Veneer brick can act as a wonderful material with which to build, largely because of its composition. There are numerous advantages you can enjoy if you utilize this brick type. The installation process of this material is often less complex when compared to installing normal brick. Maintenance and management of brick veneer is generally easier to do when comparing it to other materials available for purchase.
Brick veneer is very different than normal bricks. Essentially these bricks are made from clay and other components, like gravel and cement. Polyurethane is also a common item used to make this brick type. The bricks can be created from recycled and salvaged materials found in old, destroyed buildings.
In utilizing this material, there are many types of advantages. Price is very important. In comparison to other brick types on the market, brick veneer is a lot less expensive. The price is mostly lower mainly because of the way the brick is made. Only containing about twenty five percent of the components used in most bricks, their cost is much cheaper. Other benefits are the fact that the brick is durable, acts as wonderful insulator from the elements, and is fireproof.
The installation price tag is cheaper, too. If you can, it is much better to have a professional mason install the brick, but it is not absolutely necessary. When comparing the installation process of typical brick, this brick type does not require nearly the same level of time, effort, or skill. Being lightweight makes this building material very easy to manage, as well. Remember, though, that brick veneer is too light to be sustained as a load bearing material.
Idealistically it is much better to have a mason come and install this material. If you do decide to take on this project yourself, know that there are specific points to remember about installing this type of brick. Generally this material is about one inch in its thickness. Because of this unique feature there are two methods you can use to install this material. The first is to simply mount it to a piece of plywood and install the wood and brick together as one unit. Or, if you wish, you can mount it directly to the desired spot.
If you plan on using this material for external coverage, say for example, outdoor siding, try to remember that this material is very porous. Air and water are able to seep through this item. This might result in expensive or frustrating problems, like water damage. In order to keep this from happening just remember that you need to install the material using a vapor barrier, which will separate the brick and the wall completely.
In colder areas around the world, it is important that this brick style be installed using a sealant. If this step is neglected then the material will start to flake as a result of the damaging effects of frost. Sometimes stains will show up on the surface of the brick. Hard water, mildew, and moss will occasionally develop. Removing these stains do not require a lot of work. After a basic scrubbing these spots generally wash away.