In the article we will look at how to brick a house correctly. For some reason, many people think that brick cladding is a very difficult task. Yes, you will need knowledge and skills. In addition, you will have to work harder and more accurately than with any other material. Among the shortcomings of a brick, one can immediately distinguish the main one - the cost. But brickwork and even the most expensive siding cannot be compared. Attractive appearance, the effect of colorfulness and monumentality of the house is created.
Most popular masonry types
You can use any technology for masonry. If you do not know how to brick a house made of timber, then check out our material. In fact, all houses, regardless of what material they are made of, are faced in the same way. It is recommended that before starting work, carefully study all the features of materials, work algorithms. And if you don't have experience, then it's best to find someone who haswho he is to learn from.
The most popular types of masonry are as follows:
- Spoon - refers to the traditional. He assumes that all bricks will be laid with a long (spoon) part. The bottom line is that each next row is shifted by a previously selected distance. As a rule, the shift is performed by ¼ or ½ of the brick size. It is worth noting that a ¼ length offset can be either straight or oblique.
- Tychkovaya is also popular. In this case, the bricks will be laid on the end and shifted by ½ of the length. The location will be significantly different from the previous option.
Some more masonry types
It is worth paying attention to the fact that a frame house lined with brick will look very nice. In addition, the building will incorporate all the advantages of a frame structure and a brick one. And most importantly - the house will be very warm. Let's get back to bricklaying. There are several more varieties of masonry, which, in fact, are a symbiosis of those discussed above:
- Cross masonry - this type is divided into two subgroups. In fact, this is a symbiosis, as bonding and spoon masonry alternate. The parts that are located at the ends are installed so that their inner part adjoins the middle part of the brick. The outer part is at the junction. But the elements of the bonding part are stacked in such a way that of the three adjacent parts, the extreme ones are at the same distance fromjoints.
- Chain masonry - both the bonder and the spoon version can be used in the same row. The technology is simple, the main thing is to beautifully alternate masonry types.
- Chaotic is the simplest masonry option. There is no sequence, so it is allowed to perform this masonry even if you do not have any experience in construction. The main thing is that the joints of adjacent rows should not match.
Existing types of decorative masonry have a huge variety. In general, if you technically align the offset and determine the sequence, the arrangement of the elements, then the masonry will look very attractive. But it is necessary to take into account the nuances, which we will discuss later. For example, half-brick masonry reinforcement should be done with mesh or anchors.
Do I need to strengthen the foundation?
If you are going to overlay a house that was built a long time ago or a frame house, you will have to make a high-quality, reliable and durable support. After all, the facing layer has a fairly large mass - it is not light plastic or metal. If there is no reliable foundation for facing masonry, then the soil will deform and sag.
To carry out strengthening, you will have to dig a trench around the perimeter of the whole house, make reinforcement and pour mortar. In the event that you have not started building a house, but plan to brick it in the future, it is recommended that additional loads be taken into account when calculating the foundation.
A few words about the link
For high reliabilityit is necessary to connect the cladding with the main walls. For this purpose, a masonry mesh of 50x50 mm or another size made of metal, wire or anchors is usually used. The bottom line is that for every square meter there should be at least 4 attachment points. The mesh is installed on load-bearing walls and deepened into the seams of the facing masonry. Please note that you need to deepen at least 9 cm.
How to make window openings?
Window openings are structural elements that need a responsible approach. To make them, you will have to mark up in advance, draw a layout. As a rule, for these reasons, often all surfaces are faced precisely during the construction of load-bearing walls. True, sometimes they perform the cladding of a building that was built a long time ago. But how to brick a house made of aerated concrete if it was built recently?
Just like any other, only spend less time preparing. Next, we will look at the manufacture of window openings step by step.
A step-by-step guide to creating openings
In general, the laying of openings is carried out according to the following technology:
- First, the main part of the walls is built according to the method that must be selected in advance.
- You need to create openings after the optimal height of the wall sections that are nearby is reached. The main thing is to make sure that the structure of all openings is the same.
- Laying the opening should be done in the end way. To do this, you need to cut the bricks in length. First of all, carry out the laying of the lower section of the window opening. Then proceed to the vertical racks.
- Be sure to take into account that the upper part must be strengthened. To do this, use a metal corner. It must be treated with an anti-corrosion compound in advance.
- Set the corner above the window. One of the corners of the brick needs to be cut. First, lay all the elements without mortar in order to evaluate the appearance and accuracy of the masonry. Only after that you can start laying on the solution. It is allowed that the bricks protrude beyond the main wall or be on a par with it. In order for the masonry not to deform, you need to support the corner with a wooden rail.
- In the event that it is necessary to complete the lining of a window opening without taking it out, then you can lay it close to the frame. The elements are cut to the required size.
If you have little experience, then the design of the masonry will require too much effort and time. Your main task is to mount all the details clearly according to the level. You can do the same for doorways. It is worth mentioning that it is necessary to protect silicate brick. The price per piece starts from 11 rubles. This is the cheapest brick that can be found on the market. And for finishing you will need a large amount of it. It all depends on the specific dimensions of the building.
About finishing different surfaces
With the help of facing bricks, any surface can be processed. But each approach is strictly individual. Let's look into the nuances of construction and decoration:
- In the case of brick walls. Such a base is good because it is a pleasure to work with it. The parameters of the finishing and base material are very similar. Warming is allowed, but in practice it is not always used. It all depends on the region in which the construction takes place. If you use foam as a heater, then there is no need for a ventilation gap.
- Aerated concrete or cinder block walls. This material has good vapor permeability, so it is necessary to do ventilation. Otherwise, a dew point will appear, mold will appear and deformation of the walls will begin.
- Wood base. Think about whether it is necessary to brick a wooden house? It is advisable to do this only if the house is old. It is not necessary to make thermal insulation, but the ventilation gap is needed.
Please note that for proper wall decoration it is important to take into account all the features of the materials.
What tools and fixtures do I need?
In order to make the masonry not only reliable, but also beautiful, you need to prepare a minimum set of tools and fixtures. You will need for work:
- Hydraulic level. With it, you will be able to set all the elements perfectly evenly. This tool will be an indispensable assistant if you have little experience.
- The cord is needed in order to align the rows.
- Trowel and trowel - allow you to apply the mortar and get rid of its excess.
- Kyanka - this tool allows you to adjust the position of the bricks.
- Bulgarian girl and pickaxeallow you to split and cut bricks.
- Rods of various sections and lengths up to 600 mm allow for smooth seams.
- The jointing rod will help shape the appearance of the joints.
Separately, you will need to purchase a mixture, mesh or wire, insulation, anchor bolts.
Preparatory work
To comply with the technology of laying bricks for cladding, it is necessary to break the whole process into stages. Thanks to this, you will be able to do all the work accurately, efficiently, and most importantly, you will not have to invite outside specialists.
First you need to do the preparatory work. To do this, act according to the following algorithm:
- Check how secure the base is. Strengthen it if necessary.
- Assess the general condition of the load-bearing walls. Particular attention should be paid to this stage when finishing old houses. All decorative paneling must be removed from the walls.
- All cracks and cracks must be covered with putty.
- Treat the entire surface of the base with antiseptics. All elements made of metal must be coated with anti-corrosion agents.
- Dry the surface. Humidity is not allowed inside the house.
- Choose the most suitable material for wall cladding. Please note that all materials have their pros and cons.
- Cover the base with a layer of waterproofing.
- If necessary, lay the insulation material. Fix sheets performusing anchors.
It is imperative to waterproof the concrete base before starting masonry. The easiest way is to lay at least two layers of roofing material. The purpose of the preparatory stage is to get rid of all possible defects, because they can cause unpleasant consequences.
Preparing the solution
For work you need to use a quality solution. As a rule, the mixture is formed from M500 cement and carefully sifted sand. The proportion is 1 to 4. First, you need to mix these components dry, then gradually add liquid. Do not use water in which a high content of mineral impurities. Otherwise, s alt formations will appear. You need to prepare a homogeneous and thick solution.
Make it yourself is not difficult, but if you want to get a good result, then do not spare the money and purchase a ready-made mixture. It is extremely important not to make a large amount of solution when working. Otherwise, if you do not have time to work it out quickly, lumps will appear.
How to lay bricks
It all depends on how well the first row is laid. First you need to lay it without using mortar - this way you can align all the parts and, if necessary, cut them, taking into account the width of the seams. After that, a mesh and a cement mixture must be laid on the waterproofing layer. Align all elements with a level.
At this stage, you need to provide a gap for ventilation. To create an evengap, you need to use a plate of a given thickness. When laying, you simply move it so that the gap is the same everywhere.
When you finish making the first row, you can start mounting the corners. They need to be made in 3-4 bricks. When you apply the solution, you need to lay a metal rod on the front side, on top of which the cement mixture is smeared over the level. After the final fixation of the elements, the rod must be removed.
How to clad the main part of the walls
Once you make the corners, you can pull the cord between the rows. In this case, you will be able to lay out the wall without any problems. And now about how to overlay a house with a brick. The row laying procedure is as follows:
- Apply mortar to the bottom row, consider the thickness of the previously laid rod.
- Coat the end part of the brick with the mixture, put it in its place and gently tap on it. Thus, you need to fill the entire row to the end.
It is advisable to leave small areas without mortar below and above in the masonry - this will ensure ventilation of the walls.
For outdoor masonry with insulation and ventilation, it is necessary to equip inlets:
- Move the cord and repeat the procedure.
- You bind through several rows (3-5). To do this, you need to drive an anchor into the base or screw a masonry mesh of 50x50 mm or another size to it. It must be bent and laid at the junction of adjacent rows. As soon as the height is at the level of the opening, it must be bypassed, taking into accountfurther finishing.
- If you plan to do the jointing, then it is best to start it after the mixture has set.
You must understand how to brick a house. This is not an easy task, but if you have the patience, you can quite manage it even without proper experience. But experience still does not interfere in this matter. As you understand, exterior brickwork can be done on any surface, even on cinder block houses. The pros and cons of such buildings are that they are cheap and warm, but do not have a very attractive appearance.
A few recommendations
And I would like to give some tips that will help with the decoration:
- Brick laying should be carried out in good weather - the humidity should be low, the temperature should be positive.
- Bricks are recommended to be moistened before laying.
- You can't lay more than 6 rows at a time. First you need to wait until the solution has completely solidified.
- It is recommended to use bricks of a different color to highlight window and door openings.
As you can see, you can do all the work yourself, but you will have to spend a lot of effort and, of course, money. If we consider the pros and cons of cinder block houses, we can see that they have one drawback - the appearance. But you can get rid of it if you finish with a brick.
