Facing brick: sizes, prices, types and characteristics

Facing brick: dimensions, prices, types and characteristics of the material

Facing brick is rightfully called one of the best materials for facing a house. After all, an excellent appearance, combined with technical characteristics, fully meets the requirements of any home owner, and a large selection of colors, shapes and textures only expands the available possibilities. Let’s consider what else a facing brick can be: dimensions, prices and other characteristics of this material.

Facing brick is used for decorative and protective finishing of the facade of the house

Facing brick: sizes and types of material

The requirements for the inner surface of the walls of the house are several times less than the requirements that apply to the cladding of the exterior of the house. And if in the first case it is possible to use ordinary clay or silicate bricks, as well as foam concrete or aerated concrete blocks, then it is possible to provide a really attractive appearance for the exterior of the house only by using facing bricks for the facade.

Facing bricks for the facade of a house can have a variety of textures and vary in size and thickness

But even in the case when the choice is made in favor of facing bricks, the owner of the house still has to make a difficult choice, and give preference to one or another of his options. Let’s look at what types of this material there are, and what you should pay attention to when choosing.

The parameters of the brick are directly determined by the technology of its production, so that depending on the features used for the production of materials and related processes, there are 4 types of finishing bricks:

• ceramic;
• clinker;
• concrete (hyper-pressed);
• silicate.

At the same time, each of the listed options is also available in 2 types – hollow and full–bodied, so the choice is really wide. Let’s briefly consider the characteristics of each of the options, as well as its features and advantages.

The choice of facing bricks is quite wide, which allows you to use it to implement various design ideas

Useful advice! In addition to the fact that hollow bricks have significantly less weight (the difference is about 25-35%), they also resist heat loss more effectively, surpassing full-bodied bricks by 10-15%.

Another interesting question is how much does one brick for facade cladding weigh? The weight of the facing brick is determined by the material from which it was made. For example, a full-bodied silicate (white) brick, the size of which corresponds to the standard, weighs an average of 4.6 kg, and an ordinary ceramic brick intended for cladding will weigh only 1.45 kg.

Ceramic facing brick: dimensions, prices and features

This type of brick is made by firing a specially prepared and formed mass, which consists of red fusible clay, as well as special additives that are able to regulate the plasticity of the material. Such auxiliary components include sawdust, quartz sand, ash, coal dust, slag, etc.

Ceramic facing brick has special holes to reduce the load on the facade of the building

Such a mixture is initially formed in the desired form, and then dried and fired. The main distinguishing point that makes the facing brick different from the usual one is a more thorough preparation of all components before they are formed. This eliminates the risk of cracks, as well as a variety of foreign inclusions that can spoil the appearance of the finished product.

Thus, the material obtained at the output is characterized by extremely high resistance to moisture, as well as high strength and the ability to effectively retain heat. As for the color and texture diversity, here this type of brick is represented by a huge variety. Using mineral dyes that can be added to the source material (usually chromium oxide, finely ground manganese or iron ore), manufacturers give the brick an attractive appearance.

Useful advice! If there is a need to make the facing of a complex architectural element, then it is worth paying attention not to the ordinary ordinary brick, but to the shaped material, which is produced specifically for solving complex problems.

An example of a beautiful facing of the facade of a house with an antique brick

One of several ways can be used for decoration. In addition to the traditional ones, which are considered smooth and matte ceramic facing bricks, more unusual options can be found on sale, for example, imitations of wild stone. Of course, if the price for standard products is about 12-15 rubles apiece, then all kinds of imitations will cost much more.

For a ceramic product, the following dimensions of a brick are considered standard – 250x120x65 mm. At the same time, according to European standards, these indicators are somewhat different – 250x85x65 mm. The thickened version corresponds to the parameters 250x120x88 mm and 250x85x88 mm, respectively.

Interesting! The standard size of the brick “loaf”, which is the most common 240x115x71 mm, if guided by European standards.

Clinker decorative facing brick: dimensions and characteristics

Clinker brick is in many ways similar to ceramic. But there are certain differences between them related to the characteristics of the raw materials and the temperature conditions for firing. In order to make clinker bricks, mainly medium-melting and refractory clays are used, so that higher temperatures are required for firing, respectively.

Decorative facing bricks can be combined in texture and color, obtaining a unique appearance of the facade

The result of using this technology is a more durable facing brick, which is characterized by a minimum level of water absorption, and perfectly resists the effects of various external factors. Such characteristics make it possible to use it not only for the decoration of the walls of the house, but also as a facing material for the foundation plinth, paving paths and erecting fences.

But there are also indicators by which clinker brick is inferior to ceramic. For example, this concerns the thermal conductivity, which in this case is slightly higher. However, this disadvantage is compensated due to the fact that the material is characterized by a high level of resistance to cracking as a result of exposure to low temperatures.

The colors and textures of clinker bricks can be so diverse that you can even encounter the concept of “collections” that various manufacturers offer to their customers. As for the size of clinker bricks, here you can find a wide variety of options.

The standard size of decorative bricks can have the following parameters – 250x120x65 mm, 250x90x65 mm and 250x60x65 mm. As you can see, the height of the brick can vary, but the length and width of the brick remain unchanged. The only exception is that elongated elements, the parameters of which are 528x108x37 mm.

Dimensions of facing bricks

Characteristics of concrete facing bricks: prices and sizes

If we talk about which of the technologies for manufacturing facing bricks is the most justified, then we will have to turn to such an option as pressed non-fired brick. This is largely due to the fact that due to the rejection of the energy-intensive firing process, production costs are significantly reduced. Cement, water and granite screening are used as the basis for concrete bricks. By mixing these components together, they are simply given the desired shape and left to solidify.

If we start from the fact that the main requirement for the material used for facade decoration is resistance to various external factors, then this material more than meets the specified criteria. In terms of strength, concrete bricks are not inferior to clinker bricks. And thanks to the different colors, they also look great.

Standard sizes of solid concrete bricks are presented in three versions – 250x120x65 mm, 250x90x65 mm and 250x60x65 mm. There is also a thickened version of this full-bodied facing brick, with parameters 250x120x88 mm. But almost any option can be purchased at a price of 25 to 30 rubles.

Concrete facing brick has high characteristics of resistance to external factors

Interesting! Sometimes you can find a description indicating the size of the “yellow” facing brick. Most often, this is the name of a product made by hyperpressing, based on cement and limestone-shell rock.

Silicate facing brick: photos, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages

Silicate bricks also refer to materials that are made without resorting to the firing process. But this brick differs from the previous version by the components that are part of it. First of all, cement is not added to the raw materials at all. The desired strength of the material is achieved by solidification of silicate sand mixed with slaked lime. As a stimulant of this process, they resort to the use of an autoclave installation, which provides increased pressure and temperature.

Today, this material is not particularly popular as a facing material. First of all, this is due to its appearance. Despite the fact that manufacturers have developed several color solutions, all of them do not look too bright and attractive. So in the fight against ceramic or clinker bricks, silicate bricks definitely lose.

Silicate facing brick is made without firing procedure

But if we talk about the positive aspects of such a choice, then the technical characteristics of this material are more than satisfactory. On the one hand, silicate elements are somewhat more susceptible to moisture absorption than clinker elements, on the other hand, they better resist the effects of repeated wetting, freezing and thawing.

Useful advice! In order to choose a brick that is suitable in color, texture and shape, it is not necessary to spend the whole day visiting construction shops. The easiest way is to go to the website of a reliable supplier, and using the Online catalog, choose the best option.

The most popular colors and textures of bricks: facing for every taste

The color of the baked clay itself is quite bright and attractive, and is often the most preferred option. It is the natural coloring that is in the greatest demand and has held a leading position for many years. But still, other options are used.

The most popular color scheme of facing bricks

It is very simple to give the surface of the facing brick the desired texture. To do this, a textured pattern is applied on top of the not yet frozen element, after which the element is sent to the oven.

Related article:

Clinker brick for the facade: reliable and presentable design of the building

The history of the origin and manufacturing technology of the product. Classification. Installation features. Rating of popular manufacturers and the price of products.

But this is far from the only way to design and decorate the surface of facing bricks. So, along with the main one, the following technologies are also used:

• shotcrete is the process of applying mineral crumbs to the surface of a brick;
• angobirovanie is the application of a special composition that, under the influence of high temperature, provokes the appearance of a vitreous film;
• glazing is a process slightly similar to the previous one, except that the composition that is applied to the surface forms a film of greater thickness and strength.

Each of these options is worthy of consideration and can be used in the process of cladding work. Moreover, bricks decorated using various methods can be combined with each other, making out with their help separate sections of the facade, doorways, etc. This will avoid monotony in the design.

Facing brick of black color is quite a popular solution for facing buildings in the Art Nouveau or high-tech style

Available colors of facing bricks made of various materials

The color of the ceramic brick depends on how much and what kind of additives were mixed with the raw materials, as well as from firing. Therefore, it is often necessary to face the fact that in different batches the bricks have slight differences in color. In order that it does not catch the eye and does not spoil the appearance of the wall, it is recommended to take bricks from different batches in turn. So, the color of the surface will be as uniform as possible.

If we talk about the colors of ceramic bricks, then it is really represented mainly by red and brown shades. But their diversity is so great that the choice is simply impressive.

But hyper-pressed bricks, in the manufacturing process of which there is no firing, are painted in the desired color by adding pigment to the raw material. This makes it possible to produce uniform coloring throughout the entire volume of the product and avoid mismatch of shades in different batches. The most popular are concrete bricks of white, black, pistachio, brown, red, peach, gray, chocolate and blue colors. And those who like non-standard solutions can consider ivory, straw, terracotta and even green.

Concrete bricks can have different color shades

According to the same principle as hyper-pressed, the silicate brick is painted. The pigment is added in the process of mixing the solution using a special dispenser.

Important! Too much paint in the composition of the solution can negatively affect the strength of the silicate brick, therefore, for this type of product, it is often resorted to painting only one side.

Among the main colors of silicate bricks, it is worth noting white, pink, yellow, orange, gray purple.

How much does it cost to buy a facing brick: price per piece

In order to understand how much bricks cost, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the norms that are established by GOST. It is there that it is prescribed what sizes of bricks are the standard, and what should be the weight of one brick of one kind or another.

Facing brick reliably protects the foundation and walls of the building from the negative effects of atmospheric phenomena

First of all, it should be noted that both domestic and European standards are equally recognized in the modern market, so when choosing a suitable material, you need to pay attention to this. Due to such double standards, all the material is further divided into 2 more categories:

• NF – normal size – 240x115x71 mm;
• DF — thinner – 240x115x52 mm.

The second option is more consistent with the architectural classics, but when choosing and buying the material, it is necessary to make sure that all elements are of the same standard. Otherwise, in the process of facing, you will have to face a considerable number of difficulties.

Considering the existing types of material, the cost of facing bricks was briefly considered. But it will still be useful to compare once again how much a facing brick of one type or another costs in order to come to a conclusion about the expediency of a particular choice.

Facing clinker brick with ombre effect

So, the cost of one hollow ceramic brick with standard sizes will be from 12 to 20 rubles. But the price of a one–and-a-half facing brick, the size of which is 250x120x88 mm, will be slightly higher – from 20 to 28 rubles.

Clinker bricks are more expensive than ceramic ones. For example, if the product parameters are 250x85x65 mm, you will have to pay at least 29 rubles for one piece, and this is taking into account the fact that its surface will be smooth. Bricks with a textured pattern are even more expensive – from 34 rubles.

Approximately the same price of a brick per piece for hyper-pressed material. The lower limit of the cost is 23 rubles, and for textured elements – 25-30 rubles per unit.

Types of masonry facing bricks

Almost as available as ceramic, colored silicate bricks. Its cost, provided the surface is smooth, is 15 rubles per unit, and if the texture is textured, the price increases noticeably – 24-26 rubles.

The cost of bricks strongly depends on its size, strength, and frost resistance. But there are other factors, for example, a product from a foreign manufacturer will cost much more than a domestic one. So it’s worth thinking in advance whether you are ready to overpay for the name of the company or prefer a simpler and cheaper option.

Interesting! You can find goods at such low prices only among offers from domestic manufacturers. The prices of foreign companies are usually noticeably higher, and the cost of some elite bricks can reach 100-130 rubles apiece.

An example of a successful combination of the use of facing bricks and natural stone for finishing the facade of a building

Recommendations for the installation of facing bricks with your own hands

The process of installing facing bricks is not too different from the process of laying ordinary building bricks, but there are still some nuances that you should pay attention to in advance:

• before finally laying all the bricks using mortar, you need to lay them out “dry” to make sure the uniformity of the masonry. This must be done because the non-standard sizes of bricks (ceramic or any other), which are almost always found in the batch, did not spoil the appearance of the facade;
• if there is a need to reduce the length of the brick, then you need to use a grinder with a specially designed disc for trimming;
• the mortar on which the bricks are laid may be the same as for laying ordinary bricks. The only condition is that the sand must be subjected to preliminary sieving;
• if you want to decorate the wall in a single color scheme, you can add color components to the composition of the solution;
• the ideal size of joints between facing bricks for vertical up to 12 mm, for horizontal up to 10 mm.

Clinker brick with shotcrete coating

Important! It is strictly forbidden to use a disc designed for working with metal for cutting bricks. This can negatively affect the brick, making it unsuitable for further use, as well as lead to malfunction of the cutting blade itself.

In general, in order for the wall to eventually have an attractive appearance, special attention should be paid to the formation of gaps. To do this, the laying must be done in such a way that the solution does not reach the edge by 10-15 cm. To make it easier to achieve this, you can use a special template that allows you to quickly and easily cope with the task.

Another secret that everyone who undertakes independent wall cladding should know is the need to ensure the air permeability of the masonry. To do this, you need to leave every fourth vertical seam empty without filling it with a solution. Due to this reception, the air will be able to circulate freely and the humidity will be regulated.

If a mortar gets on the front side of the brick during operation, it must be removed immediately to prevent drying. Since the material reacts fairly quickly with an alkaline solution, it may not be possible to completely remove the stain in the future.

The facade of the building is finished with terracotta-colored facing bricks

Having familiarized with all the variety of facing bricks, as well as their sizes, prices and characteristics, each home owner can choose the highest quality and suitable option for the design of his facade. Of course, when choosing, you have to focus not only on the appearance of the material, but also on the price of finishing bricks for the facade. However, it is quite possible to find an attractive and inexpensive option that will satisfy all your wishes.