Brickwork fills absolutely any interior with luxury, presentability and sophistication. That is why many apartment owners tend to use this decor in creating their own home design. However, due to various circumstances, not everyone can afford the use of natural brick and stone. Given this fact, manufacturers began to produce artificial bricks, which made it possible to create an imitation of real masonry even in budget interiors.
Let's look at what varieties of this material can be found on the construction market, what are the features of each of them and what options are suitable for interior decoration.
Artificial brick: main varieties
Similar finishing materials are made from a variety of raw materials, so each variety has its own characteristics. Some are made in the form of a smooth and hardtiles, others are characterized by excellent flexibility, others are made in the form of a large wall panel that covers most of the surface at once.
Artificial decorative brick for interior decoration is of the following types:
• flexible tiles;
• plaster products;
• cement wall tile;
• clinker brick;
• MDF and PVC panels;
• fiberglass and cement panels.
To understand the advantages and disadvantages of each option, consider all products in more detail.
Flexible brick imitation
Artificial brick in the form of a flexible tile is suitable for cladding both indoor and outdoor surfaces. This innovative material, which appeared on the market not so long ago, has a number of positive features:
• has excellent decorative ability;
• reliably protects walls from external factors;
• resistant to mechanical damage;
• has good vapor permeability;
• Available in a wide range of colors;
• not prone to colonization of bacteria and fungi;
• UV resistant;
• Fairly easy to install.
Flexible tile is ideal for tiling uneven surfaces, as it easily wraps around all indoor and outdoor corners. Artificial brick (of this variety) can be used as a finishing material for wall cladding in anyrooms.
It is ideal for decorating rounded columns, fireplaces and various interior items of complex geometry. This cladding does not create additional load on the walls, which is why it is often used for finishing plasterboard structures.
Fixing the material on the surface is carried out using ordinary tile adhesive.
Gypsum facing brick
Artificial gypsum facing brick is considered the most economical option for creating an imitation brick wall.
In the process of its manufacture, the cement-gypsum mortar is poured into special relief forms, in which it remains until it solidifies. After the bricks have completely hardened, they are carefully removed from the mold and dried.
The resulting product is quite beautiful, but fragile. However, it is quite suitable for facing internal surfaces. Another disadvantage of gypsum brick is its high hygroscopicity, which does not allow it to be used in rooms with a high level of humidity.
The light weight of the product makes the installation process quite easy, but in order to keep the tiles on the surface for as long as possible, only plaster-based glue should be used to fix them.
Cement facing brick
Artificial facing brick made on the basis of cement is especially popular today, as it is characterized by a huge varietycolors, textures and affordable prices. In addition, the material is sufficiently resistant to sudden changes in temperature and can be used even in unheated rooms and rooms with high humidity.
This brick is made from a solution of Portland cement and sand. It is poured into silicone molds, where it solidifies. Finished products are endowed with various shades and repeat the texture of natural stone.
Clinker bricks
Artificial decorative clay brick is used in the interior much less often than previous analogues, as compared to them it has a higher price tag. Excellent performance characteristics and resistance to external factors have made clinker tiles more popular in facade decoration. However, when it comes to decorating fireplaces and stoves, this brick imitation is considered the best option.
An artificial stone (brick) is made from highly plastic clay without any impurities, dyes and plasticizers, which allows us to talk about the absolute environmental friendliness of the material. Raw materials are pressed and fired at high temperatures, which gives the stone unsurpassed strength and durability. The resulting product is characterized by the following qualities:
• high wear resistance;
• low temperature resistance;
• fire safety;
•Moisture and chemical resistant.
Variety of texturesclinker tiles allows you to use a similar finish in various styles of interior design. It can have an absolutely even, smooth, rough, glazed and untreated surface. The sizes and shapes of the elements are also very diverse, making this finish a great match with many finishing materials.
Decorative panels for brickwork
Artificial bricks for interior decoration in the form of panels are in great demand today.
This material can be made from a variety of raw materials, but the most common options are polyvinyl chloride and wood fiber boards (PVC and MDF). The panels attract consumers with their large size, which significantly reduces the repair time.
It is also important that the material is quite easy to work with. Its light weight makes it easy to transport and mount on the wall. Trimming the panel is carried out using a jigsaw or a regular construction knife.
The positive features of wall decorative panels include the fact that before their installation it is not necessary to level the surface. The product easily hides flaws, cracks, recesses and other defects in the base, and if they are installed on a pre-equipped frame, pipes, wires and other communications can be hidden behind them.
The color scheme of the panels is very diverse, while the imitation of bricks can have the most unusual and attractive textures.
With all the advantages of wall panels, theyhave one significant drawback - the inability to use on rounded and uneven surfaces.
Imitation fiberglass brick
This type of artificial brick is made from cement, in which glass fiber fibers are added. The last component increases the strength of the cement product several times. The composition of the tile contains only natural ingredients, which makes it safe for the environment.
Artificial brick for interior wall decoration with the addition of fiberglass reliably protects walls from moisture penetration, mechanical damage and radio emissions. The material is great for decorating interior walls, but is also often used in exterior decoration of buildings. Its only drawback is its high cost, so not every homeowner can afford such decor.
Conclusion
Based on all the above information, we can conclude that modern manufacturers of finishing materials offer us a wide variety of products for decorating surfaces for brickwork. The quality of some options is at such a high level that even at close range it is difficult to distinguish the product from real brick or stone.
A wide variety of designs, reliefs, sizes of tiles and panels allows you to realize the most daring projects and choose the most suitable artificial brick for your interior. Photo of some surface finishes usingstone imitations can be seen in this article, which will help you get an overall impression of each material.
