Facing brick: types, design and tips for choosing

Benefits of yellow and brown bricks

Although brick
is an artificial stone, it has a fairly high strength.
There are two types: hollow is used for facades, for construction
supporting structures and walls with a load-bearing function are chosen corpulent. Now in
Colored bricks began to be used for the exterior decoration of cottages. Looks interesting
combination of yellow and brown bricks. They are based on sand-lime
mixture with pigment. Such a block has a number of advantages:

• precise geometric shapes, facades
  it turns out smooth and neat with various architectural elements;
• thanks to the porous structure, it is good
  allows air to pass through;
• retains high strength for a long time;
• persistent dyes are resistant to impact
  ultraviolet waves;
• the brick does not change under the action
  aggressive changes in the outside world;
• is resistant to fire,
  does not deteriorate longer than other materials, therefore it can adhere to fireplaces or
  ovens;
• as part of an environmentally friendly material;
• when dirty, it can be easily washed with water;
• not afraid of waterlogging, moderate absorption
  moisture;
• has sound insulating properties.

V
the design of houses made of yellow and brown bricks embody interesting
architectural ideas: patterns, acute or curved shapes, niches or
arched structures. On average, such a facade will last 75 years. And with proper laying and observance
operating conditions, the appearance of the building will remain up to 150 years. Even in
If the block is damaged, it can be easily restored.

Production technology

Depending on the type of bricks produced, their production has its own characteristics. This is due to the specificity of the ingredients used, which requires the use of various technological processes.

Red

There are two main methods for the production of ceramic bricks - semi-dry molding and plastic. The latter, which is more popular, involves the step-by-step solution of the following tasks.

• Preparation of the main component - clay. It is allowed to include additives in the mixture - no more than 1/3 of its total amount. In this case, the fraction of the main ingredient should not exceed 1.2 mm.
• Transfer of the prepared mass for further molding.
• Dividing a common array into standard sizes.

• Drying of ceramic bricks.
• Perforation of products (relevant in situations where products need to be made hollow).
• Burning. This type of processing provides for a smooth change in the temperature in the furnace (first upwards, and then vice versa). Following this rule allows you to avoid the appearance of cracks on bricks due to sudden temperature changes.

As for the production of ceramic bricks by the method of semi-dry molding, it implies the following procedure:

• preparation of raw materials and their grinding;
• drying and re-crushing;
• slight humidification with steam;
• re-drying;
• removal of the last traces of moisture from ceramic products.

It is reasonable to mention the production of red brick at home: in this way it is quite possible to make a full-bodied "raw" variety of this material.

To solve such a problem, it is necessary:

• make a ball from a homogeneous piece of clay, previously moistened with water;
• carefully inspect the sample after 4 days - for the presence of uneven shrinkage and cracks;
• if there are no visible defects, the ball must be dropped to the ground;
• if the sample does not pass the strength test, its composition must be reinforced with appropriate additives.

Upon completion of all preparatory procedures, the mixture must be distributed over the forms made of wood. Finished ceramic products will be left to dry in the shade, after which they can be used for the construction of light one-story buildings.

White

One of the main features of the manufacture of sand-lime bricks is the complexity, which does not allow solving this problem at home. In particular, this is due to the impressive list of necessary equipment - conveyors and conveyors, crushers and batchers, mixers and autoclaves, cranes and loaders.

There are two main production methods for the products under consideration - drum and silo.

Silicate brick manufacturing technology includes the following stages:

• checking and preparing the main components - sand and lime (the first is separated from large inclusions, and the second is crushed);
• mixing of components followed by settling in the bunker;
• grinding the mixture and adding water to it;
• slaking of lime, carried out in a drum or silo (determined by the selected production method);
• removing moisture from sand;
• molding with a press;
• steam treatment in an autoclave (recommended temperature - 180-190 ° С, pressure - 10 atmospheres).

At the final stage, the temperature and pressure are gradually reduced. Upon completion of all procedures stipulated by the technology, ready-made sand-lime bricks are packed and sent to the customer.

Plasticity test

The following test can be used to check the quality of the plasticity of the clay. Download a piece of clay as thick as your finger. Screw it onto the bottle. If it does not smear on the bottle, cracks have not formed, and the test specimen has not burst, then we can say that the consistency is suitable for molding.

The need for additives is determined by the condition of the samples and their destruction or notches. In this case, the additive will act as a strengthening "reinforcement". 30% of additives can be used to strengthen oily clays. But for the manufacture of bricks, it is better to refuse them and use only non-greasy clays.

Use as an additive: peat crumbs, hulls from grain crops, sawdust, river sand. To reduce the fat content of raw materials, sand is used, which is added in an amount of no more than 3-5%. And also no more than 20% of other fillers are used to bond bricks.

It should be borne in mind that the size of particles in additives should not exceed 3-5 mm. The amount and percentage of additional materials is determined in the process of trial batching and drying of raw samples.

Manufacturers, pros and cons

The largest manufacturers of colored bricks are:

• Kerma;
• "Bassoon";
• Ceramika Paradyz;
• Kerameya;
• Columbia;
• Slavic brick factory;
• Ost Klinker Group;
• Terex.

Colored facing bricks have the following advantages:

• resistance to UV radiation from the sun, temperature changes, low moisture absorption;
• the presence of a varied assortment;
• service life - from 20 years.

Disadvantages:

• heavy weight, which increases the pressure on the base;
• erection of walls on cement and adhesive mortars;
• it is difficult to finish on façades with defects.

With volumetric coloring, large financial costs are required, and as a result of processing, the quality of the shade is low. Surface painting is a laborious and complex process, the brick is obtained with low impact strength. With temperature extremes, the face layer sometimes peels off. However, despite the disadvantages, facing brick is a suitable option for facade decoration.

Decorative brick in the interior - choose a color

Three factors determine the appearance of a base made of decorative or facing bricks for interior decoration in the interior:

• type of masonry (chain, Gothic, Dutch, Flemish, cross, bonded, spoon, chaotic);
• finishing method;
• shade of building blocks.

Designers often offer an unexpected solution, not only within the terracotta-reddish range or white silicate blocks. Most of this palette is presented in other, no less interesting proposals, depending on the inclusions and material release technology.

Brick works well with graffiti

The following colors look most impressive:

• White;
• Gray;
• black;
• ocher;
• sand;
• pistachio;
• terracotta;
• chocolate;
• straw.

Depending on the design concept, the brick wall can even be blue, green or black. This is justified if, for example, a background is used for a spectacular loft-style graffiti or for other aesthetic tasks involving "bricks".

White brick works well for minimalist interiors

Separately, it is worth noting the white color, it is appropriate in any room, visually expanding the space and adding light. If you could not find the right material, this will not be a problem if you paint the masonry in light colors. There will be more light, but then the natural material will not "breathe" under the film, absorbing and releasing excess moisture.

Gray looks modest, and at the same time aristocratic. Experts appreciate it as an excellent backdrop for refined mirrors and other original decor in an elite setting.

Neutral gray will create a calm backdrop for decorative elements

The material differs in texture:

• glaze coating;
• smooth baked;
• chipped;
• chopped;
• wild;
• rocky;
• marble, etc.

The surfaces are usually smooth matte, but it is possible to choose a cladding with a glossy end or with a rough texture. Whitewashing or painting over real masonry is the best way to renovate without major renovations. It can be painted in any color, but slightly darker than the shade of the brick itself, so that there are no bald spots.

Interesting combination of a smooth surface with exposed brickwork

Aged brick does not have to be hidden under a layer of plaster if the base is laid out very skillfully. Designers suggest removing the top layer or picking up a building material with the same effect. Old brick left over after repairs can also be used for purely practical purposes. It remains to fold the wall again, impregnated with colorless varnish. The treatment will make the surface more pliable for cleaning.

To be convincing for decorative purposes, the laid out base is slightly destroyed - they are modified with a chisel, files, blowtorch, building acids and other means.

Bare masonry should be covered with protective varnish

Any design project involves a stylistic solution. In a modern solution, a plasma panel on a brick wall in the living room interior is the main accent; in a classic English study, it is better to hide it behind a rotating picture. This is a versatile decor in many styles:

• grunge is a typical retro French bourgeois who value comfort and quality things, time-tested, here time seems to have stood still (crumbling brickwork as a silent witness to the former luxury);
• fusion is a product of eclecticism, where classical features are recognizable in a modern rethinking);
• in a Scandinavian interior, a white wall is perceived most organically;
• neo-gothic - an excellent solution with a black wall for high ceilings;
• an excellent find in country and Provence style, only light unfinished plaster and whitewash;
• hi-tech - his "ode to high technology" goes well with this brutal finish;
• the classic assumes a skillful finish, the style's business card is a fireplace with open masonry.

Brick walls suit many styles

Types of brown bricks

Brown stone for masonry is divided into the following types:

• ceramic block;
• silicate.

A painted clay solution formed into blocks and fired in a kiln at a temperature of 1000 degrees is called ceramic.Silicate brick is made from quartz sand and air lime. It is formed under pressure and steam and does not lend itself to firing in a kiln. By designation, there are:

• building;
• facing (front);
• clinker.

The construction type of the product is used for the construction of external walls and structures. It's pretty durable. Facing - used for the aesthetic design of premises. With its help, a facade or mosaic of a uniform color is laid out. They work with him only in decorative matters; the construction of load-bearing walls with facing brown stone is unacceptable. To fulfill its architectural functions, it must be uniform in color, regular shape and with clear edges. It is he who protects the wall from external influences, so it is made strong and durable. Clinker material is made from valuable clay rocks, subjecting them to high temperatures. Because of this, this type of building product is more durable, solid and dense. It is often used for paving paths due to its resistance to external factors.

Varieties of bricks, depending on the material of manufacture

Each species is designed for its own spectrum of application or process. And the first indicator by which a brick can be classified is the material from which it is made.

Ceramic

Ceramic bricks are made from high quality clay without admixtures of marl and sulfates. Usually, raw materials are used with a minimum percentage of undecomposed calcites in the composition. At the beginning, the brick is molded, after which it dries and is fired in an oven at a temperature of 1000 C.

When subjecting a brick to heat treatment, it is very important not to allow burnout or underburning. Both in the first and in the second case, the quality of the brick will deteriorate significantly

Unburned brick looks light, while burnt brick will have shades of black. A good clay product has a semi-matte surface, emits a characteristic sonorous sound when struck, and at a break it has a porous structure.

Silicate

Silicate brick consists of refined quartz rocks (sand), and lime and moisture itself account for about 10% of the mass of raw materials. The percentage can vary depending on the composition and quality of the prepared mass. The main condition in the production of a good product is the purification of components from organic impurities, clay, manganese.

Lime should not contain a lot of calcium oxide, should not be burnt. The manufacturing process takes place under great pressure. This type of brick is warmer than ceramic. It is used for the construction of walls and partitions.

Hyper-pressed

The composition of this type of brick usually includes various screenings of limestone, marble, shell rock and dolomite, formed during opencast quarrying. These components account for up to 90% of the volume of the raw material mass. The second indispensable component of the composition is high-quality Portland cement. It plays the role of the main binder component, occupying 6–8% of the prepared mass by volume.

The brick is created by pressing in special shapes. The quality of the water itself, which is part of the composition as a chemical reaction agent, is of great importance for pressing. As a result of pressing, bricks of the ideal shape and size are obtained. Hyper-pressed bricks are used for cladding the walls of buildings. The very surface of the brick can be smooth or have a texture like the so-called "torn stone".

Varieties

Depending on the production technology,
brown facing brick is divided into four types:

• Clinker;
• Ceramic;
• Silicate;
• Hyper-pressed.

Ceramic brick has the greatest
resistance to mechanical damage, as well as fire. Coated from
it is not afraid of temperature changes, processing takes place at 10000C.
They make ceramic products in the classic version - a rectangle,
sometimes curly varieties are required. The three sides can be used as
facial. The addition of additives to improve performance is acceptable.

The silicate
facing brick, which consists of lime and quartz sand. Receive
by pressing at a temperature of 1800C. The main disadvantages - will not protect against
open fire and weighs a lot. Poor resistance to temperature extremes can
lead to rapid destruction.

Therefore, sometimes silicate products are subjected to
additional treatments to improve its performance. Full-bodied execution
and proportions allow you to use all sides of such
bricks.

But silicate brick is often used in
the purpose of thermal insulation of the building, therefore special voids are made in it. it
leads to a decrease in weight and loss of one of the sides as a facial.

Hyper-pressed brick as easy
guess from the name, during the manufacturing process it undergoes an additional
high pressure firing. The mixture includes cement, limestone and
shell rock. Differs in a number of positive properties - resistant to fire, moisture and
mechanical shock.

But the only drawback is high
thermal conductivity, forces to make a layer for thermal insulation. This leads to
additional expenses, but then the house will look solid and not be subject to
temperature differences.

Clinker facing bricks are
balanced options from all points of view - even slightly better than ceramic.
As a material, special clay is processed, which is first dried,
and then fired. Its characteristics are suitable for outdoor use,
no downsides.

Manufacturers and pricesCompanies selling
facing brown bricks are usually divided into domestic and foreign.
The former are distinguished by low prices, the latter are of high quality. This is the general
tendency, however, it is quite possible to find a successful combination of both criteria.

One of the best cladding manufacturers
materials are the German company ABC, which has gained fame as a manufacturer
facing clinker and elite materials. The price for a facing brick can
reach 100-150 rubles for
piece.

Heylen is a Belgian company producing
different bricks with a unique shape, for which the demand is very high. Price per
such a delicate work is appropriate - not less than 150 rubles apiece. If
interested in a combination of different colors and even rare ones, it is worth taking a closer look at the product
Finnish manufacturer Terca.

Russian manufacturers of facing bricks
known abroad, one of the striking examples is the Slavyansky Brick company,
which produces almost 150 million bricks a year. Astronomical number
due to the presence of its own clay mining quarry. Unit price usually
fluctuates between 18-30 rubles.

To order silicate bricks, you need
consider the "Kirovsky brick factory", which specializes in this
varieties of brown facing bricks. You can purchase hollow and
full-bodied products at an adequate price.

Advantages and disadvantages

It's better to start with the shortcomings - there are not so many of them,
and the first is the high cost. Price for one facing brick in Russian
the market is 20-25 rubles, but the number of them for decorating a house is large.
Therefore, alternative insulation options are often considered, especially if
we are talking about high-rise buildings.

If the brick is solid, it weighs a lot -
the load on the wall is great. Therefore, you will have to buy hollow products or
abandon the silicate cladding in principle.

There are many more advantages, for example,
environmental friendliness of materials. Clay, sand, lime - none of the above
does not pose a threat to the environment.Also almost all varieties
facing bricks are fire and moisture resistant. At the same time, air is passed through, and
then there will be no condensation in the wall.

In addition, the variety of colors allows
choose a shade for any home. The same goes for figurativeness - for designers
there is where to turn around. At high air humidity, it is better to stay at
ceramic brick - it is not subject to decay.

Characteristic

For the manufacture of a white product, a silicate base is used, obtained from lime, quartz sand and a small amount of modifying additives. Thanks to this composition, we can say that the main advantage of white brick is its environmental friendliness.

In addition, the presented product is accompanied by excellent soundproofing properties, which make it possible to use it in the construction of walls. Silicate ones are superior to ceramic ones in many of their properties. Everything is connected with the following positive qualities:

• high strength and frost resistance;
• unpretentiousness;
• high reliability;
• wide assortment and types of painting.

But, like any material, white has certain disadvantages. For example, compared to a ceramic product, it has a low level of heat resistance and water resistance. For this reason, the use of silicate material is not recommended for the construction of structures that are often exposed to water and high temperature indicators.

The video describes the size of the white brick:

You can find out about the size of a single brick by reading the article.

In the field of construction, corpulent and hollow are actively used. The hollow material has high heat-insulating properties and removes little heat energy. It is used mainly in structures in order to reduce the pressure force on the base.

The number of voids can vary within different limits. A material of class 14, for which a voidness of 30% is characteristic, has an increased thermal conductivity, so that it can be used when laying fireplaces and stoves.

The main advantage of white is that even thin walls lined with this material have the same heat and sound insulation characteristics as thick ones made from ceramic stone.

Now it's worth talking about the dimensions of this material. Each building material has its own characteristics, as a rule, these are strength and quality. But when choosing white, great importance is also given to dimensions, depending on which the product is subdivided into single, one-and-a-half and double bricks. We will consider the characteristics of each type later, but now it is worth understanding what geometric dimensions are popular.

For one and a half, the popular size remains: 250x120x88 mm. The presented product is less laborious, because 378 pieces are required to lay 1 m3. But if the masonry involves the use of a single stone, then its number will be 512.

For euro products, such dimensions are characteristic of 250x85x65 mm, and a single module takes dimensions equal to 288x138x65 mm. The dimensions shown are not always easy to remember, but the following dimensions look much simpler.

This is ½, ¾ ¼ from a brick of normal shape:

1. Three-fourths of the product - 180 mm.
2. One second stone is 120 mm.
3. One fourth is 60 mm.

If it is necessary to arrange arches and vaults, then it is necessary to use a wedge-shaped white brick. Its dimensions can reach:

• end wedge: 230х114х65 / 55 (Ш-22), 230х114х65 / 45 (Ш-23);
• rib wedge: 230x114x65 / 55 (W-44), 230x114x65 / 45 (W-45).

The classification of the presented product can be based on dimensions. This is how a single, one and a half and double stone is distinguished. In addition to the fact that the presented products have different sizes, they have different areas of application and certain qualities.

You can find out what a one-and-a-half-size brick is from this article.

For the presented product, the following dimensions are adopted (according to the standard): 250x120x65 mm. This size ratio is considered the most rational when laying walls, taking into account the dressing. For laying 1 m3, 378 pieces of stones are needed.

One and a half

If you need to lay out a house in a short period of time, then you should use a one-and-a-half white brick. It can be hollow and full-bodied, then for one and the other type the following dimensions are adopted: 250x120x88 mm. For laying 1 m3, it is necessary to use 378 such bricks.

When using such products, all construction work can be completed on time, because the dimensions of the double white product make it very easy and quick to erect the structure. The dimensions of such an artificial stone are: length - 250 mm, width - 120 mm, height - 138 mm.