these liquids must be applied to the damaged facade for a short time. After a few minutes, the salt turns into water-soluble chemical compounds. They are then physically removed from the wall after being rinsed with cold water.
Types of masonry
According to the location of the brick in a row, several types of masonry are distinguished:
- front (bed) - the brick is laid so that the widest side is visible;
- spoon - the long narrow side is visible from the outside;
- tychkovy - only the ends of the bricks are visible from the outside.
In addition, masonry is divided into types according to decoration:
Sometimes hot water is used. Without considering the essence of the chemical reaction, we will say that solvents are both organic and inorganic acid mixtures. In most cases, they can be bought in a paste consistency - it is easy to apply this paste on a vertical facade.
Often salt residues are removed from the above method over time and reappear on the façade. Part of the salt remaining in the masonry wall is renewed from moisture, therefore, at the second stage of the facade enclosure, a second water repellent should be used. These preparations protect the treated surface from water.
- masonry "in half a brick" - the vertical seams of the spoon or bed masonry are shifted horizontally by half the length of the brick;
- stacked - vertical seams between bricks are located on the same line;
- Flemish - spoon and bonder masonry alternate in one row;
- "American" - spoon and bonder masonry alternate in rows.
In the absence of experience, it is better to start with a standard half-brick laying, and as your skill improves, you can try other methods. It should be noted that stacked masonry is the most unstable, therefore it is used exclusively for decorative purposes.
Of all the hydrophobic agents, silicic ones are obvious. organic compounds. They don't completely change appearance bricks do not affect the properties of their conductivity of steam and gas, in addition, they give the treated surface additional properties. Moisture resistance, frost resistance, dirt resistance, light resistance. . Therefore, experts advise in the battle for perfectly clean facades, in turn, to apply both technologies.
Here are some recommendations - they may not completely prevent the precipitation of salts, but at least significantly reduce the likelihood of their occurrence. When designing a bungalow, provide an extended roof, various roofs and other details that will cover the surface of the walls from rain. When using mortar for bricks, use clean water, polished sand, proven cement. It is impossible to bind bricks when it rains, cover with unfinished brick waterproofing material. immediately apply the stain with a hydrophobic agent. It's all beautiful - not necessarily durable, it's what is durable - not necessarily cheap, but what's cheap is not necessarily effective.
brick cladding technology
Step 1. Preparing the base
The facing brick must be laid on the plinth, therefore, when pouring and insulating the foundation, the plinth protrusion along the perimeter of the house is provided for the thickness of the facing masonry plus 2-3 cm for the air gap. Before starting work, you should check the base with a building level to eliminate possible distortions. If any irregularities are found, they are eliminated with cement mortar. After that, the surface must be carefully swept.
This rule applies to most building materials, without exceptions and finishing of facades. We also all know that there are no "wonderful" materials - high quality materials will be expensive, mid-priced materials will fall on a number of criteria against their competitors, while the advantage of the cheapest materials is often only price. It remains to select the most relevant criteria and select products according to them. Following this logic, we considered options for designing facades.
We can observe how we want, but a stone house built with ceramic bricks in the Lithuanian mind is still synonymous with strength and durability. True, given their options and desires, such a solution is not always chosen. Some people decide they can handle modern technologies and they will choose more economical solutions. However, one and the other can have a "brick" house.
Step 2. Mixing the solution
For brick facing, the mortar is prepared from M500 cement and clean fine sand. The components are mixed in a ratio of 1: 4, water is poured in small portions. The finished mixture should be homogeneous, thick enough; if the ball rolled from the solution does not fall apart and holds its shape well, the consistency is considered correct. Water for kneading must be taken clean, with the minimum amount salts, otherwise unaesthetic whitish spots will appear on the lining - efflorescence, which is not so easy to remove. An important point: you need to knead the solution in a small volume, since the laying process takes time, and the solution dries quickly.
Bungalows made of beautiful ceramic bricks are the dream of most people who are serious about settling "close to the ground" and buying property "forever". It is believed that the foundations should be left before winter - so they are in the cold season and "no longer walk." Although this approach is controversial, it is still widely accepted. Expert Tomas Cherauskas advises how to prepare a proper winter to do more damage.
Any type of foundation can be subject to seating and decomposition. When building a house, suitable bases should be chosen by professionals, taking into account the properties of the land, the type of building and other circumstances. However, sometimes unexpected things happen, especially if everything was done right during design or construction. We asked experts how to recognize and correct fund violations.
Step 3. Laying the bottom row
A container with water is placed next to the workplace and bricks are soaked in it. Experienced builders recommend laying the bottom row without mortar. Since the length of the perimeter of the house is not always a multiple of the length of the brick, in certain places it will be necessary to cut the brick and choose the optimal location of the seams. If you lay the first row on the mortar, trimming will be more problematic. They start working from the corner: using a level, each brick is laid on top of the base and the seams are aligned. Between the bearing wall and the cladding, be sure to leave 2-3 centimeters of free space for ventilation.
It is said of poorly heated houses that the wind blows through the walls, but did you know that about one-seventh of all heat is lost due to insufficiently insulated lower part of the house? Insolvency errors not only distort the wallet, but also break the building itself and can cause problems when the structure is validated.
Bricks or blocks are used in the walls of a residential building. True, the latter can be glued together. When designing a building project, it is necessary to take into account future needs and anticipate the strength of the foundation that will be built, since the materials used to build the walls differ not only in their thermal conductivity, but also in weight. In most cases, foundations are designed to support higher loads than they actually need to support. Oganesiano, masonry can be applied to any foundation, but above all, they must be properly fitted.
Step 4: Laying the Corners
Now you need to lay out the corners to a height of 4-6 rows. A square rod is placed on the bottom row along the outer edge, a little solution is collected with a trowel and it is carefully applied. Having slightly leveled the solution, a brick is laid on top, knocked out with a trowel handle so that it comes into contact with the bar. Check the location with a level, if necessary, incite more. Carefully remove the rod, wipe the crumbs of the solution, and then repeat the same on the other side of this corner. When laying the following bricks, the correct dressing of the corner is monitored: the ends should alternate with long edges on both sides.
Brick can be used for both façade and construction when an outside wall is required from a wall. Often the thermal properties of a block are evaluated on their own. The blocks are actually made of materials that do not pass well through the heat, but the seams, which are the same solution, the material through which the passages of the cold pass, the source said. Blocks differ in their properties from bricks in several ways. First, there is less mortar because fewer stitches are required - the bolts in the block design allow for limited horizontal seams, i.e. y. blocks that are adjacent to the row are not connected to the mortar.
Step 5. Wall cladding
When all the corners are laid out, proceed to facing the walls. A strong thread is pulled between the corner bricks of the second row, laid on top and fixed with something heavy. Now they put a bar on the edge of the first row, cover the masonry surface with mortar. The bricks intended for this row are placed vertically on the ground, a little mortar is applied to the ends with a trowel, and then placed on the mortar with gentle movements. Each of them is knocked out, guided by the thread, the bar is taken out, the row is checked with the help of a level.
Due to the more precise method of production, they can be extracted from very similar dimensions and more easily broken or, if necessary, processed in a different way. The choice of materials must also take into account their compressive strength - the higher this value, the more bearable the walls can withstand. Private cottage may not need much force. However, if the house is three stories, the construction load can be quite large, we can add winter snow accumulation, so you need to calculate whether blocks can be used or not.
Step 6 Attaching the cladding to the wall
If the brick cladding was not originally planned, it is necessary to bind the facade masonry to bearing wall. They do this in two ways: using anchors and dowels with knitting wire. In the first version, an anchor is driven into the wall of the building up to half, leaving the second part between the rows of cladding. Anchors are best taken galvanized, with a diameter of 6 mm.
Also note that if the partition is internal, it will not carry the load, so it can be made from weaker material. Therefore, in essence, you can use different materials to build walls in the same house, - says the source.
Traditional centuries old ceramic bricks and modern ceramic blocks are characterized by slight deformations that occur due to moisture or temperature. Ceramic blocks are usually invalid, which makes them easier to process. Another traditionally popular material for masonry walls is silicate brick. Their choice is a fairly economical solution, this material does not burn, bricks can be used both for building structures and for decoration. This material is resistant to cold and can provide high compressive strength.
The second option: holes are drilled in the wall, dowels are inserted, a knitting wire is attached to them. The wire should lie on the brick, but not go beyond its edge. As standard, fasteners are installed in 4 vertical rows and at a distance of 70 cm horizontally. For one square meter surface requires about 5 fasteners. Around the openings, the distance between the dowels is reduced by about a third.
Silicate blocks are made from the same material. Looking for modern solutions many builders choose concrete blocks for concrete. When installing a single-layer wall, it is recommended to minimize the seams or stick the beams to the masonry. It is very important that there is no accumulation of moisture in the porous concrete layer. This type of block is good enough to spill water vapor, so the outer layer must be vapor and prevent rainwater.
Low-rise residential buildings are built from ceramic blocks. Blocks are usually stacked in two rows, leaving a third of the block's width inside. These blocks are easier to machine than ceramic blocks and the precise dimensions mean less standard block deformation. Bricks are made from ceramic tiles and subsequently do not need priming. However, these blocks are somewhat more expensive than silicates, but the thermal resistance of these blocks is one of the smallest.
Facing brickwork must be fixed to the walls of the house
The remaining rows are carried out according to the same scheme: they pull the thread between the corner elements at the height of the row, lay the bar, then the mortar and bricks. It should be noted that the width of the horizontal seams should be 10-15 mm, and the vertical ones should be slightly less - from 8 to 10 mm. Such a masonry will look the most attractive. Near the door and window openings the brick is cut and fastened so that the row is not interrupted on the other side, then the masonry pattern above the opening will remain correct.
In areas of the house where heavy load-bearing materials are not required, for example, gypsum blocks can be used to make bulkheads. They are characterized by fire resistance, good sound insulation properties, and are easy to cut. It should be borne in mind that some materials will be used for both decoration and construction, but only for construction, but not for decoration. Let's say sandstone bricks can be brick walls and leave, they have low absorbent properties. Clinker bricks too, only they have to do the finish.
Connection brick cladding with a wall
Step 7. Laying slopes
For greater decorativeness, the slopes are laid out from bricks of a different color. Along the perimeter of the slopes, the cladding is done by tying; the resulting one-brick-wide columns may protrude slightly beyond the edge of the wall cladding. The slopes themselves must be strictly vertical, therefore, when laying, they control the building level.
Step 7. Stitching
Once the mortar has set, you can begin to lay out the masonry. The surface is swept, the crumbs of the solution are removed, the masonry is moistened with water. Prepare a working solution: mix equal parts cement and lime, and then add sand. The ratio of sand to cement is 10:1, so much water is added so that the mixture acquires the consistency of a paste. After that, the seams are filled with a solution and they begin to form them with the help of jointing. The vertical seams are formed first, then the horizontal seams are embroidered.
It is impossible to lay out more than 6-7 rows at a time, since the masonry can be deformed from a large load. Every 3-4 rows are checked with a level to achieve maximum verticality. It is impossible to fill the gap between the cladding and the wall of the building with anything, the air gap is necessary for the ventilation of surfaces, in addition, it also performs heat-insulating functions. Sloping can be done immediately after laying, so as not to rearrange the scaffolding twice.
Video - How to lay a facing brick
Laying facing bricks with your own hands is similar to laying a simple stone, but has its own nuances. The main task of such building materials is the decoration of the facade of the building. In addition, it is used for facing columns, fireplaces and other surfaces inside the building, which will decorate the interior of your home.
In the photo - a lined wall
Properties, dimensions and types of bricks used for cladding
To decorate the interior or facade, you need to pay great attention to how to lay facing bricks. If we compare, for example, with, then it should have a high-quality front side of various shades and colors.
In addition to the common standard colors (yellow and red), you can choose brick and other colors. The front part is smooth or decorative.
But the main difference between the cladding material and the simple one is the ideal dimensions, ends and right angles. The front side should not have a variety of chips and deformations.
The main assumptions in the deviation of dimensions, in mm:
- by lenght - 4.4 ;
- in thickness - 2.3 ;
- in width - 3.3.
There is a simple and clinker brick for cladding, it is also distinguished by durability and quality. A simple water absorption is much higher, due to the large number of pores. Often use double silicate brick M 150.
Main dimensions, mm:
- ordinary - 250 X 120 X 65;
- narrow - 250 X 60 X 65;
- thickened - 250 X 120 X 88; 250 X 107 X 65; 230 X 107 X 65.
Let's figure out how to lay a facing brick?
- For proper facade cladding, make vertical shrinkage, expansion joints on the wall every 4-5 meters along the entire height of the building.
- It needs to be dried for as long as possible.
- Rows are first laid dry to identify non-standard products.
- In the first row, the brick is laid vertically. Such a row is made from whole products from the bottom and top of the wall, also on protruding parts, at the level of cut pillars and walls, under the supports of load-bearing structures (bearing plates, beams, etc.).
After 3-4 rows, be sure to connect the load-bearing and facing wall with a reinforcing mesh with a diameter of 2-3 mm, corner elements with anchors with a diameter of 6 mm.
- Seams - no more than 1.5 cm thick.
- Do not allow moisture to get on the material during work, and on the finished wall. The top of the wall is covered with moisture-resistant material.
- So that the building material does not get wet, the masonry is performed on a rigid mixture.
Brickwork under the template
A layer of the mixture is laid, having a thickness of 0.8-1.0 cm so that about 1 cm is left to the front face of the brick - it is placed under the template (a wooden rail 600 mm wide and 0.8-1.0 cm thick, which has from below a longitudinal protrusion.This protrusion rests against the front side, the mixture is laid on it.
To date, the template for laying facing bricks is most often a calibrated metal bar (laying on a bar) of square section. The solution is made thick so that it does not spread under the weight of the building material.
The solution is also fixed on the narrow edge of the brick: it is placed vertically on a horizontal surface and a cement-sand mixture is applied to it under the template, after which it is divided with a trowel between the bricks in the neighborhood and laid in a row of masonry.
How to lay the facing material
If you want to do the masonry with your own hands, we want to emphasize that such masonry is considered very time-consuming and difficult, requiring special attention and accuracy. With a large amount of work, you will need a partner. And in this case, the price of masonry will increase.
Usually, the facade material is laid simultaneously with the construction of the house, and the wall and facing masonry are connected with a special masonry mesh, and they are insulated inside as desired.
We will consider the option of masonry for cladding after the construction of a building for which building bricks were used. We especially note that the plinth is made protruding beyond the wall by no less than 12.0 cm. This distance will make it possible to make a good emphasis for the wall under construction. In this case, it is necessary to strengthen and expand the base.
Decide on the tools you need:
- concrete mixer;
- trowels;
- buckets;
- forests;
- threads;
- hammer;
- plumb;
- twig 80 cm long, square section 10X10 mm;
- round twig for jointing seams with a diameter of 10 cm.
Step by step laying instructions:
- plinth alignment;
- layout;
- lining;
- washing (cleaning).
Note! Immediately clean the surface of dirt. You can use a damp sponge. Do not let the solution dry.
First, we align the base horizontally with a solution using a level or building rule. Then lay the brick dry. This is done in order to correctly determine the place of its cutting, and where it is better to play the seams for a better bunch in the corners.
In places of openings for windows and doors, the rows should not be interrupted, otherwise in the future a similar layout will turn out above the door or window. Here the brick is cut.
For such work, it is better to use a solution in a ratio of 1: 4. If possible, take fine sand from the quarry containing some clay. If you have an assistant, mix the mixture in a concrete mixer, you can also mix it in small portions with a mixer. It is very important to constantly maintain proportions.
The twig must be placed on the edge of the brick, then the mortar is placed just above the twig, which is used as a template for laying facing bricks, and we install it by hitting it with a hammer or trowel handle so that it touches the twig.
When the brick is large and touches the cord, then the twig is removed and set to the level of the thread. It is in this way that identical seams are achieved. If the front side is dirty, clean it with a dry cloth before the solution dries.
It is very important to perform the correct binding to the wall. If the wall does not have twigs and grids for plaster protruding from the wall. Therefore, we attach to the wall using dowels and well-flexible knitting wire.
How they do it:
- dowel 6-ku is hammered onto the wall;
- a wire is screwed to the hat, the length of which should be equal to the width of the brick;
- the ends of the wire should be inside the masonry, and not stick out;
- in height they are knitted through 4 rows, and in width through 60-70 cm.
Linking can be done in a variety of ways. The main thing is a good bond between the wall and the cladding.
The space between the wall and the cladding must not be filled with mortar. Be sure to make a gap that contributes to good thermal insulation of the building.
Openings for doors and windows are made in a column, laying bricks with a narrow side. For slopes, if desired, you can use a material of a different color. The seams are embroidered when laying, so that the scaffolding does not move again.
Then the seams are filled with mortar and rubbed using a round twig. At the end of the jointing, the finished surface is wiped with a dry cloth. Everything, the masonry is finished.
