Gypsum brick: features and application in the interior

In modern design, gypsum brick decoration is very popular. This material allows not only to save useful space, but also looks aesthetically pleasing, filling the space with an atmosphere of home comfort. Thanks to a huge selection of colors and textures, these panels are ideal for any style.

Gypsum brick is a unique building material with various shapes and structures. Today it is widely used for interior decoration, decorating both the entire surface and individual areas. The interior looks beautiful, in which there is a combination of brickwork with wallpaper and plaster.

The main advantages of this type of brick include the following points.

• Environmental friendliness. The material is made exclusively from natural ingredients, so it does not emit harmful substances and guarantees safe operation for human health.
• Affordable price. Unlike other materials, decorative gypsum bricks are cheaper. It is often chosen as a budget cladding of premises.
• Attractive look. The product is produced in various sizes and colors, it can have both smooth and embossed structure. This allows it to be used to implement any design ideas.
• Convenient installation. Plates are easily matched to different types of surfaces and installed in a simple way. It is quite possible to do such a cladding with your own hands, without resorting to the help of specialists.
• A light weight. Walls decorated with gypsum bricks do not deform.

The modern interior provides for finishing with natural materials, but they are often expensive, so many owners of apartments and country houses prefer artificial gypsum bricks. Such cladding is used to decorate not only the surface of the walls, but also door, window openings, staircases and arches. Due to the fact that the material is produced with a glossy, matte, embossed and flat surface, it can be used for any stylistic direction, from classic to modern.

At the moment, the following types of designs with plaster bricks are in fashion.

• Romance. For many, brickwork is associated with an uncomfortable and brutal environment that creates the impression of being on the street. But if you choose the right shade and texture of the brick, as well as carry out a beautiful layout of the rows, you can get an unusual and original interior. To fill the space with a romantic atmosphere, it is necessary to select delicate colors for finishing that would be combined with the colors of textiles and flooring. This design is characterized by beige, milky tones and good illumination, which provides a play of colors on the surface of the artificial stone. In addition, small figurines, vases with flowers and openwork curtains must be present in the decor.

• Pop Art. This style, as a rule, is liked by emotional and open personalities. In this case, contrasting tones should prevail in space. Bright upholstery of furniture and snow-white brick will perfectly complement each other. It looks interesting in the interior and the combination of yellow, green and white. You can enhance the textured play by using the rough texture of the finish with velor upholstery on sofas and armchairs.

• Gothic. Choosing this direction, it is not necessary to create a dull atmosphere of medieval castles in the room. It is enough to highlight individual fragments with the "old". A good solution would be multi-colored masonry panels. For example, a finish where black, milky and beige colors alternate will look beautiful. Wooden beams on the ceiling and furniture with a glossy surface will help to complement the design.

• Scandinavian style. Brickwork in this design is considered the main focus. It is recommended to decorate the walls with plates of natural colors, avoiding bright contrast. The rooms look great, the walls of which are faced with gray and black bricks. You can also use pastel shades. In order for everything to be harmoniously combined in the interior, you need to select the color of the surfaces to match the furniture and textiles. The austerity of the interior will help to hide additional decor items in the form of paintings, beautiful chandeliers and vases.

• Ethnicity. This is a rather interesting design, in which there is both light rigor and rich bright colors. In this case, ocher gypsum bricks must be combined with unusual ceramics, carpets and souvenirs brought from African and Asian countries. On the walls, you can make separate fragments laid out in the form of hieroglyphs or artifacts.

• Loft. Brick walls in this style are considered the main interior decoration. The space of the room should be free and not have partitions. It is recommended to decorate the decor with laconic objects, avoiding unnecessary decorations. It is advisable to lay out the surface with a plain gypsum brick with an uneven surface. Various colors of cladding are allowed, ranging from snow-white to bright sand and red.

Gypsum brick is very popular in interior decoration, but unlike its "brothers", it is in many ways inferior in performance, therefore it is recommended for rooms with normal temperature and humidity levels. You can decorate a beautiful interior with decorative material everywhere, but the most important thing is to choose the “right” place for it and follow the operating rules.

Designers most often use gypsum fragments in the hallway, decorating supporting structures with them. Decorative panels are also well suited for decorating a window, doorway, niches and arches. Gypsum brick of various textures and colors gives the design additional coziness and comfort, so it can be chosen for interior decoration in an apartment and a private house. An unusual solution will be brickwork in the bedroom, living room and children's room. If the country house is multi-storey, then staircase zones can be decorated with a similar finish.

Today, the construction market is represented by a chic assortment of gypsum bricks, but if desired, decorative panels can be easily made with your own hands at home. To make them, you must have the following materials:

• powdered gypsum;
• paraffin;
• forming plasticine;
• silicone sealant;
• cardboard box.

Since gypsum is part of the brick, you need to purchase raw materials of a grade not lower than GF 10, since it has increased strength and resistance to external influences. In addition, a silicone mold should be used for manufacturing, which is sold ready-made. If there is none, then it is easy to make it yourself from sculptural plasticine, which is rolled out with a thickness of no more than 20 mm and imprints are formed for ebb. Molds can also be made from paraffin wax. To do this, it is melted, then poured into boxes of the required size.

After the forms are prepared, the process of creating decorative bricks is carried out.

• Gypsum powder is poured into a container, water is added. Everything is thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
• The forms in which it is planned to make the material are lubricated with oil or fat. This will allow you to easily extract the frozen fragments in the future.
• The finished mixture is poured into a mold, shaken and evenly distributed. Then, according to the instructions specified by the manufacturer, they wait until the gypsum hardens.

Since gypsum brick is easy to install, it is quite possible to install it with your own hands. You can put decorative material in two ways: dry (the masonry is done using slats and bolts) and wet (the fragments must be glued to the wall with a special compound). Regardless of the technology chosen, before laying the brick, the work surface should be well prepared. This procedure is performed in stages.

• First of all, the alignment of the base is done. To eliminate all defects, it is recommended to putty the walls.
• Then the base is cleaned of dirt, dust and grouting is performed. At this stage, it is also important to sort and size the tiles. If finishing uneven or convex surfaces is required, the bricks must be cut using a metal hacksaw.

• The room of the apartment is measured out and a wooden rail is fixed in one of its corners, which will serve as the beginning for the installation of the fragments. After fastening the vertical rail, an opening is formed. Tiles are laid in it. Installation must be done from top to bottom. All parts are fastened with bolts or screws.
• Then, when the first row is laid out, the distance is re-measured, which is equal to the width of the brick, and work is continued until the entire surface is faced.

In addition, gypsum bricks can be glued using the wet laying method. To do this, first, an accurate marking of the rows is done, especially when it comes to finishing with different elements. If there is a pattern on the wall, then the fragments must be laid out on the floor in advance. Then a small amount of glue is prepared (it must be mixed in stages, since a large volume can harden and become unusable). The glue is applied to the brick and pressed firmly to the surface.

In order to make a minimum of mistakes during self-laying and get a durable cladding that would reliably serve for a long time, it is also important to take into account the following nuances:

• gypsum brick is a rather fragile material, therefore, during its installation, care must be taken, otherwise the panels may chip and result in their overrun;
• for brickwork in the kitchen, the width of the joints must be at least 10 mm, which will save material;
• the lower sections of the walls, which after repair will be covered with furniture, can be laid out with scraps;
• while gluing the brick, it should be gently pressed into the surface, performing rotational movements, which will allow excess glue to protrude;
• the glue, which is used for the installation of gypsum bricks, tends to dry quickly, so within 30 minutes you need to have time to clean all excess adhesive solution and smooth the seams.

Over time, the interior of the room requires renewal, so if the walls are finished with plaster bricks, it can be given a second life. To do this, it is enough to cover the decorative material with acrylic or silicone paints. Painting is also allowed with water-based mixtures or water-soluble varnish. You can also paint the gypsum fragments before laying them, this allows you to give the material a brighter and more shiny look. If you plan to paint the old cladding, then the brick must first be sanded well, otherwise the paint will crumble.

Recently, there are many design options using gypsum bricks. Such a decorative finish will look beautiful even without unnecessary furniture. Therefore, brickwork is often replaced by furnishings with wardrobes and bulky walls. To give the room an unusual style and fill the space with coziness, you can apply the following examples of interior design.

• For the hall. A good solution in this room would be to decorate the walls with plaster bricks in a warm color palette. Sandy and delicate shades of the surface will emphasize the geometry of the space in a special way. So that the beauty of the artificial stone is not lost against the general background, it is enough to place a coffee table and a large corner sofa from the furniture. The decoration can be done not only on one of the walls, but also to decorate the side corners near the entrance with fragments or to make decor in the form of columns imitating natural stone.

• For the corridor. It will be interesting to look in the hallway or corridor, brickwork laid out on the floor in the form of plinths. Decorative panels can also be used to decorate the edges of the walls directly at the entrance. It is advisable to choose light colors for cladding, since dark brick can visually reduce an already small room.

• For the bedroom. In this room, it is necessary to create the effect of free space and airiness, therefore, shades for brick decoration are selected in accordance with the main colors of the interior. Calming and restrained tones are well suited for the bedroom. Combinations of white and sand bricks will look beautiful. On a large wall, you can also masonry with antiqued slabs. In this case, the room should contain natural wood furniture and glass decor.

For how to lay gypsum bricks with your own hands, see the next video.