Features and manufacture of imitation bricks for interior decoration

Brick is a fairly popular finishing material and is harmoniously combined with many interiors. However, the use of a real stone is not always possible for a number of technical and material reasons.

Imitation brickwork has obvious advantages over natural brick. First of all, this is a significant saving of time and money. Ceramic and clinker bricks are quite expensive materials and wall decoration made with their help will be quite expensive. In addition, when forming brickwork, it is necessary to use a cement mortar, which significantly increases the cost of repairs and leads to the formation of a large amount of dirt and dust.

An equally important advantage of imitation "like a brick" is the absence of load on the foundation. For the decoration of "brick" surfaces, as a rule, light and thin materials are used, the presence of which does not affect the load-bearing wall in any way and does not make the structure heavier.

Imitation of brickwork is carried out using different methods using modern materials. Many decorative cladding options do not require building skills and can be done by hand, while work with real bricks should only be done by professionals. The simplest and most affordable finishing option is ready-made coatings with a brick pattern already applied to their surface. They just need to be cut to size and glued. Such materials include wallpaper and wall panels.

Brick-like wallpaper has a convex texture that completely repeats the relief of brickwork. This option is the fastest and most inexpensive way to transform a room. "Brick" wallpaper looks good in kitchens, hallways, corridors and halls. The high decorative properties of the material are due to the use of modern technologies, thanks to which it became possible to very accurately simulate the roughness and flaws of real bricks. Wallpaper is an ideal solution for finishing small-sized rooms: despite the relief, they remain the thinnest finishing material and do not reduce the space by a centimeter.

To give the volumetric masonry a more natural look, designers are advised to combine wallpaper with plaster bricks. Usually, corners and doorways are trimmed with plaster, which, in combination with the bricks on the wallpaper, looks very harmonious. The advantages of such a finish include good ventilation of the wallpaper, thanks to which the wall has the ability to breathe. There is a minimum amount of dust and debris during installation, as well as the environmental friendliness of the material. The disadvantages include low water resistance and a tendency to accumulate dust between the "bricks".This imposes certain restrictions on the use of wallpaper and does not allow their use in bathrooms and kitchens.

Brick-like wall construction panels are sheet finishing material with a relief texture applied to it. The panels are available in two versions. The first type is presented by plastic models made of PVC, and can withstand conditions of high humidity and high temperatures. The second are MDF sheets, for the production of which wood chips pressed under high pressure are used.

Sheet panels are produced in standard dimensions of 244x122x0.6 and 320x244x0.6 cm, and, if necessary, are cut to the required size. In addition, they are lightweight and create a minimum weight load on the supporting structures. Fastening sheets to walls is carried out using nails, screws and self-tapping screws, and installation is carried out in two ways. In the first case, the models are mounted directly on the wall, and in the second they require the arrangement of the lathing.

The advantages of the panels include impeccable appearance and long service life. The imitation of bricks on their surface is so natural that from some distance it is taken for real masonry. The undoubted advantage of using sheet material is its excellent soundproofing properties. This allows you to slightly reduce the audibility of neighboring rooms, which is especially important for homeowners in panel houses.

Also, the advantages of building panels include resistance to acids and alkalis, no risk of mold and mildew, and ease of maintenance. The panels are sufficiently maintainable, which makes it easy to replace a damaged element without dismantling the entire cladding. In addition, the material has a low cost and is available in a wide range of colors, designs and textures.

The next group of materials is distinguished by high decorative qualities, and, in contrast to wallpaper and building panels, has a stronger resemblance to brickwork. These materials include tiles, decorative plaster and plaster.

Tiles imitating decorative bricks are a practical and inexpensive material. The products are lightweight and do not significantly load the foundation. The materials for the manufacture of brick-like tiles are gypsum, refractory clay and artificial or natural stone. Plaster and clinker models are more used for interior decoration, while stone products have found widespread use in outdoor cladding.

Clinker tiles are the most popular finishing material and are distinguished by their high strength and full identity with ceramic bricks. This is explained by the fact that in terms of its composition and production technology, clinker tiles are real clinker bricks, with the only difference that the width of a standard brick is 12 cm, and the width of the tile is 10 mm. Along with traditional models, there are products of the so-called "hand-molded", which have a rough surface with potholes and allow to form "antique" masonry.The edges of such a tile are uneven and slightly chipped, which gives the products a great resemblance to the material of a century ago.

Gypsum tile is the most budgetary and environmentally friendly finishing option. Gypsum is characterized by low weight, wide consumer availability and ease of installation. Thanks to the simple manufacturing process, tiles can be made on their own using plaster of paris and a special silicone mold. The material is well suited for spot mounting when it is necessary to decorate a fireplace wall or an area near a doorway.

In such cases, the walls are decorated with individual bricks or combinations of several pieces. Tiles made of natural or artificial stone are more often used for exterior decoration of facades, however, in the interiors of fireplace zones and halls of public spaces, the material looks quite good.

The advantages of brick-like facing tiles are considered to be excellent thermal insulation properties, which is explained by the high porosity and low thermal conductivity of the products. In addition, the material quite naturally imitates a real brick, and in the case of clinker models, it is generally indistinguishable from the prototype. The pluses include a wide assortment, represented by a wide variety of textures and shades, as well as excellent performance characteristics of the tile and its long service life.

Among the minuses, the increased water absorption of the material is noted, which is explained by the high porosity and imposes a number of restrictions on its use. For example, unglazed models are not recommended for use in kitchens and bathrooms: tiles absorb moisture very quickly and begin to fall off.

Brick veneers are a type of facing tiles and are represented by individual elements made of plastic, wood, leather, glass and expanded polystyrene. These "bricks" are sold individually and are ideal for spot decoration of small interior areas or individual sections of the wall. "Bricks" are very lightweight, so they can be attached directly to the wall using glue. To give the masonry an “antique” effect, the elements are given a natural wear and jaggedness.

Decorative plaster is an effective facing material and is widely used to imitate brickwork in interior wall decoration. The advantages of this type of cladding are a wide variety of textures and shades, easy installation, long service life and high heat and sound insulation properties of the coating.

However, like any other material, plaster has its weaknesses. These include the tendency of the decorative layer to accumulate dust and the exactingness of the working surface during installation. During the preparatory work, the walls must be leveled and putty, otherwise even minor defects will be clearly visible on the coating, and the appearance of the wall will be damaged.

Plaster imitation brick is the most affordable way to decorate. Working with plaster does not require professional skills and the use of special equipment.To create an imitation of brickwork, you just need to apply a plaster mortar to the wall and draw lines with your finger that define the boundaries of the "bricks". Then the recesses need to be wiped with cement mortar, and the "bricks" themselves must be painted in the desired color.

The advantages of the method are the low cost of consumables and the possibility of implementing bold color solutions. The disadvantages include the need for too long and painstaking work, which consists in thoroughly greasing the seams and painting each "brick".

The following three methods of wall cladding involve the independent production of bricks and allow you to decorate a room in a cheap and stylish way. The easiest way to finish is to paint the wall "like a brick". To do this, it is enough to have a leveled surface, a roller, a brush and paints. The best option for painting walls is elastomeric paint, which is due to its ability to fill all small cracks and protect the surface from moisture.

However, in its absence, it is allowed to use acrylic enamel, and in extreme cases - water-based enamel. The color of the brickwork is chosen in accordance with the general style of the room, but it is better to give preference to the natural colors of the brick - red, brown and yellow. However, bright and eccentric colors are more suitable for a loft-style interior, while calm pastel colors will be more appropriate for country.

The second method of imitation of brickwork involves the independent production of facing bricks from foam. This option will be ideal when displaying an uneven frame. Foam bricks are practically weightless and can be easily mounted on thin partitions and non-capital walls. So, for facing plasterboard interior partitions, polystyrene foam will be just a godsend. In addition to the decorative function, the material will act as a heat and sound insulator and will reliably protect the room from heat loss and extraneous noise.

Making bricks is a very simple process and does not take much time. To do this, you just need to draw identical rectangles on a sheet of polystyrene and cut them out with a clerical knife. Then the blanks need to be glued to the wall, then painted with acrylic paint and smeared with "seams". If the foam is not at hand, then you can use the foam ceiling tiles. Such "bricks" do not crumble during cutting and look much neater.

Likewise, you can make drywall or wood bricks. These models will look good in the interior decoration of country houses when they decorate doorways and inter-window spaces. The advantages of foam bricks include minimal cash costs and ease of manufacture. The downside is the fact that the foam masonry does not imitate real brick very well and looks rather primitive.

The third method of decorating walls "like a brick" is represented by a corrugated board finish and is the cheapest option of all those mentioned. Corrugated cardboard is the material used in the manufacture of boxes for food and household appliances. Usually, it is stored in the backyards of retail chains and stores, which allows you to get such a box completely free of charge and minimize repair costs.

In order to make bricks, you need to disassemble the box, draw it into rectangles and cut out the blanks.Then the fragments need to be glued together, forming "bricks" of a certain thickness. Cardboard, of course, will not provide an absolute similarity to brickwork, and most likely it will not be possible to lay out a kitchen apron from it, but it is quite possible to implement unusual solutions and diversify the decor of the room.

Despite the fact that brickwork is a fairly popular type of decoration, it is not suitable for every room. The use of brick and its imitation looks good only in four styles: loft, country, hi-tech and English style. So, for loft-style apartments, clinker ceramic tiles in red tones are more suitable.

In order to soften some of the aggressiveness inherent in this direction, it is recommended to place natural wooden furniture in the room, lay bright carpets and place flowering indoor plants. However, with the choice of the latter, you need to be extremely careful and not use ivy and vines. This is due to the fact that climbing plants add a sense of abandonment to the room and lead to gloomy thoughts.

The next interior direction in which the use of brickwork is appropriate is country. Rooms decorated in this style no longer seem as gloomy as the loft, which is why it is often used to decorate bedrooms and living rooms. In addition, country-style rooms are often equipped with wood-burning fireplaces, against which textured bricks will look very dignified. The use of bricks is also appropriate in the high-tech style, which assumes the correct geometric shapes and proportions.

Also, brickwork is often used in rooms decorated in the English style. In such rooms, "brick" emphasis is placed on the corners, the backsplash and the fireplace area. Brick looks good when decorating residential attics and attics, where, when combined with a coating such as corrugated board, it can be used for techno and metal styles. In addition, imitation brickwork can be used to decorate pillars and floor elements in attic spaces.

In whatever direction the room is decorated, it is very important that the brickwork is combined with interior items and furniture... Brick should be in harmony with plaster, wallpaper and lighting fixtures. Otherwise, the material will look like something foreign and the new finish will not give any pleasure.

The choice of finishing tool depends entirely on the method of cladding, as well as on the use of a particular material. In a universal set of tools and construction tools, it is necessary to ensure the presence of liquid nails, PVA glue, a ruler, a primer mixture, a marker, alcohol and a sponge. For the installation of clinker tiles, you will need a trowel and cement mortar, and when decorating walls with paint, you will need to stock up on a roller and a stencil.

Before you decorate the walls yourself, you must carefully prepare their surface. To do this, completely free the wall from protruding elements and remove the old coating. If there are potholes and chips on the base, then they are carefully covered with cement mortar and rubbed over.After the wall is leveled, it must be treated with an antiseptic and primed. Using antibacterial formulations will help prevent mold, mildew, and disease-causing bacteria.

When choosing a primer mixture, it should be borne in mind that it is advisable to use a different primer for each type of surface. So, when processing concrete and cement walls, an acrylic mixture is suitable, for applying to wooden surfaces it is better to use an alkyd composition, and glyphatic and perchlorovinyl agents will be ideal for metal and brick bases.

Acrylic compounds are a good base for homemade foam, wood and drywall bricks. In the absence of professional primers, you can use a solution of water and PVA glue. The priming of the walls is a very important stage of the cladding, so this procedure cannot be neglected. Otherwise, the adhesive properties of the surface will be reduced and reliable adhesion of the walls to the material cannot be achieved.

After the surface is leveled and primed, you can start installing the decorative coating. And if there are usually no problems with pasting wallpaper and installing panels, then when installing individual elements, be it clinker tiles or homemade foam bricks, care and accuracy must be observed. Imitation of brickwork should be carried out on a pre-marked surface, and the dimensions of cardboard or gypsum bricks should correspond to standard sizes.

Thus, the traditional length of clinker models is 25 cm, and the height is 6.5 cm. Observing the dimensions of the brick, as well as the likelihood of the execution of the joints, will help to achieve maximum similarity with real masonry. When using clinker tiles, a reinforcing mesh is often used, which provides better adhesion of the mortar to the wall and prevents the masonry from collapsing.

However, in addition to gluing and painting homemade bricks, there is a simple and affordable way to decorate, which consists in using the technique of drawing on raw plaster. To complete it, you need to apply a layer of any plaster mixture or putty up to 5 mm thick to the wall. Then you need to take a plastic or rubber stencil and press it to the surface.

In order for the stencil to peel off well from the plaster, it should be moistened with water before each application. When performing this technology, the most important thing is to strictly observe the coincidence of horizontal lines and try not to take the "masonry" up or down. After the "brick wall" is formed, the solution is allowed to dry, after which the surface is primed and waxed. The final stage will be painting the seams and the bricks themselves, which is best done with acrylic paints.

Imitation of brickwork looks very impressive in many areas of interior decoration. The correct choice of material and competent installation can revive any, even the most boring space, adding variety to the interior.

• Foam "bricks" in the hallway are stylish and inexpensive.
• Imitation of brick from decorative plaster in the interior of the living room.

• Decoration of the TV area with plasterboard masonry.
• Photo wallpaper in the kitchen is an example of a practical and fashionable interior design solution.

• The clinker tile surface is almost indistinguishable from a real brick wall.
• Drawn bricks look very cute and interesting.

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