For many decades, the facade of a house under a brick has been quite popular and popular. In this case, even at the first glance at such housing, you can learn a lot not only about the taste of the owners, but also about their preferences and lifestyle.
The facades of brick houses (photos can be seen below) attract attention with their color and monumentality. Moreover, such a facing is very beneficial. The fact is that it is much cheaper to clad a building with brick than to build it from this material, because in this case, among other things, you will have to bear the costs due to the high labor costs of construction work.
Facing the facade of a house with a brick has sophisticated technology. Its implementation will require strict adherence to geometry. This is the only way to avoid the destruction of the facade.
In modern construction, brick cladding of the exterior walls of the house is carried out using various types of materials. At the same time, such a facade is an excellent solution to three problems at once - to strengthen housing, to warm it and to give it an attractive appearance. In addition, the facade of a brick house is the subject of admiration for acquaintances and friends.
General information
The ventilated brick facade of the house is a great option for the exterior design of the home, as well as providing it with additional energy efficiency. In addition, such an idea is able to add a little area to the internal space due to the removal of insulation on the external walls of the building.
Brick facade decoration has many advantages. Among them:
- reducing the cost of heating a house by increasing its energy efficiency;
- high speed of installation work;
- the persistence of the design of the facade of light brick due to the lack of the likelihood of salt stains on it;
- the possibility of year-round performance of work;
- the absence of cold bridges in the areas of interfloor overlapping;
- providing a comfortable indoor microclimate in the premises of the house.
Varieties of facing bricks
The material that is used to equip the facades of buildings is called differently. We know him as facing, front and front. It is necessary not only for aesthetic purposes. The facade of the house takes on any environmental impact. That is why the material from which it is made must have special characteristics.
What products are used to decorate the facade of a brick house? These are its special types, differing among themselves by the method of production, composition, and also operational characteristics. On their list are ceramic and silicate bricks, as well as clinker and hyper-pressed. Material is produced whose shape is different from rectangular. Such a brick is called shaped. Consider all types of this material in more detail.
Ceramic brick
On sale you can find two types of this product. Ceramic decorative bricks can be solid and hollow. Manufacturers produce such material with a matte and glazed surface, using only the highest grades of clay in the production, which provides the finished product with excellent quality and a wonderful appearance. Ceramic brick has certain advantages. Among them:
- Strength. This indicator is achieved due to the small volume of porosity. Due to the strength of the material, the ceramic brick masonry is not only durable, but also resistant to the vagaries of the weather.
- Frost resistance. This property is especially relevant for housing located in a cold climate zone. Frost resistance along with strength is the main indicator of the durability of bricks.
- Diversity. Modern manufacturers have launched the production of ceramic bricks of various colors, shapes and textures. This diversity allows you to erect facades, giving housing a look of old buildings.
Cons of the material can be considered:
- high cost due to multi-stage processing;
- color differences of different parties;
- high exactingness to the solution, because otherwise, plaque may appear on the facade - efflorescence arising from the evaporation of mineral salts.
Silicate brick
This material is considered the most budget and simple. Moreover, it has good thermal insulation properties and perfectly protects the facade from moisture and damage, as well as from the influence of temperature changes.
Very often this brick is used to clad the facade of the house. This material is especially popular for private homes. And all this thanks to the following:
- Environmental friendliness. The constituent components of silicate brick are lime and sand. That is, natural raw materials that are safe for human health.
- Frost resistance and durability. These are very important qualities for the decoration of the facade, the guarantee of which reaches 50 years.
- Wide assortment. To perform the lining of the external walls of buildings, manufacturers produce textured and colored silicate brick. Its various tones are obtained after the addition of artificial dyes.
A significant drawback of silicate brick is its low threshold of heat and water resistance. In this regard, there is a ban on its use in facing the foundation, as well as chimneys.
Brick brick
This is one of the best materials used for facade cladding. In the manufacture of clinker bricks, manufacturers use a unique technology with a special type of clay. The brick is fired in a furnace at a temperature exceeding 1000 degrees.
Among the advantages of this product are:
- Strength. The material is so resistant to abrasion that this characteristic exceeds high-quality concrete.
- Durability. The guarantee of maintaining the quality of the cladding provides for its use for 100 years.
- Moisture absorption. Clinker brick is able to absorb only 8% of water. Such a low indicator is achieved due to the conditions created during its firing.
- Frost resistance. The material is designed for 250-300 thawing and freezing cycles.
- Decorative qualities. In the process of brick production, the manufacturer introduces additives into the clay. This allows you to produce products in a wide range of colors, ranging from beige and yellow tones and ending with dark brown.
Among the minuses of the facing brick for the facade of the house noted:
- significant thermal conductivity;
- masonry features that require special skills in connection with the gradual absorption of moisture by the brick and its slow adhesion to the solution;
- color difference, which causes difficulties in the distribution of material on the wall;
- the need for a special, more expensive solution.
Hyper pressed brick
This material is a type of artificial stone. It is made of limestone, cement and crushed waste marble, dolomite and shell rock. Hyperpressed brick has high strength, and therefore finds its application in decorating not only house facades, but also fences, arbors, as well as for arranging garden paths.
Among the advantages of this material are:
- Strength and correct geometry. In these parameters, it exceeds the performance of ceramic and silicate products.
- Convenience during installation. The facade of the house under a brick with this material can be made not only in parallel with the construction of walls, but also after completion of construction.
- Suitability for facing. The material has a variety of colors and a huge assortment of shaped products. It is easy to cut and hardy, and also has low water absorption (only 5-6%). The front faces of these products have chips that perfectly imitate natural stone.
- The strength of the masonry. This indicator in hyper-pressed brick is 1.5 times higher than in ceramic. This becomes possible due to the improved quality of the setting of the product.
- Durability. The warranty on the use of masonry made from these products is 150-200 years.
Cladding options
Brick building facades (photo provided below) can be very different. But in any case, it will give the structure individual features.
Designers and architects use different types of decorative masonry when creating their projects, the main technique of which is color highlighting. All combinations of shades and textures are divided into two types:
- Color Stitching. For decorating the facades of private houses with brick, it can be used both in one and in different colors. To it, it is mandatory to select a masonry mixture having the appropriate color (or suitable in tone or contrast).
- Use of facing material of several textures and colors. This method of building facades of private houses made of brick allows you to highlight the various elements of the building and emphasize its main lines.
Which cladding option is preferable? When choosing it, you should rely on the following recommendations:
- focus on the architectural style of the house;
- to consider the possibility of applying a rather spectacular technique, which provides for the allocation of a certain color of windows and corners, that is, the main facade elements;
- To maintain the attractiveness of the building, to carry out its entrance group, walkway and fence with gates in a single architectural style.
Facing wooden structures
The facade of a brick house is often sought by the owners of a dwelling constructed from a log or timber. This method allows not only to decorate the structure, but also to significantly increase its life. After carrying out such work, the house will acquire a solid appearance and become more solid. And another important factor is that its value in the real estate market will increase.
Consider the implementation of the facade of a brick one-story house. All work on this cladding will consist of three stages:
- Preliminary preparation at home. The owner needs to make sure that his structure is able to withstand additional weight. To do this, you need to inspect the structure and check the quality of the floors. If there are cracks in the beams, as well as traces of mold and other damages on them, the wooden parts should be replaced with new elements. After this, the facade should be treated with antiseptic impregnation, as well as a means of slowing down combustion (flame retardant).
- Wall insulation. This stage of work is performed at the request of the owner. The most popular material for facade insulation is mineral wool. This material will not interfere with air circulation and will allow the wooden walls to "breathe", which will extend their life.
- Facing work. At this stage of the construction of the facade, masonry is made of clay or silicate bricks. Its distance from the wall of the house should be 5 cm. For strength, the masonry is fixed with galvanized pins.
Arrangement of cladding for brick or stone structures
Carrying out installation work on the construction of the facade of such houses has its own characteristics. Among them:
- Warming. For buildings, the walls of which are built of brick and stone, a material is used that does not allow air to pass through well (for example, polystyrene foam). When performing insulation using glass wool, you will need to additionally stretch the membrane film. The heat-insulating material is fixed to the wall using plate-shaped dowels.
- Facing. When performing masonry from facade brick, it is connected to the insulation. In this case, self-tapping screws on plate-shaped dowels are used.
Brick finish
What should the owners do, who want to decorate the facade of their house, but do not have sufficient financial resources and time? In this case, materials will come to their aid with the help of which it will be possible to imitate brickwork. These products are:
- facade tiles or panels with the corresponding pattern;
- brick siding;
- clinker tile.
All the materials listed above are convenient and practical in care and operation. They are used to decorate the walls of the facade and socles. They also decorate openings and other elements.
Modern manufacturers offer a wide selection of materials having a variety of sizes and shapes. All of them allow you to create such a brick look of the house, which is difficult to distinguish from the present.
Facade Styles
Brick has been used as a building and facing material for more than one century. For many years, its application has contributed to the creation of many styles and ways of decorating buildings. The main areas that can be traced in the decoration of modern houses are:
- English style. It is used in the arrangement of facades of red brick houses. However, it should be borne in mind that brown material will also not be a violation of the canons. The characteristic features of the English style are forms that are clear in their geometry, restraint in decor and palette, as well as accurate proportions with the presence of a neat little porch. The difference of the image is the lack of a basement with an indispensable component in the form of an attic.
- Gothic style. Its use for a country cottage can radically transform the house. It will immediately turn into a personal fortress. But unlike medieval castles, such a dwelling will have all the amenities. The Gothic style is characterized by strict lines of the facade, lined with bricks. The presence of forged elements is also mandatory. Such facades of houses made of different bricks are being made. But the coarser the facing material, the more brutal the structure will look. To achieve a special effect, the colors of the finish and the roof should be contrasted.
- Provence or country. These styles are characterized by features that indicate free country life, but at the same time such houses look quite elegant and comfortable. When decorating brick facades in this case, plaster and wood are often used. The color of the material may vary. But traditionally for the style of Provence, gray, white and bluish tones are selected. The facade for the country is made of bricks of warm colors - from pale beige to rich curry.
- European style. It combines the traditions of the peoples of the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Germany. As a rule, the facades of houses made in the European style have a combination of half-timbered houses (medieval technologies) with brick, plaster and stone. Most often, materials of light colors are used for this style.