Imitation of brick for interior decoration: do it yourself with step-by-step instructions. Aged brick: industrial production and self-production Prices for imitation brick

Antique brick in the interior of the house creates an unusual atmosphere. It is rough and cold in appearance, but, in contrast to the fashionable furniture and neat finishes, it looks quite cozy and homely. For interior decoration, choose real or artificially processed products. The most widespread in the design in the loft style.

This is a material produced for the construction of buildings mainly in the XVIII-XIX centuries. It was at this time that it became most popular. The quality of products was many times higher than modern ones. The density was 800-1000 kg/sq. cm, while the average today is 100-150 kg / sq. cm.

An old brick with a stamp was produced. In the 17th century, it was stamped with natural motifs, later they began to use the first letter of the name of the owner of the production. State factories made elements with the image of a double-headed eagle.

During the demolition of old buildings that do not have historical significance, the blocks are carefully separated from the masonry and sent for reuse. They are not available to everyone, as resources are very limited. Manufacturers produce tiles and whole products. The first is easier to install and does not hide the usable area of ​​​​the room.

Application in the construction of aged decorative bricks

They do not build new buildings from it, but use it exclusively for decorating premises.

1. stylization of interiors of public places (cafes, restaurants, shops);
2. construction of interior partitions;
3. imitation brickwork;
4. lining of fireplaces and stoves;
5. arrangement of a kitchen apron;
6. column installation;
7. floor and ceiling decoration;
8. bar laying.

Most often they are chosen for interior decoration, but due to the strength characteristics and durability, it can be used in street decoration, for example, to decorate a gazebo, fence, porch.

When choosing, it is important to pay attention not only to how the brick itself looks, but also to the method of laying it, the color and structure of the mortar, and the nature of the damage. Only a specialist can make high-quality and realistic old masonry.

Brick aging methods

To give a touch of antiquity is real and already finished masonry. This does not require special materials, all work is done by improvised means. The best option is the lack of interior decoration and load-bearing brick walls. Sandblasting processes the fastest and best.

1. Mechanical aging.

The old wall must necessarily have various kinds of damage: cracks, chips, abrasions, uneven color, so the surface will have to be well spoiled. You will need:

• a hammer;
• grinder or grinder;
• perforator;
• blowtorch;
• chisel.

It is necessary to ensure that the processing is not uniform. For a realistic effect, heterogeneity is needed, because all finishing materials age more in some places than in others.

First, a smooth layer is cut off with a grinder or grinder with a large sandpaper. Next, a perforator makes recesses in the seams and partially removes several products, up to a maximum of half their width. The corners and edges of individual elements are chipped off with a hammer and a chisel, then they work with color. To make it less uniform, make dark spots with a blowtorch, and then shade them with sandpaper.

2. Color aging.

It is better to choose acrylic gray or white paint, you will need a roller and a foam rubber sponge. Most of the composition should fall on the seams, smudges should be avoided. The roller should only be lightly dipped in the composition so that it remains semi-dry. Then the wall is covered with paint in a chaotic manner. Until it dries, the excess is wiped off the front surface of the brick with a damp sponge.

If you apply paint in a dark green or green-gray shade, you can get a block covered with moss. Apply topically with a foam sponge, trying not to make the print too dense. The trail should be barely noticeable.

3. Imitation of old plaster.

You need a spatula and composition, gray, white or beige. The plaster is applied in spots, an uneven layer. Where it is thin, it is slightly overwritten, where it is thicker - after drying, they work with a grinder, chisel or hammer. This layer is also given an aged look, creating numerous damages. From above, it is possible to use greenish paint - for a mossy finish.

Consolidation of the result

1. In order for the aged brick to serve for a long time and not cause inconvenience by shedding the surface, it is necessary to remove dust and debris after all stages of processing and remove areas that do not hold well. Then coat it with a deep penetration primer. It binds dust particles and prevents further shedding.

2. All sharp points should be removed to keep the wall safe.

3. To better preserve the appearance, the surface is covered with a layer of matte or glossy varnish. It not only protects against further damage, but also gives a decorative effect.

What determines the cost of a brick?

Natural, created a couple of centuries ago, is an expensive option and belongs to the elite category. Finding and buying it is quite difficult. Tile is more accessible, it is produced by cutting a regular block, then subjected to special processing. It is worth buying for finished walls, a kitchen backsplash or a fireplace.

For a partition, column or stove, you will need to buy a whole brick, the front side of which imitates antiquity. Aging the surface with your own hands will cost almost free. If you use the help of professionals, then the price will be affected by the degree of finish and area.

How can aged brick be used in the interior? Can a new brick wall look like old masonry?

By what means can its surface be imitated in a city apartment? Let's try to answer these questions.

Why is it needed

Let's be honest: the plasterboard finish that has become familiar, the same type of interiors with suspended ceilings and soffit lighting are already somewhat boring. If you have the desire, time and money to make your home unique, different from the apartments of friends and neighbors, stylization for antique interiors will be one of the most interesting solutions.

What vintage attributes can freshen up your bedroom or living room?

• Imitation of beams in combination with an accentuated rough whitewashed ceiling.
• Antique stylized wooden chandeliers.
• Plank floors or their imitation parquet board.
• Unplastered walls made of wild stone or brick. Of course, masonry that looks old will give a special chic to the design.

Please note: in a modern city apartment, building additional walls made of aged brick along the inner perimeter of the rooms is a frankly crazy idea. In such cases, tiles imitating old masonry of small thickness are used. The seams are rubbed underlined unevenly.

industrial production

How is aged facing brick made?

In general, nothing unusual. The raw material is ordinary clay, the same that is used to produce red building bricks. The uneven surface of one of the faces is simulated during molding; uneven coloring, imitating efflorescence and darkening of surface areas, is provided by the addition of mineral dyes.

The facing brick of most manufacturers is fired at a high temperature: in terms of production technology, it is clinker. Thanks to high-temperature firing, clay particles are sintered more reliably; as a result, the brick has a very low moisture absorption and is extremely durable.

Curious: the strength of a brick is indicated in its marking. So, M150 is able to withstand a compressive pressure of 15 MPa, M200 - 20. The tensile strength of ordinary red brick is M300; the maximum clinker strength laid down in GOSTs corresponds to the M1000 grade.

The best examples of aged facing bricks with their strength correspond to the brand ... M1700. Incredible? However, it is a fact.

Such a high strength is needed so that temperature fluctuations and inevitable mechanical effects do not destroy the complex relief of the cladding. It's funny: an artificially aged surface is made as durable as possible.

But the aged decorative brick for interior decoration is not subjected to extreme destructive influences: temperature drops in the living room are minimal; destruction during crystallization of the moisture that has nourished the material, for obvious reasons, does not threaten it either. This material is noticeably cheaper and has less strength.

German secret weapon

A couple of technologies they use deserve special attention.

• Aged surface can imitate efflorescence(whitish spots that appear due to the washing out of sulfates and carbonates by rainwater); however, the appearance of real efflorescence means a partial destruction of the brick structure. An interesting solution to this problem is the impregnation of the surface layer 2-3 mm thick with a polymer composition that acts similarly to a waterproofing membrane for roofing.

Water molecules cannot penetrate through the front surface of the facade; at the same time, the masonry remains completely permeable to steam.

• The addition of wood flour to the clay changes the appearance of the product after firing.. The surface of the brick becomes porous due to the burnout of organic matter; inclusions of coal give the surface an uneven color, the intensity of which can be controlled by the duration of firing and the percentage of flour in the raw material.

crazy hands

The hard way

The instructions will be quite voluminous.

1. Armed with sandpaper with a large grain, process the surface of the wall. The more scratches left on the front surface of each brick, the older the masonry will look.

Useful: a grinder or a drill with a grinding wheel will save you a lot of time and effort. Don't try to sand the wall in one direction; on the contrary, the scratches should be in random order.

1. An old brick cannot have perfect edges. Let's continue our destructive activity: with a small pick or chisel we cut off corners in randomly selected places. Avoid symmetry and excessive chipping.
2. You can achieve the appearance of dark spots on the masonry using a blowtorch or gas burner.
3. Aging the brick will not provide the entire masonry with the proper appearance. The seams will give out a new wall. A simple solution is to mop them with damp earth and fill in a few depressions with moss.
4. The final step is to protect the surface from moisture and abrasion. Paradoxically, they can visually make a wall look newer. Impregnation of the surface with a heated mixture of turpentine, paraffin and wax will help.

Attention: ventilation of the room at this stage will have to be given special attention.

The easy way

How to age a brick wall without spending a lot of time?

Acrylic water-dispersion paint tinted in red, black, gray and brown colors is used. It is applied to sections of the wall not with a brush or roller, but with a sponge: in this way we will ensure uneven coloring.

In the photo - the result of half an hour of work with a sponge. As you can see, the masonry quite reliably imitates the old one.

Conclusion

In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic. Successes in construction!

Walls made of old brick take on a new sound. Previously, they were hidden under decorative trim, hiding a modest, not too beautiful appearance. Today, such uncomplicated building materials can become the main focus of the room. How to age new brick walls with your own hands, the article will tell you.

Antique brickwork is a heavily damaged surface with:

• Chips on bricks.
• Cracks at the seams of the masonry.
• The absence of some bricks in the wall.
• Other signs appearing from the influence of time.

At home, brickwork can be aged in several ways.

To do this, you need to purchase:

• Perforator.
• A hammer.
• Big chisel.
• Bulgarian.
• Large sandpaper.
• Blowtorch.

If desired, this list can be supplemented with those tools that are at hand: sharp objects that can damage the brick in the appropriate style. The basis can be artificial tiles, with its help you can make an imitation resembling a brick wall, but much thinner than the real one, which will save free space in the house.

An alternative may be another method: the use of sandblasting equipment. This is a more efficient way that requires less time and effort to implement. But the complexity of this method lies in the need to use appropriate equipment, the price of which is quite high and not everyone can purchase it, if they wish, they can get old brick walls in the room.

How to age a brick wall in a simple way

Tip: When performing work, uniform surface treatment of the brick should be avoided; during natural aging, chaotic wear of the material occurs.

Work instructions:

• Angle grinder or grinder the outer layer of the brick wall is removed, as in the photo.

With the help of such tools, it is possible to obtain an increased roughness of the material.

• Work continues with a hammer and chisel. They simply break off the excess solidified mortar in the seams of the masonry. Additionally, with different impact forces in different places, the corner edges of the brick are knocked off.
• Further, during natural aging, the wall collapses in the seams between the bricks. For this, chaotic depressions are made in them with a perforator.

Tip: To speed up the process on the main wall, knock down several bricks to 1/2 of their thickness. From this, its strength will not suffer, but will acquire an enhanced effect of antiquity. You can not do this on a tile made under a brick.

• Blowtorch dark spots are created, and then these areas are processed with sandpaper, and preferably with a grinder, achieving more uniform shades.
• The entire surface of the brick wall is treated with coarse sandpaper to add scuffs.

The main difficulty in processing the wall with a grinder is to ensure a sufficient level of aging of the brickwork.

How to use color for aging masonry

When drawing up a work plan for the aging of bricks, it must be borne in mind that the natural process should also be reflected in the color.

When performing work, you will need:

• Paint multiple colors to get the right shade.
• Roller (see).
• Sponge.

The seams on the old masonry have a darker color.

In artificial conditions, to obtain the appropriate effect, you can use acrylic paint of a suitable shade.

For this:

• The coating should be applied with a sponge so that uneven coloring can be achieved.
• When planning to paint a brick or tile wall in lighter shades, it is recommended to use a regular roller, and in this case it is necessary to apply the paint in small portions, with a semi-dry tool.
• Excess composition is removed with a sponge. In this case, you need to make sure that there are no smudges of paint on the wall.

You can get a mossy effect on brickwork.

For this:

• The surface is slightly tinted with greenish or earthy paint.
• This should be done with a sponge so that the imitation of moldiness is only partially visible.

The final step in all the described processes should be the application of a deep penetration primer to the surface of the wall, imitating old brickwork. This will prevent dust from settling from the brick in the future and significantly reduce the risk of wall shedding.

How a brick wall ages with plaster

Special building skills do not require methods for aging a brick wall with a blowtorch and paint. But they are public.

A more complex process, when creating the effect of a brick old wall, is the use of ordinary or decorative plaster in colors such as:

• White.
• Light grey.
• Beige.

In this case, against its background, the brick looks contrasting.

The process technology includes:

• The wall is partially covered with plaster in such a way that it looks like it has crumbled from time to time.
• Only those bricks that protrude from under the plaster are artificially aged, using the methods described above.

With collapsed plaster, brickwork looks original and spectacular. And to make such a wall is quite easy on your own.

Tip: Work should be done carefully so that the plaster does not fall off completely.

If possible, a few bricks can be pulled out diagonally from the top of the masonry, then the wall itself will look like a collapsed one, and the house will be its own ruin. At the same time, aging of bricks can be performed from the front and end parts, and the collapsed wall will look more natural.

Tip: Do not remove bricks from the middle or bottom, otherwise the wall may simply collapse.

Anyone can independently create a work of art on ordinary brickwork using simple methods. Visually aging a brick with improvised tools and materials is not difficult, you only need a great desire, imagination and free time.

An aged brick wall can be made a separate element of the interior, which can be decorated with paintings, old black and white photographs, hang an old mirror. The parts protruding after the collapse of the wall can be used as shelves, for example, put indoor flowers on them. The ruins of an ancient temple or castle, which are lost in the jungle, will resemble masonry entwined with a liana.

You can get acquainted with the process of aging brickwork in detail in the video in this article.

The decoration of the walls inside the premises of the apartment, as well as the facade of the house with decorative bricks or material imitating brickwork, has never gone out of fashion. However, unfortunately, it is not always possible to use real brick for interior decoration of housing, as it will make the floor slabs of multi-storey buildings heavier. In addition, it is not so easy to make an ideal masonry “for jointing”, because this requires at least a minimum experience of a bricklayer.

It is much easier to use other interesting ways to achieve the desired result. Imitation of a brick for can be made in different ways and, which is typical, is available for installation by anyone, even a novice finisher.

Given the fact that brickwork has been popular for decades and has been used in reproducing various interior styles, manufacturers have not missed this moment and have developed several types of material that can replace natural brick.

Such a finish is made in different forms - it can be flexible or rigid tiles that have the size of the end side of a brick, or large wall panels that cover an entire section of the wall at once, made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), MDF or fiberglass.

Flexible tiles "under the brick"

Flexible tile that imitates brickwork is great for interior and exterior wall decoration. This modern material is not only decorative, but also a protective coating for surfaces and has a number of positive qualities - this includes resistance to external atmospheric influences, impact resistance, vapor permeability, inertness to microorganisms, as well as to ultraviolet radiation, and, of course, aesthetic appearance and a fairly simple process of processing and installation.

"Flexible brick" is easily mounted not only on straight flat surfaces, but also perfectly bends around the outer and inner corners of the premises.

A similar material is used for wall decoration inside apartments and houses, in particular, rooms such as hallways, corridors, kitchens, living rooms, loggias. It is also suitable for external, facade walls. It is very convenient to use such tiles for facing columns, fireplaces, small architectural forms, as well as in any areas where such a design is conceived. Regardless of the complexity of the surface configuration.

The tile can be used to finish the entire wall completely or fixed to its individual sections. Since the material has many colors, it is possible to make the finish monophonic or use tiles of different shades, harmoniously combining them with each other.

Installation of "flexible brick"

Installation of flexible tiles does not require complex electrical tools. It will only be necessary to prepare:

- smooth spatula 120÷150 mm wide - for mixing and applying glue;

- notched trowel with a comb 4 mm high and 150 ÷ ​​200 mm wide;

- building level with a length of 1000 ÷ 1500 mm;

- a ruler with a length of 1000 ÷ 1500 mm;

- marking colored cord for beating lines;

- a simple pencil;

- powerful scissors;

- a brush with a width of 12 mm for leveling the mortar in tile joints.

From materials other than tiles, you will need a primer for walls and a special

For installation, a dry mortar can be used - ordinary tile adhesive, but it is more convenient to use a ready-to-use composition packaged in plastic buckets. In any case, when purchasing a tile, you should immediately consult with the seller about the adhesive suitable for a particular material.

In order for the masonry to be even and neat, the wall must be put in order before installation begins, by cleaning and leveling its surface. After the leveling mortar has dried, the wall must be primed with an antiseptic compound, which will give the materials higher adhesion and prevent mold from appearing under the cladding layer in the future. When the primer is dry, you can proceed to the installation of tiles.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that installation work must be carried out at a temperature not lower than +5 degrees, otherwise the adhesion between the materials will be insufficient, and the tile may subsequently begin to peel off from the surface of the walls.

Brick imitation prices

brick imitation

• The first step is to draw the surface of the wall into even zones, along which glue will be applied and the tile will be fixed. If the entire wall is to be completely lined, then it is imperative to beat off the upper and lower limiting lines.
• The glue is not applied to the entire surface, but to separate lined zones, which are about 1000 × 500 mm. The layer of adhesive mass should be approximately 2 ÷ 3 mm - it is applied with an even spatula, and then distributed over the entire area to be lined with a notched trowel to obtain grooves of the same height.

• The tile is glued in order, and if the first of the rows starts with a whole tile, then the second - with a half or one third of the "brick", depending on the desired location of the masonry joints.

Dividing a “flexible brick” into parts at any angle, without the use of any power tools, is quite simple: it is marked and cut along the line with ordinary scissors.

• The seams between the rows can have different thicknesses - this parameter will depend on the preference of the master, but usually the clearance is left at 10 ÷ 12 mm. The selected size of the seams is taken into account immediately when marking the wall into zones for installation.

• "Flexible brick" easily bends around ledges formed at any angle, as well as internal corners or rounded walls, if any, on the finished surface.

• When the intended surface area is tiled, you must immediately level the mortar in horizontal and vertical joints, otherwise the glue will seize and it will not be possible to accurately level it. The smoothing of the solution is carried out with a relatively thin brush of medium hardness, lightly moistened with water.

The fact that flexible tiles do not require additional purchase of grout for joints can also be safely called the advantage of the material, since you do not have to make extra costs.

Video: flexible facing tiles with excellent imitation of clinker bricks

Rigid facing tiles "under the brick"

Clinker tiles

Clinker tiles are not used for interior wall cladding as often as other types of material that imitate brick, as it has a fairly high price. It is often purchased for facades, given its highest performance. However, it can also be used for interior decoration, especially if you have to line a stove or fireplace.

It is made from natural highly plastic clays, without the use of artificial dyes and plasticizers. The raw material is pressed and fired at high temperatures reaching up to + 1150÷1200 degrees. Thanks to this, clinker tiles are an environmentally friendly material with unsurpassed natural qualities of durability and reliability, which are multiplied during the production process.

Such a finishing material is excellent for both interior and exterior cladding. It has a very low moisture absorption coefficient, high frost resistance and wear resistance, inertness to temperature extremes and almost any chemical attack.

The decorativeness of clinker tiles is not inferior to its physical and technical characteristics, since the variety of design options allows you to choose the material for every taste and style of the interior of the premises or the facade of the building. Finishes can have a rough, glazed or natural, unfinished surface. On sale are tiles of different sizes and shapes, and this factor also allows you to realize the most daring design ideas.

Installation of facing tiles "under the brick"

As mentioned above, all tiles that have a certain rigidity are mounted on the wall in approximately the same way. The work will require the same tools as for the "flexible brick", and in addition, to cut this material, it will be necessary to prepare a hand circular saw or a grinder with a stone disc.

The work on laying the cladding from this type of material is more complicated, since the finish already has a significant weight, and after installation it requires careful sealing of the joints between the tiles.

The lining process is carried out in the following order:

• Laying should be carried out on a prepared, primed and relatively even wall.
• The marking of the wall surface takes place in the same way as for the installation of any piece facing material: straight lines are beaten off along the upper and lower levels of the masonry, then, it is recommended that the entire distance between them be calculated and divided horizontally so that the intended number of rows can be accommodated in this area masonry, with the obligatory consideration of the thickness of the seams between them. It is especially important to carry out this process if there is not enough experience in wall cladding - marking will help to make the masonry perfectly even.

When marking, 10 ÷ 12 mm should be allocated for each of the seams between the rows.

• Further, the adhesive mass is prepared, which is selected in accordance with the type of material on the basis of which the finishing tiles are made.

• The laying starts from the bottom row, which is carefully verified by the building level, since the accuracy of the entire wall cladding will depend on its horizontalness. If the first row starts with a whole, then the second and all subsequent even rows with ½ or ⅓ tiles.
• Further, glue is applied to the wall with a spatula with a layer of 3 ÷ 4 mm. After that, the mass is distributed with a notched trowel, which leaves grooves of equal height, ensuring the most even distribution of glue when pressing the tile. When laying some heavy types of tiles (the same clinker), it is additionally recommended to apply glue on the back side of the facing material. Therefore, before starting work, you should definitely study the instructions attached to the package, which clarify the nuances of installing a particular material.

• During the installation process, it is necessary to control the evenness of each of the stacked rows.

• To ensure that the width of the seams between the tiles on the entire surface to be lined is the same, some craftsmen use special calibrator tabs of the same size. They are temporarily installed between the rows, and after the adhesive mass has set, they are removed and installed again, but already on the upper rows. As such calibrators, you can use a wooden glazing bead or silicone posts.

• For facing external corners, special curly elements are used that are able to mask existing chips and make the corners neat and protected.

• Upon completion of the masonry and after the glue has completely dried, the seams between the tiles must be securely and accurately sealed with grouts specially designed for this purpose. You can fill the seams in different ways:

- Use ready-made formulations in tubes, using a special gun.

- Place the mixed grout in a plastic bag, and then cut obliquely one of its corners to the width of the seam and gently squeeze the grout into the gaps between the rows.

Unlike PVC panels, MDF trim is not recommended for use in rooms with high humidity, but it is perfect for leveling the walls of hallways, corridors, insulated balconies, and living rooms.

Manufacturers also thought about the design of the corners, making special curly elements for this.

Fiberglass panels

Special mention should be made of fiberglass panels. This facing material is made on the basis of ordinary cement with the addition of glass fiber fibers, which increases the strength of the plates tenfold. For external finishing, panels can additionally be reinforced with metal elements, which increase the weight of the structure, but make it resistant to mechanical stress.

Reinforced only with fiberglass, the panels have a not particularly frightening weight, and dimensions that are relatively compact in thickness. The solution for their manufacture is colored in bulk, so the plates are not afraid of small chips and abrasions. Some manufacturers in the production of molding sand add colored fiberglass to it, which is somewhat darker or lighter than the main tone, but in perfect harmony with it - this gives a very interesting effect. In addition, additional application of paint on the surface of already finished and assembled products is allowed.

Well suited for interior decoration, but still more often it is used to transform the facade of the walls of the building.

Environmentally friendly plates do not make the walls heavier, as they have a small mass. They perfectly protect surfaces from moisture and mechanical influences, as well as from the penetration of radio emissions into the house, and have a number of other attractive advantages. However, the cost of such facing materials is quite high, so not every owner can afford such a finish.

Installation of panels "under the brick" on the wall

If the wall surface is sufficiently flat, then the panels can be fixed to it without installing a frame structure. Lightweight PVC boards are glued to a cleaned and primed surface using one of the polymer adhesives. For example, "liquid nails" are well suited for this.

Finishing panels based on MDF have a much greater weight, therefore, in addition to glue, they are fixed on the wall with dowels in four to five places.

Fiberglass panels can be fixed to a flat wall with cement-based tile adhesive.

In the event that the wall surfaces have significant distortions, they are corrected by fixing the frame structure, consisting of metal guides or wooden beams, set exactly in the desired plane according to the building level. Some manufacturers make special subsystems for their products, mounted on a wall or on an installed frame. In this case, panels are hung on special elements of subsystems.

Subsystems can have different designs, therefore, when purchasing cladding plates and their fastening systems, it is necessary to check compatibility and the presence of the attached installation instructions.

It is clear that if it is planned to mount the panels on a subsystem, the frame elements must be located in accordance with the feature of this model.

The simplest type of fastening is plastic panels made according to the principle of siding construction. They have a special perforated mounting plate in the upper part, through the holes of which the plate is fixed on the wall or frame. In this case, horizontal elements of the crate are fixed to the wall surface, at a distance of the visible part of the slab.

Facing brick prices

facing brick

Installation of any cladding panels starts from the bottom of the wall, usually from the corner elements.

Homemade options for decorating walls under brickwork

If you want to save money by making an imitation of brickwork on one of the walls of an apartment or house with your own hands, you can use the original techniques developed by craftsmen.

There are several options that do not require special costs for the purchase of facing plates or panels, and also do not create any particular difficulties in installation:

• Independent production of tiles from expanded polystyrene with a thickness of 10 ÷ 12 mm. For this purpose, it is recommended to use extruded material with higher performance than conventional white foam.
• Creating a brickwork relief using a stencil.
• Reproduction of the desired pattern on the wall using masking tape.

Tile "under the brick" of expanded polystyrene

If it is planned to use the process of melting the edges of the foam plastic in the manufacture of tiles, then work should be carried out outdoors, protecting the respiratory tract with a respirator, since this material is combustible, and when burned and melted, it releases toxic substances.

• The first step on the prepared leveled and primed wall surface, with the help of a ruler, a plumb line, a building level and a simple pencil, is the marking of the “brickwork”. The wall is drawn into horizontal stripes and vertical partitions, which determine the size of the brick and the seams between them and the masonry rows.
• The second step is to mark the expanded polystyrene sheet into tiles of the selected size.

• Then the material is cut into individual elements with a clerical knife. The number of such blocks should correspond to the number of bricks required to decorate a certain section of the wall on which the markup was made.

• Further, in order to achieve the most reliable brick imitation effect, you need to work on the resulting tile - this can be done in different ways. Its surface is treated with sandpaper in different or one direction, with a knife or other sharp instrument, notches and grooves are made on it. You can also use a heated soldering iron for this purpose.

Another option is to melt the edges and outside of the tile with a regular lighter or burner. In this case, the front surface acquires soft smoothed shapes.

• After painting the tile in the selected color, its relief will be more pronounced. The application of paint can be done before the installation of the tiles or after the wall cladding is fully completed.

Coloring can be done with a brush or by spraying the coloring composition from a cylinder. The main thing is that the paint does not cause the dissolution or softening of expanded polystyrene - it is better not to experiment with organic-based compositions, preferring water-soluble ones.

• Styrofoam tiles are laid according to wall markings using liquid nails glue, which is applied to the back surface with three points 3 ÷ 4 mm thick.
• The final step will be the design of the seams between the bricks and rows.
• It should be noted that if the design does not provide for the selection of tile joints in a different color, then the lining can be painted even after the grout solution has dried.

Imitation of brickwork using a stencil

In order to make an imitation of brickwork using a stencil, you will need a cement-based mortar. It is best to purchase it in the form of a ready-made dry mortar for plastering, as it already has all the necessary additives that make it plastic and easy to work with.

The solution can be made independently from two materials - a plaster and adhesive cement mixture, which are taken in 1: 1 proportions. To increase the plasticity of the solution, add a tablespoon of liquid detergent to 5 kg of the finished mixture.

• The wall must be well cleaned, primed and dried.
• The solution can be applied to its surface with a wide spatula or simply with a rubber-gloved hand. The thickness of the applied layer should be equal to the thickness of the stencil strips. This moment will depend on what surface the brick should have - smooth or rough.
• Further, so that the stencil does not have “stickiness” with a layer of applied solution and is easily separated from it, it should be moistened with water - this can be done with a sponge or a damp cloth. If the stencil is made of rubber, then you can simply dip it into a basin of water, but in this case you need to wait until its excess stacks, otherwise excess moisture can ruin the whole job.
• After that, the stencil is pressed against the applied fresh plaster and gently pressed, so that the relief of the brickwork remains on it.
• Further, the stencil is removed and applied further, next to the freshly pressed relief. Here you need to try and attach it so that the masonry is even, and its horizontal seams do not skew.
• When the relief is applied to the entire surface, it is left to dry completely.
• After drying, the wall should be completely covered with one color - usually light shades are chosen for this, since it will be easiest to apply any color on them, as well as highlight with a dark shade or leave all the masonry seams light.

Painting imitation brickwork is already a creative process, so you can afford various fantasies. In this case, of course, it must be borne in mind that the chosen color will set the mood for the entire interior of the room.

Creating a brickwork relief using plaster and masking tape

For this technology of reproducing brickwork imitation on the wall, the composition of the cement plaster mortar and masking tape already mentioned above will be required. Some masters even use electrical tape, however, it sticks worse to the wall, and high-quality masking tape has excellent adhesion to any surface.

The width of the tape should be no more than 14 mm, and if you could not find an adhesive tape of this width, you will have to buy a wider one and carefully cut it right in the skein along the width in two. If its edges are not perfectly even, this is not at all scary, since this factor will not affect the accuracy of the relief, but rather, it will play into the hands.

• The first step is the prepared surface of the wall to be lined under the brickwork.

• Further, masking tape is glued along all the marked lines on the wall. It should be fixed in such a way that the edges of the horizontal segments of the adhesive tape extend beyond the edges of the surface being formed, and the solution should not be applied to them, and the vertical segments should be well glued to the horizontal ones, always on top of them.
• Then, on the surface of the wall, over the pasted lattice of adhesive tape, using a wide spatula, a solution is applied, with a layer thickness of 5 ÷ 6 mm - the height of the relief will depend on this parameter. Do not apply too thick a layer, otherwise you will have to cover the seams with grout.
• After applying the solution completely to the entire wall, it can be walked over with a wet rubber glove to create a surface texture. If you plan to leave the surface of the “bricks” even, then you should not touch the mortar layer.

• The most interesting stage in this method of imitating brickwork is the removal of masking tape, since after this operation the relief of the wall will be immediately visible. Several strips of adhesive tape are picked up from one of the free sides and begin to gently unstick from the wall, and as a result, seams between the “brick tiles” are formed in place of the peeled off tape. After removing the tape from the entire surface, the wall must be left to dry completely.

• It is recommended to dry the wall before painting - this operation will make the surface more pliable for the next stage - painting, as the paint will lie on the surface evenly and will not be absorbed into the plaster layer. What shades to choose for the wall - it already depends on the preference of the master.

Video: How to imitate brickwork with plaster and masking tape

From all of the above, we can conclude that the construction market has an overabundance of various materials that ideally imitate brickwork or other stone surfaces. Sometimes the quality of the imitation is such that, when finished, it cannot be distinguished from real brick in terms of texture and color. Well, if the finished tiles or panels do not fit into the family budget in any way, then it is quite possible to use one of the more economical methods and decorate the wall using affordable materials for this.