The internal wall cladding is one of the most important stages in the implementation of any design project of a room, since it is from it that cosiness and warmth in the home depend. It can be made using a wide variety of building technologies and materials, however, stucco under a brick, the photo of which looks very realistic and amazing, has been the most popular recently. This facing option is environmentally friendly, beautiful and requires relatively small financial costs. Today, quite a lot of owners of private houses or apartments lay out plaster under a brick with their own hands. This is absolutely nothing complicated, the most important thing is to adhere to certain instructions and observe safety precautions.
The main varieties of finishes
Nowadays, the interior decoration of the room, imitating a natural brick wall, can be done using the following materials:
- classic bricks;
- finishing bricks;
- Wallpaper with the corresponding pattern;
- ceramic decoration materials imitating bricks;
- by means of decorative plaster.
It is worth noting that working with some finishing materials requires certain technologies and may require preliminary preparation of the walls. Decorative stucco under a brick, the imitation of brickwork of which looks very believable, should be applied exclusively to aligned walls.
If the finish is done with ordinary brick, the materials should be planted in cement or gypsum mortar, since only they can ensure the durability of the finish. In addition, you can use modern building mixtures, which have excellent reliability and durability, but their cost is quite high, which will lead to a rise in the cost of the design project.
Preparing walls for decorating
Before answering the question of how to make stucco for brick, you must first talk about the preparatory phase. This is a very important stage with which any decoration of the walls in the room begins.
Before applying the facing material to the walls, they must be cleaned from wallpaper and plaster, as well as cement cracks, potholes, and any other defects that will be found on the surface with a cement mortar. Then they are passed through them with a special primer of deep penetration, which will provide better adhesion of the finishing material.
It is worth noting that if you plan to carry out repairs in a new building, then you should do this at least 12 months after the construction of the house, since the walls will shrink, and all your efforts will simply go down the drain.
What tools will be needed for finishing work?
In order for the decorative brick stucco to turn out to be of high quality, all the work was done quickly and the final result fully met your expectations, you will need to prepare the required set of tools, which includes:
- container for mixing mortar;
- painting and plaster mesh;
- Master OK;
- building level;
- set of spatulas;
- chopping cord;
- krepp;
- electric drill with a nozzle for mixing cement.
If the flooring has already been laid in the room, then in order not to soil or damage it, the floor should be covered with polyethylene.
Wall Cladding Process: Walkthrough
Applying decorative plaster under a brick, the imitation of a brick wall of which will create a unique atmosphere in the room, is a rather laborious process that requires knowledge of certain technologies and experience in performing similar work. However, do not despair ahead of time, since all the steps of wall cladding will be discussed in detail below, so even the person who is the most distant from construction will be able to independently realize any design project in his home.
Drawing a marking on walls
Markup is one of the most important stages on which the success of an entire undertaking depends. It is mandatory even if imitation of stucco under a brick will be performed not for the whole room, but on a separate section of the wall. To simplify the process of performing work, the area to be revetted is first glued with crepe, after which outlines of future bricks are drawn with a pencil on the wall.
Priming walls
The primer not only contributes to a better fit of the finishing materials to the wall, but also prevents the formation of cracks and other effects on it, which can subsequently lead to deformation of the decorative surface and delamination of the finishing materials. For priming walls, it is necessary to use deep penetration building mixtures , among which an acrylic primer is considered the best option. It is best to apply it with an ordinary roller, which can be purchased at any hardware store, and to apply a primer in hard-to-reach places, you can use a brush.
Stucco wall
For the mixture to turn out to be of high quality, you will need gypsum plaster for brick and water. During the cooking process, the proportions indicated by the manufacturer should be strictly adhered to. If you pour too much water into the mixture, it will turn out to be very liquid and will not stick to the wall. To give greater realism to the mixture, you need to add a special dye.
If you are finishing a brick wall, then after completing all the work you will not need to create relief, since the plaster will completely repeat and preserve the outlines of the brick. As a result, you get the perfect surface.
The solution should be applied to the wall using a wide spatula, on which the solution is applied with a smaller tool and is evenly distributed over the entire plane of the spatula. The solution should be smoothly and leisurely spread on the wall, not trying to achieve perfect smoothness.
Decorative stucco under a brick, the imitation of which will look just great, can be from 5 millimeters to two centimeters thick and should be applied in several layers, each of which should be applied before the previous one has completely dried.
Creating a decorative pattern
When the stucco under the brick is applied on the wall with your own hands, you can begin to create a decorative pattern. A knitting needle is usually used for this, since it allows you to create very neat grooves that mimic the distance between bricks. However, any sharp object that is at your disposal is perfect.
It is not necessary to try to make the lines perfectly straight. To give the interior more uniqueness, you can make bricks of various sizes, as well as give the wall a small texture.
Final stage
In order for the brick plaster to get a finished and original appearance, after completing the decorative pattern on the wall, you need to lightly walk with an emery cloth. So it will become slightly rough and will be as similar as possible to a real brick wall.
When the plaster is completely dry, you can begin to paint the surface. What color to use in this case is a purely individual solution, however professional interior designers recommend using shades that are most similar to natural brick. In addition, various non-standard tones, which will give a small and original texture, can be an excellent solution.
Solution Tips
In order for brick plaster to turn out to be of high quality and durable, it is not enough to buy the most expensive materials. It is very important to properly prepare the solution. Nowadays, there are several varieties that are used when performing internal and external finishing work. Here are the most common ones:
- cement-sand: both components are mixed in a ratio of 1 to 3;
- calcareous: 1 part of lime and four parts of sand are taken;
- clay;
- gypsum.
The choice of solution is based on the specific conditions in your home. To obtain a
homogeneous mixture, it is recommended to knead it with an electric drill and a special nozzle. Stir until all lumps disappear. To increase the performance of the plaster, special plasticizers can be added to its composition, which will give the mixture high resistance to moisture, temperature extremes and other environmental influences.
It is worth noting that a large number of modern mixtures can be found on sale, in the composition of which all the necessary additives are already present. To prepare them, you just need to add the right amount of water, indicated in the instructions.
General tips and tricks
In order for the design of the room to turn out to be high-quality and durable, stucco under a brick should be applied in several approaches. The first is a mixture intended for starting work, which helps to level the walls and eliminate various defects. If the walls in your house are in poor condition and there are numerous cracks of various depths on them, then before applying the starting plaster they should be pre-repaired with building glue or special sealants based on acrylic. It will be useful to perform surface treatment with special antiseptic agents, which will avoid the formation of mold and fungus under the finishing materials.
To increase the strength of the walls, before applying the plaster, it is necessary to lay the reinforcing mesh on a small layer of cement mortar. This will be especially true in the corners of the room and window openings. The reinforcing mesh will prevent the growth of old and the formation of new cracks even if the house shrinks over time.
After the drying of the starting layer, which usually takes several days, it will be possible to apply the finishing plaster. At this stage, you can give free rein to imagination and try various options for decorative drawings that mimic a brick wall, as well as experiment with the texture of the surface of the walls and choose the perfect one for your interior. Decorative plaster will be an excellent decoration for any room.