This guide covers 5 simple steps to help you install brick slips inside or outside your home. The Big question - How To Install Brick Slips? See Below
Are Brick Slips East To Fit?
Yes brick slips are relatively easy to fit, they can be installed by almost anyone with little to know DIY knowledge. As with any home improvement, brick slips and their installation is all about preparation. A properly prepared surfaced will ensure the most professional finish.
Other material needed include the below:
- Brick Slip Spacers
- Brick Slip Adhesive
- Brick Slip Pointing Mortar
- Brick Sealer (optional)
How Do You Install Brick Slips And The Tools You Will Need
Whilst preparing to install Brick Slips. We also need to consider tools needed as well as equipment to keep you safe! A prepared list below is just some of the items we advise investing in before installing brick slips.
- Face Mask
- Eye Protection
- Floor protection (dust sheet)
- Spirit Lvel
- Mixing Bucket
- Adhesive Trowel
- Wet Tile Saw
- Pointing Gun
- Stiff Brush
Step 1 - Preparing A Wall For Brick Slip Installation
Preparing the wall for your Brick slip installation is vital! To do this we would advise starting with laying down your floor covering, ensuring that the floor is completely covered. Then clean the wall surface you want it free of any dust as the adhesive will fix to this and not the wall surface. For any stubborn dust, grease etc use sand paper to get the wall as smooth and clean as possible.
Once the wall is clean and dried it is the recommended to use a tile primer this can be brought from almost any DIY store. priming the wall will create a sealed surface to fix your brick slips too. Installing on a surface that is not primed may lead to the brick slips not holding as well as they should.
Step 2 - Sticking The Brick Slips To The Wall
Brick Slips are installed to the wall using brick slip or tile adhesive. These materials are the same and serve the same purpose. You need to ensure you use a tile adhesive you are comfortable to work with, you can use either rapid setting or slow setting.
On the back of the adhesive packet you should find manufacturer mixing instructions, follow these instructions to ensure a consistent and well mixed adhesive bond.
Step 3 - Installing Your First Brick Slips
To do this you want to start by finding the centre of the wall. Once found draw a Horizontal line from bottom to top. you will then draw another horizontal line either side of this exactly half a brick slip apart.
Once you have these two lines, starting from the bottom lay your first row of brick slips from either of the two lines using the brick slip adhesive and your tile trowel. Ideally you want to use a 6mm notched trowel.
The adhesive should be applied to the wall and not the brick slip.
For your next row you will start from the second horizontal line, this will give you your brick bond pattern. Then you will just swap between the two lines.
Step 4 - Using The Brick Slip Spacers To Install Brick Slips
You need to use the 10mm brick slip spacers between each brick (so no bricks touch) this will provide a consistent finish for your wall, the gap will also be consistent as will your mortar join.
Step 5 - How To Point Brick Slips
Brick Slips are pointed using brick slip mortar. The purpose of mortar is to fill the gaps between the brick slips and assist in the overall finish of your project. There are many different colours of brick slip mortar which can be brought from many places such as b&q or wickes.
As with Brick Slip adhesive, mortar is to be mixed in line with the manufacturers advise on the back of each packet. Once mixed we recommend investing in a pointing gun for a quicker, easier and cleaner finish. A pointing gun allows you to fill a tube up with your mixed mortar and squeeze it in to the gaps. You will then get your pointing trowel and trowel all the mortar smooth.