Brick plaster: pros and cons

Nowadays, people are increasingly using decorative plaster for interior finishing work. Structured coatings are aesthetically pleasing and performant, and are suitable for a wide variety of interior styles. Many people choose decorative brick-like plaster, because such surfaces look very interesting. Let us consider in more detail the pros and cons of such materials, the main varieties of such "masonry", the features of using the compositions.

Consumers note a large number of advantages of brick plaster.

Among the main advantages of such coatings are the following:

• Ease of finishing work. These materials are very easy to apply; you do not need to seek the help of experienced specialists for this. However, it should be noted that the formation of the "masonry" itself will take time and patience.
• Such coatings are resistant to mechanical stress, strength, long service life (of course, much depends on how the finishing work was carried out). Brick renders are suitable for a wide variety of premises.

• This material is very environmentally friendly, it is safe for human health.
• Such compositions provide heat and sound insulation in rooms.
• These materials come in a wide variety of colors.
• The price for such coatings is quite affordable, consumers with different income levels can afford them.

If we talk about the disadvantages of the "brick" surface, we can note the peculiarities of its texture. In aesthetic terms, this is a plus, but in practical terms, it is unnecessary inconvenience, because various contaminants quickly accumulate in the recesses. It is also worth noting that before applying such coatings, you need to prepare the bases as carefully as possible. Otherwise, the "masonry" will not look beautiful.

For the implementation of interior decoration under a brick using decorative plaster, you can use different methods.

The options may be as follows:

• the use of gypsum tiles (with its help you can imitate a brick);
• applying an image to textured plaster (it must be raw).

Making imitation brickwork on stucco is quite a fun and creative process (especially if you paint the bricks yourself). You can slightly bend the seams: this will make the surface look very interesting. You can create the illusion of real masonry with the help of slight negligence.

A wall decorated with bricks can look as natural as possible: for this you need to paint them in a natural color. However, other options are possible, brighter and more unusual. Some highlight the seams by making them darker.

You can experiment with both shapes and surfaces. Leave the bricks rough, uneven, or make them as smooth as possible - in both cases, the wall will look very interesting. Aged surfaces work very well for some designs. To achieve this effect, special processing can be carried out.

Various options are possible: imitation of a beautiful facing brick, "street" clinker, or even stylization for antiquity.You can make the coating geometrically verified, neat or give the surface a deliberately rough look.

It is not at all necessary to decorate the entire room with imitation of brickwork. It is even better to combine such decor with more traditional finishing materials: tiles, paint, wallpaper.

The following options are popular:

• Decoration of various openings (window, door), arches. So you can make the object more attractive, give it individuality. It should also be noted that surfaces with such a finish are more resistant to various mechanical influences.
• Areas with "masonry" can be chaotically located. With this technique, you can highlight certain elements of the interior (paintings, fireplaces, mirrors).
• One wall in the room can be finished with "bricks". This option for using brick plaster is the most popular: you can highlight the most beautiful place in the room.

Before using decorative plaster, it is necessary to level the walls. Preliminary preparation is very important: if you ignore this stage, over time, the coating may begin to peel off, crack.

You will need to do the following:

• remove old coatings, wallpaper from the wall;
• eliminate chips, potholes, cracks and other similar defects;
• apply plaster to the most problematic areas.

If you want to get imitation of brickwork, it is better to opt for gypsum plaster.

Preference should be given to materials that have the following advantages:

• environmental friendliness;
• exclusion of shrinkage;
• ease of use.

It is not recommended to mix cementitious tile adhesive and gypsum plastering material. Otherwise, the coating will crack, peel off the surface.

If you plan to apply gypsum plaster, prepare the following tools:

• plastering rule;
• steel spatula (the blade should be quite wide - about 25 cm);
• jointing used by bricklayers;
• less wide spatula (width - up to 10 cm): such a tool will be convenient to use to correct minor defects;
• scraper (you can use a homemade steel plate, chisel).

Calculate the surface area that you will be processing, in this case, you should focus on the amount of prepared material. When the primer has been applied to the surface, use plaster. Apply a layer of material and make it as even as possible.

It will be possible to start creating seams when the mortar dries: use a long building rule for this. The optimum joint width is up to 10 mm. When creating seams, consider the pattern you want to get.

Some people prefer to use masking tape to get imitation of brickwork. This method of carrying out the work is more laborious, because the tape is rather difficult to remove from the surface. Part of the plaster can be removed from the wall together with the tape. Having removed the tape, you will need to additionally process the seams, "bricks".

If you still opted for this method, apply a primer to the surface and mark future seams using a pencil. Apply masking tape to the lined seams. The ends of the duct tape should be outside the area you are processing.

Apply plaster mortar to the surface using a spatula. You will also need to cover the adhesive tape at the seams with plaster. Then make the layer as even as possible. When the material is dry, carefully remove the tape by pulling on the ends. Do not delay removing the tape, because then the plaster will harden, and it will be much more difficult to do this.

Having received the seams, you will need to correct the drawing and wait for the coating to dry completely. To make the edges smooth and smooth, you can process them with a damp sponge.

To make imitation brickwork plaster look as beautiful as possible, you can carry out an aesthetic surface finish. Many people prefer to use coloring formulations. You can choose a standard paint, or try mixing different paints and varnishes to create a unique shade.

The coloring composition is usually applied in two stages:

• First, the entire surface is covered with paint and varnish. To do this, you can use a spray gun or a brush.
• Using a brush, apply the color composition of the selected shade to the seams.

A variety of staining options are possible - it all depends on your preferences and imagination. You can make the seams white, highlight them with a dark color. Before applying paint, you can treat the surface using sandpaper: this will make the wall as smooth as possible, and the coating will turn out to be perfect.

For staining imitation brickwork, you can choose gray, brown, reddish shades. Some people prefer not to paint the wall, but to add the necessary dyes to the plaster. You can additionally apply varnish to the paint: this will make the surface more aesthetic, besides, the coating will be protected from fading. If you want a "rough" surface, use different colorants that differ slightly in tone. So the "laying" will become as natural as possible.

Imitation of brickwork will make the interior of the room more original. This design is suitable for a wide variety of styles. It is quite possible to cope with the application of decorative plaster under the brick on your own: you just need to choose high-quality materials, use convenient tools and take into account certain recommendations.

The bricks you create can look like expensive clinker products.

An accent wall with imitation of brickwork significantly enlivens the interior.

"Masonry" can look deliberately careless.

Many people prefer to paint over the seams with a dark color. This is a common design option that works especially well for Scandinavian style.

For the pros and cons of brick plaster, see the next video.