Here, at Slate Skin, we receive plenty of queries from our curious and lovely readers. And, this is one question that we are asked often. Here, in this week’s post, we address this query and give you all that you need to know about installing thin stone veneers over brick walls.
Do you have exposed brick walls in your home? Or do you have a bland looking brick wall painted with uninspiring paints? Looking to add some glitz and glamour to the space?
The best solution is to add – Thin stone veneers over your brick walls. Yes, you can add stone veneers directly over your brick walls. It’s that easy!
There are plenty of benefits of adding stone veneers to your interiors – increase the value of your property, add charm to your interiors, and add a contemporary touch to your home.
Coming to the big question – do you have to rip out brick before installing stone veneers? Or can you install it directly over brick? Continue reading to find out the answer.
Thin stone veneers can be easily applied on existing brick walls. While the process is pretty straightforward, you cannot trowel mortar directly on the wall and then apply the veneer. You have to prep the brick wall so that it provides a stable surface for the veneers.
Generally, a wet scratch coat is applied to the brick before stone veneers are installed. A scratch coat is nothing but a layer of mortar that provides a firm and porous surface for the veneers to stick on the wall. Alternatively, you can also use cement for this purpose. You’ll have to apply a thin layer of cement over the brick initially and then install the veneer.
Painted brick walls cannot take the scratch coat directly. This is because painted bricks are not porous. Similarly, smooth bricks or very crumbly bricks don’t work well for a scratch coat. Smooth bricks are non-porous, so they cannot hold the mortar. On the other hand, crumbly bricks don’t have the structural integrity to hold the mortar coat.
To ensure that the mortar sticks well to the brick walls, you have to treat the brick surface first. You have two options for this. One – you can deal with the bricks directly. Or two, skip the brick surface altogether and create a new intermediary layer between the bricks and thin stone veneer using a metal lath or cement board.
We take a closer look at all these options:
you can blast the paint, oil and other dirt from your brick walls using sand or water. This way, you get a fresh, raw and porous brick surface that can then be topped with the scratch coat. However, some masons don’t recommend this method, since they feel it’s isn’t porous enough.
This is another alternative. It adds a layer to the brick so that it becomes suitable for installing stone veneers. In this method, masons first apply a corrosion free metal lath to the brick wall, held together using masonry fasteners. The cups of the lath must point upward. This process includes both vertical and horizontal laths to add stability to the framework.
This is similar to the metal lath. However, the installation process is cheaper and quicker. Cement board is nailed or screwed to the brick wall. This acts as an underlayment providing support to the mortar layer.
All our products here at Slate Skin can be used on brick walls. Make sure to check out our extensive product gallery to pick the perfect stone veneer style that suits your interior style and theme.
If you need any help choosing the right thin stone veneer for your home, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of expert designers. We help our consumers pick the perfect stone veneer that brings alive their dream home.
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