Installation

*INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR BRICK VENEER AND STONE VENEER SERIES:

Figuring out the amount of materials needed:

• Measure the area to be veneered by multiplying the length and the height of each wall within the installation area, then sum them up. If there are openings in the area such as windows, doors, etc., subtract these areas from the total square footage.
• Measure the vertical length of the corners to determine the amount of corner pieces you’ll need. Corner pieces are the same exact model of brick or stone that you’re using on flat surfaces, only they have been molded in an “L” shape. They cover the 90 degree corners in your walls and provide a seamless look (avoiding a vertical grout line at the corner). Remember; corner pieces are for outside turnings, not inside turnings. Once you have measured the total vertical length of your outside corners, you know how many linear foot of corner pieces you need.
• Although varies by the dimensions of the brick; 1 linear foot of corner pieces for most of our models cover approximately 1-1.1 square foot of area. Multiply the total linear footage by this coefficient and you’ll figure out how many square foot of area your corner pieces will cover. Subtract this from the total square footage of area. This will give you how many square foot of flat bricks/stones you’ll need. Always remember to extra a little extra to cover for any losses/wastage.

To put it in an example:

Let’s say the walls you’ll be cladding measured to be 1200 sqft in total.

Let’s also say that the vertical corners you have in the installation area measured to be 180 ft long.

You’d calculate as follows:

180*1.1= 198

1200-198=1002

Therefore, you need 180 lnft of corner pieces and 1,002sqft of flat bricks/stones.

It’s always a good idea to add a little extra for wastage at site. So, ordering 195 lnft of corners and 1050 sqft of flats would avoid running short during installation.

Necessary Tools

Essentials: Mason’s trowel, wooden stick, wire brush (thin and long to fit in grouts), grout bag, whisk broom, bucket.

Nice to have: Laser level or chalk line, angle grinder, mixer, rubber hammer, vacuum cleaner.

Starting with Surface Area Preparation

Installation surface area should be clean and on the flat side (depending on the type of brick/stone model selected, some degree of cragginess can be tolerated).

Type of preparation needed changes depending on the type of wall:

• Concrete walls, cement based boards, gypsum based boards: apply a coat of bonding agent (primer) (found under our “side products” category) on the surface before installation.
• Horsehair, plywood, MDF, OSB, and any surface covered with building paper: You’ll need to apply a metal lath on the surface before installation. This is a 2 person job, have one person hold the lath on the wall while you use screws to stabilize it in place. Make sure edges of lath layers overlap and there are screws along the overlapping areas. Make sure its texture has wide enough holes to easily let the mortar through. Another important point here is to make sure lath is tight and flat. Once it is stabilized on wall with screws, apply “Basecoat mortar” (found under the “side products” category) using a trowel on the surface. The coating should go through the lath and be in good contact with the surface. Cover the whole area. Let dry for at least 2 days (check your city’s local codes on wait times).

Whenever you have lack of confidence on your surface, wire lath is always the safe bet. At the same time, it’s a redundant procedure for many surfaces. Call/message us whenever in doubt.

It’s important to make sure that the application area is stable and rigid. Any movements in the background will show its effects on the surface. For instance, if the boards in the background move or flex, this can crack bricks alongside the edges where panels meet. Your brick application is as strong as the background that is holding it.

Starting the installation:

• If the model of brick/stone you’ve selected requires the installation to be level (most bricks do, unless you’re creating special effects), either use a laser level throughout the course of installation, or you can apply chalk lines on the wall before starting.
• Prepare the adhesive mortar (found under the “side products” category ) in a bucket by mixing it with water. Start putting adhesive on the back of bricks/stones using a trowel and installing them on the wall. (Most masons butter the whole back surface of the bricks while some others leave a small gap in the middle section to create a vacuum effect once placed on the wall. It’s up to you which way to choose).
• It’s a good idea to slightly move the pieces in different directions while pressing against the wall. Adhesive should become in good contact with the back surface. Follow with a scraping motion with your trowel to remove the extra glue sticking out from the sides.

Hint: Always start with the corner pieces first. (Don’t forget that corners have one long and one short side, differ these sides in opposite manner vertically).

• Start the installation from bottom and work your way towards top (some skilled masons can do the opposite. For DIY people, starting from bottom is always easier). If it’s a drystack installation, try to pick pieces that lay next to each other better, leaving the gaps in between to a minimum. If it’s a grouted installation, leave the necessary gaps in between pieces while installing. They will be filled out later.
• Bricks usually like straight joint lines but for irregular stones try to avoid grout lines from being continuous as much as possible. Long grout lines (both horizontal and vertical) is not desired for irregular stone models.
• With drystack installation and heavier stone types (not necessary for bricks), once you’ve reached 3-4 feet above ground, try to move horizontally. Reason for that is the higher you go the more weight will be placed on the pieces towards the bottom section. With heavier type of stones, increased weight can start to pressure the bottom section away from the wall and you don’t want any movements, even fractional, while the adhesive is drying.
• Once you get to the end sections of the walls (or openings in between), use a hand grinder or a tile saw to cut the stones to exact size.

Hint: If there are any broken pieces during shipment, keep them on the side. You’ll need them at these spots.

• Once all the stones have been secured on the wall, if it’s a grouted installation, it’s time to start with pointing. It’s worthwhile to note that masonry grouts, with their rugged and rough texture, are different than ceramic tile grouts, which have a smooth and creamy look. Masonry grout in its basic gray color as well as white color (by the name “grout mortar”) can be found under our “side products” category. If desired grout color is other than white or gray, select color pigments under the same category (pigments are mixed with gray grout). Prepare the grout mixture in a bucket. We have 2 different types of tools for grouting. You can either use a traditional grout bag to squeeze grout into the joints, or you can use a drill attachment (both found inside our “side products” category) to easily fill grout lines in a semi-automated way.

Hint : Unless you’re purposely creating a special effect, try not to smear the surface of bricks/stones. If it happens by accident, wait until the mortar becomes crumbly, then remove the smears slightly rubbing with a rag.

• After the gaps are filled with grout, wait until the grout starts to become tender but not dry yet. Run a pipe or wooden stick over grout lines to push the grout snug into the gaps and also to spill the excess amounts. If a large area is being grouted, you might have to do in sections so that you can act before it dries. After this stage you’ll let it sit one more time so that it dries further, then run over lines with a thin but long wire brush. Be gentle so that you do not have grout pieces breaking and falling off (remember even though it has dried solid, it still has a lot of humidity inside and has not cured yet). You should only let the loose outer crust of the grout fall without damaging the underneath layer. After the whole surface is complete, you’ll start cleaning with whisk broom. Starting from top to bottom, clean the grout lines and go over the surfaces of bricks/stones to take loose particles and dust off. This can also be done using the brush head of a vacuum cleaner, especially if it’s an interior installation.

Hint : Take care while wire brushing the grouts so as not to damage the surfaces of the bricks/stones. Wires can put unwanted scratches on the surface. Start by applying slight force and increase gradually as you get used to it. It doesn’t take long to figure it out.

• At this stage your installation has virtually finished. If you wish to seal the bricks from water, you can apply water repellent on the surface. If you wish to have a shiny surface (usually not recommended with rustic style), you can brush it with coating chemicals.

Last couple things we’d like to remind you of:

• Unless you are a skilled mason, do not start from 2 different sections of a wall and try to meet in the middle.
• In case you are unsure about anything, always feel free to call us for suggestions.

Enjoy your walls!

* Info provided on this page is purely for guidance reasons. Always check your local building codes and consult an installation professional before making final decisions.