Facing bricks ennoble the house of any material: sandwich panels, foam and aerated concrete, boiler and others, and, in addition, create additional protection against moisture and heat loss. Finishing the facade of the house from the facing brick, though more expensive and laborious than from the siding, but it will look better, and will last longer. In addition, the cladding can be done when the construction of the house itself has been completed, and due to the fact that such a brick is of equal size and especially smooth edges, it is quite easy to do it yourself.
The facing or facade brick has the same dimensions as the conventional one, but there are also narrower or larger variants. Inside, it has a cavity, which provides less weight and lower thermal conductivity. This is a sufficiently high-quality material - moisture, frost-proof and very durable.
Preparation for facing
The lining works are carried out, as a rule, after the completion of the erection of walls and their warming. Between the insulation layer and the facing brick there should be a gap of 2-3 cm for ventilation to prevent accumulation of moisture. For the same purpose, between each 4-5 bricks in the first row a grout is left blank.
After insulation, the plinth should protrude by several centimeters, so that the wall of the facing brick should rest on it. If there is no such protrusion, it will be necessary to increase the base. Before facing, it should be checked with a level and, if necessary, brought to a horizontal surface.
The wall of the facing brick must be connected to the wall of the house. There are several ways to achieve this. For example, an anchor made of galvanized steel 4-6 mm in diameter is driven into the supporting wall so that its free end is between rows of decorative bricks. Another way is to install a dowel into the wall and fix a binding wire of such length on it that its end is clamped in rows of facing bricks, but does not come out. On the square meter of the wall, about 5 fastenings should be installed, placing them approximately every 60-70 cm along the length and every 4 rows in height. Around the door and window openings the strapping is made denser.
Mortar
Mortar for facing bricks is prepared from M500 cement and carefully sieved sand in a 1: 4 ratio. The dry mixture is diluted with water to such a consistency that a ball can be rolled out of the solution, and it does not crumble. It is better to mix the solution in small amounts to use it as quickly as possible. It is not recommended to add lime or antifreeze to the solution, as this can lead to efflorescence. The consumption of mortar when laying the facing brick is much smaller than that of the usual one.
Masonry
The main thing in laying facing bricks is to observe the accuracy and follow the uniformity of the joints. A brick of standard dimensions looks better with a thickness of horizontal joints - 10-15 mm, and vertical - 8-10 mm. Cutting bricks can be a Bulgarian with a disc on the stone, but it is better to avoid cutting the facade work.
Immediately before work, the batch of bricks is soaked, so that they do not pull moisture from the solution. Then the brick is applied in a layer of 1.5-2 cm solution so that it does not reach the edge approximately 1 cm, most often for this use a template of a square rod 10 * 10 mm. Exact movement of the brick is placed on the previous row or base and rubs lightly.
Begin facing from corners. In each of them, raise 5-6 rows and pull a cord between them, along which the other bricks are leveled. Near the windows and doors the row is not interrupted, and the bricks are cut off, so that the correct pattern of the layout is obtained in the future. A few lower rows for additional strength can be reinforced with a thin metal mesh.
When laying, immediately remove the adhesive from the wall surface. After the solution began to set, bricks can not be moved. Every few rows it is necessary to wipe the bricks with a damp sponge to clean the surface.
Facing bricks are also used for internal works, for example, they are trimmed with fireplaces, columns, fragments of walls. At the same time, all the requirements for laying are observed, and the accuracy is required as the limit.
