Modern construction market is able to surprise and satisfy almost everyone. A material that imitates a brick coating, especially adapted for antiquity, is gaining great popularity. What is the secret of such popularity? It's fashionable, practical and affordable in any environment.
Repair and decoration
Renovation in an apartment or a country house is always a responsible and rather difficult issue. The modern variety of building materials allows you to realize the most daring ideas.
Today, decorative finishes using plaster or plasterboard structures will not surprise anyone. Renovation blogs are increasingly reporting that they are ditching wallpaper, wall paneling, and other wall coverings in favor of natural stone, wood, or brick.
For example, aged brick is quite often used to decorate the interior walls of a room. Judging by the numerous reviews, this solution is already considered popular, but still not very boring in everyday interiors. Great for decorating living rooms and kitchen wallsapartment, and in a country house.
Material imitating brick
It is logical that laying out an additional wall of real brick in a city apartment is at least impractical - it eats up space, which is most often not enough. In such cases, aged brick tiles come to the rescue. Similar building material can be found in hardware stores and markets.
The tile of this format has a small thickness, and its laying can be approached creatively, for example, grouting the seams deliberately sloppy.
If the living space allows, then designers and architects recommend using natural aged brick for interior wall decoration. It is important to understand that this means the need to use old material, which, under the influence of time, has changed its appearance accordingly. For the construction of such a decoration, a new brick is used, which has already undergone or will later undergo the necessary decorative processing.
Application areas
Architects note that the scope of aged brick is extensive. It is mainly used for interior decoration, but there is also an option for exterior wall decoration.
Options for using decorative aged bricks:
- Decoration of cafes, restaurants and other public places. Interior styling.
- Interior and decorative room dividers for a new view of space.
- Wall cladding, fireplaces, kitchens, bar counters.
- Wall or ceiling cladding, partially or completely.
- Used in outdoor solutions for decorating fountains, gazebos, fences.
With the apparent simplicity of using this method of decorating, in fact, only a specialist can do high-quality work. When choosing a material, you need to pay attention to a number of significant factors.
Color, processing method, existing damage - all play a significant role for future repairs, as well as the quality of the mortar for laying aged bricks.
Industrial method
Already finished antique decorative brick can be safely purchased if the wall has not yet been erected. For the manufacture of such material, all the same red clay is used as for the production of ordinary bricks.
Reviews indicate that decorative aged brick does not require high strength, which is a necessary condition for ordinary building material. To achieve the desired effect, artificial irregularities are created during the brick molding process, this affects the final texture. Color change is achieved by adding dyes.
The final step in the production of aged bricks is firing.
Do-it-yourself brick "aging" methods
Designers often resort to mechanical "aging" of brickwork, which can be done without industrial equipment, that is, with their own hands.
To conduct a similaroperation will require the following tools:
- Hammer.
- Bulgarian.
- Punch.
- Chisel.
- Blowtorch.
It is important to understand that it is necessary to cause the planned damage to the wall very carefully, but at the same time inhomogeneously, which will allow you to recreate the effect of naturalness. It is best to entrust such a procedure to a professional, which will save time and building material.
"Ageing" occurs in several stages:
- Using a grinder to remove the top layer from a brick wall.
- Punch damage to the whole brick. In some places, it is permissible to destroy up to half of the product, which will recreate the natural destruction.
- Hammer and chisel are useful for simulating natural chips in various places of wall elements.
- Partially change the color of a brick with a soldering torch. Next, dark spots are shaded using sandpaper.
At first glance, the process seems extremely simple, albeit labor-intensive. However, in fact, cases are often described when people inexperienced in this matter severely damaged the building material, which made it unsuitable for use in the interior.
Ideas for using aged bricks
In today's variety of possibilities, it is very difficult to determine the idea that needs to be realized in the interior. Decorative tiles and aged bricks are materials that can change the look of an apartment or house beyond recognition.
In the process of searching for fresh and fashionable ideas, more and moreyou can find a reference to the loft style. The history of this style begins in the USA in the 50s of the twentieth century. Then it was possible to rebuild and adapt large industrial premises for residential, while retaining elements of decoration that were not previously used.
One of the hallmarks of the loft style are old brick walls and raw board floors. Today, building materials make it possible to successfully imitate such an interior, while making it environmentally friendly and practical to use.
Designers seized on the idea of embodying the loft style in apartments and country houses. Even in small rooms, the implementation of such an idea has become available; for this, tiles are used that imitate aged bricks, but do not steal space. The popularity of this approach is simply explained:
- Aged brick looks fashionable, original.
- Wall covering lasts longer than conventional wallpaper and paint.
- Practical for daily use, no special care needed.
All of these benefits are noted in the majority of positive reviews from happy owners of fresh repairs.
