Do-it-yourself facing brick laying

Thanks to the exterior decoration, it is easy to change the architectural appearance of the house. Do-it-yourself laying of facing bricks will make the facade attractive. The work requires accuracy and adherence to technology, it is quite painstaking, but the result will please for many years.

Types of facing bricks

The main function of the facing material is the decorative design of the house, so manufacturers offer a huge selection of shades and textures of the front of the brick. The appearance and characteristics of the product are affected by the raw materials and technology used in the production. There are several types of facing bricks.

Ceramic - a classic brick made of baked clay. Depending on the type of raw material, it has a reddish or white-yellow hue. The material is resistant to mechanical damage and ultraviolet, does not lose color from fading. It is made smooth and rough, with a flat or wavy surface. The brick passes steam well, so moisture does not accumulate in the masonry.

Hyper-pressed brick is made from shell rock or limestone with the addition of Portland cement and dyes. Production is carried out by pressing under high pressure. The product is resistant to moisture and frost, its cost is lower than that of ceramics. The brick is made corpulent, hollow and figured.

The minus of the product is a smooth surface that makes it difficult to adhere to the solution.

Clinker brick is made from plastic clay, which is fired after pressing. Bright shades of the material are obtained due to the addition of dyes. The product is characterized by high sound and heat insulation, frost resistance, strength and durability. This material has the highest cost among facing bricks.

The low water absorption coefficient of clinker bricks increases the time required for laying.

Features of choice

All bricks for front finishing can be divided into two groups:

corpulent - a material with a dense continuous structure, characterized by high strength;
hollow - a product made with holes in the body, this design reduces the thermal conductivity and weight of the brick.

The facing material is characterized by stable geometric dimensions, inaccuracies are:

along the length - 4 mm;
in width - 3 mm;
in height - 2 mm.

When choosing a material, you should inspect it for defects and chips. When visually evaluating facing bricks, attention is paid to several criteria:

color scheme of the material;
the quality of the front side of the product;
embossed or smooth brick surface.

To achieve the maximum quality of masonry, you need to know the basic rules:

How to get started? First of all, masonry is performed without mortar to determine the amount of brick that needs to be cut.
The material is cut with a grinder, a stone disc is used. Work with a disk for metal and a hammer is prohibited.
The masonry mortar is made from 1 part of cement, 3 parts of sand, 1 part of water. The sand is sifted before mixing. The consistency of the mortar should be thick enough, the brick should lay down tightly. To give the mixture a shade similar to brick, coloring pigments are added. Ceramic products are soaked before laying.
The size of the horizontal seam should not exceed 10 mm, vertical - 12 mm.
If the front part is contaminated with a solution, it is immediately removed with a trowel. Every 4 rows, the facing brickwork is wiped with a damp cloth to get rid of any remaining dirt.
To ensure masonry ventilation, three vertical seams are counted and the fourth is not filled with mortar.
The cladding of the building is carried out at a temperature of +5ºC.

Tools and equipment

Solution buckets.
Scaffolding.
Master OK.
Plumb and level.
Hammer.

Mounting technology

Having determined, during dry unfolding, the places for trimming bricks and window and door openings, they proceed to leveling the basement. The first row of bricks is laid on it around the entire perimeter of the building. The solution is applied indented from the edge by 1.5 cm. After the first row, corner posts are formed to a height of 4–6 rows. A thread is stretched between the elements, along which the bricks of the remaining rows are laid. This guideline helps to maintain horizontality. Anchors with wire attached to them are used to tie the cladding to the main wall.

After setting the solution, the seams are embroidered with a special device. In the process of work, it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the front of the brick and wipe it.

Brick cladding gives the house a respectable and attractive look, and independent work allows you to save on the services of craftsmen.

Video

The technology of laying facing bricks can be seen in the following video: