How to install brick veneer exterior

Lay your tarps out, lay your brick veneers out, and get all tools ready to go in one area. When you measure your space you will decide exactly how you will lay the bricks.

You will need to measure and space the bricks accordingly to not end up with an awkward small piece at the bottom of your wall. Make sure you are utilizing both full and half bricks. It helps mark the heights of the brick veneers with a pencil so that you know exactly where you will need to place each brick. For installation, you will be using wall mortar, which is sometimes called wall butter.

You will need to use a notched trowel to put thin set mortar on the wall and brick veneers. This process is called double buttering. Some people choose to single butter, meaning they only place mortar on the brick or the wall. You add mortar to each break in order to create what is known as mortar joints. Typically on the exterior or commercial projects, you want to double butter, so there are no spaces between the veneer brick and placing it.

You should first start by applying mortar on the foundation ledge. This is where you will first start laying the first course of bricks, which also create weep holes responsible for letting moisture escape. Bricks should always be spaced out from top to bottom to set your heights otherwise known as "coursing" and then laid in horizontal rows based on preference. Left-handed installers typically enjoy starting from the left, while right-handed installers from the right side.

Once the bricks are installed and have "cured" or dried for at least 12 hours, you are ready to start the grouting process. Typically you install grout in two ways, floated or grout bagged. A pro-tip when installing floated grout is to pre-seal the bricks using a clear sealer you can find this at any building supply company and a pump sprayer. This action will help minimize the amount of staining or "haze" o the bricks.

Float installed grout is floated using the rubber float and then sponged clean off the brick veneers, leaving a fully grouted joint. This process is easier for beginners and leaves the grout joint sandy and textured. If you are feeling up for the challenge, you can install a grout bagged joint. At the same time, brick siding provides the same low maintenance and weather-resistance as solid brick as well as brick's distinctive look of quality and craftsmanship.

Above all, building framed wall with brick siding is much less expensive than solid-brick construction. There are two broad categories of brick veneer. Traditional brick siding consists of full-size bricks that are laid with mortar and tied to the framed wall with anchor ties. The bricks are laid in similar patterns to those used for solid brick construction, so it has a similar structural look. However, brick siding is merely a single layer and does not provide any structural support for the wall.

The other category of brick veneer is often called thin brick or brick tile. Thin brick siding also installs like ceramic tile: It is glued to the wall surface with adhesive or thinset mortar.

After all the brick is in place, the installer goes back and fills in the spaces between the bricks with mortar or grout to simulate real mortar joints. These steps outline installing traditional brick veneer. Installing thin brick or brick tile is a different process, similar to that of installing ceramic tile or a brick backsplash.

Brick veneer made with full-size brick is laid on top of a ledge built into the concrete foundation walls or concrete footings. The base of the wall must be flashed to prevent moisture from getting behind the brick. The framed wall behind the brick is covered with special sheathing or insulation or with standard plywood sheathing and building paper.

Typically, there is a 1-inch air gap between the framed wall and the brick veneer. To install brick veneer, the mason starts by troweling mortar onto the foundation ledge to prepare it to receive the first course of brick.

Leads are installed at the ends of the wall to establish wall planes and the desired height. It is also very important to level the first course so that the following courses remain level. As the first course a brick is laid, weep holes are created above the metal flashing. These allow water to escape from the wall and typically are installed between 18 and 24 inches apart.

The brick can be laid in a variety of traditional patterns, such as running bond, common bond, stacked bond, etc. Mortar is applied to each brick to create the mortar joints, and the joints are tooled periodically to give them a finished shape and properly seal them for weather-resistance.

The residual mortar is removed by scrubbing the wall surface with a brush. As the veneer goes up, the brick structure is anchored to the sheathing with metal wall ties, or brick anchors. These are commonly L-shaped pieces of corrugated metal nailed through the sheathing and into the wall studs. Anchors are installed every four courses and spaced every 2 feet apart horizontally.