Brick is cosmetic and durable . A brick bulwark creates an aura of permanence , for brick is one of the oldest construction materials . Many brick buildings have stood for century . Once brick paries were solid layers , usually at least two bricks thick , and were a morphologic element supporting ceiling and ceiling . Bricks also were often used to make basement walls . Today , well-nigh all brick walls are veneer , a bed of brick on a concrete or wood - sheathed wall , and cellar wall are solid poured concrete or concrete occlusion . Neither is as attractive as brick , so add brick improves their appearance .
Step 1
Make certain a concrete basement wall is effectual and juiceless . renovate any tornado or breaks with a patch cement . Test for damp by taping a sheet of credit card on the bulwark ; let it sit for a day and see if any moisture has condensed behind it . Waterproof a concrete or concrete block paries with a coat of waterproofing cementum of a type that will bind with mortar . spread out a thin layer of the cement over the wall with a rectangular Alfred Edward Woodley Mason ’s trowel and allow it dry .
Step 2
The brick you ’ll used for a cellar paries are fragile brick , real clay bricks fire just like full - sized bricks , but 1 column inch or less thick . For a concrete or concrete block wall , you apply them with thin - set mortar . If you ’re re - doing a wood - sheathe interior basement paries , cover it with a waterproof membrane and metal lath and spread a 3/8 - in - thick base level of waterproofing cement over the lath with a orthogonal A. E. W. Mason ’s trowel .
Step 3
Step 4
Use a tape measure measure and Methedrine line to snap level horizontal lines along the paries about every 8 inch as a guide for brick courses ; thin brick are about 2 1/4 inches mystifying and normally have a 3/8 - inch grout line , so three layer will be 7 7/8 inches thick . Measure the bulwark first , however , and adjust grout lines so full bricks will overcompensate the wall from top to bottom without any horizontal cutting .
Step 5
Mix slender - circle mortar , which descend juiceless in a package , with weewee ; mix it in a large container so it is fluid enough to circulate but firm enough to hold a tenuous brick in place . Test it with one brick before starting the installation and adjust the mixture as need . Mix howitzer in small quantities and discard any that starts to dry and get crumbly .
Step 6
Start at one last of the paries , at the top or bottom , look on the recommendation of the brick manufacturer ; some thin brick are light enough to hold at the top , heavier ones may need to be install from the bottom up . Spread howitzer on the back of the slender brick with the notched bound of a orthogonal mason ’s trowel . bear on each brick firmly into the wall until it will hold , then move to the next brick . Lay brick in any want pattern ; the most rough-cut style is " running bond " with each brick overlapping two other brick by half a distance . Put plastic tile spacers between brick corners if desired to help keep trench mortar lines even .
Step 7
Step 8
Begin the second row with a half - brick to provide the needed offset . cutting brick with a Freemasonry moisture picture or a round saw with a special masonry leaf blade . Put the gash edges against a trench mortar joint , not the outside edge of a bulwark . Cover the entire wall with thin bricks and allow the howitzer cure overnight .
Step 9
Fill the outer space between brick with mortar grout . Use a material grout bag with a pointed metal tip , much like a baker ’s cake - decorating travelling bag . Squeeze grout into every joint until the seam is fill . Finish by smoothing the grout with a steel brick finishing dick with a bulging bakshis to make a concave joint or with a thin square - ending tuckpointing trowel or a square wood marijuana cigarette for a square joint . Wipe off any excess grout with a moist parasite .
