how can i cover brick?

jupiter824

My house is an ugly thin brick. I really dont like it. I was told i can use stuko. Was looking for other options. anyone got any suggestions?

Bob Mariani

you can attach anything you want over it. Is this outside or an inside wall?

jupiter824

its outside..
i read something about the brick needing to breath?..is that true?

Bob Mariani

yes to a degree. Brick is a bit porous. As such water wicks into it. It must breath so the water can escape again. But you can cover it and avoid this problem and thus the need to breath.

Skuce

You can never cover brick with the thought afterwards that it doesn't need to breathe.

There is ALWAYS a moisture transfer in a brick building. Either from the inside or the outside. But that is irrelevant. Water is water.

You suction bond seal it in with a cement stucco....I give you 5 years before it starts to pop off and/or blister (if you are in a freeze zone) or start causing rot problems somewhere that you least expect it..

How old is the house? Because that will define what stucco mix you will need to use to match the mortar that was used or "should" have been used. (unless it was a cosmetic brick veneer)

BJLower

I'll asssume Waco is Waco Texas, so you don't have to worry about any frost heaving.

You'll find that you can put nice trim around your door and windows that's styrophome!

You cut the dtyrophome to the shape you wand it (like round over your grage door) and just glue it in place. It doesn't have to be a perfect match. You cover that with a green mesh and a cement like stuff that turns hard as a rock and then cover that with a stucco of your choice. I's never seen it done until a couple of construction workers redid a house down the street. Something tells me thier cost on materials was very low. To prove how strong it was he gave it a good smack with a hammer and it didn't leave a mark. He said that if you say hit it with the car by the garage door i would smask. He said just use a masonary blade and a chisel to knock the bad area out and reploace it.

We're going to be giving it a try. We did figure out that to get the curve for over the garage doors we'll have to use a parking lot and the old string and pencile method to make the curve smooth. THey have the styrophome in designs as well.

Skuce

lol.

look up the information about the Foam and Synthetic stucco's on Google.....then tag the words "Class Action Suit" on the end

Have fun reading


Hard non-breathing cement is the last thing you want near ANY brick

user64621

When you say "thin brick", I'm sure you mean just a veneer. Cover that up as you will,... stucco would be the easiest, most practical of options.

Ron6519

I don't know how you make that assumption. A veneer brick is not thin. It's a standard thickness brick over a stud wall. The poster needs to post a picture as the description doesn't make sense.
Interior veneer brick is thin, but this isn't something that should be put on the exterior of a house. Doesn't mean it wasn't done, but pictures would clear up the issue.
Ron

user64621

I don't know how you make the assumption he's talking about the outside of his house,... maybe he's saying the inside of his house has an ugly thin brick, which would lead to an interior ... thin brick ? I thought a brick is a brick (standard), but when I saw "thin" brick that's the first thing that popped in my head.

Sorry

Bob Mariani

You can buy faux brick veneer. "Thin brick" may be referred to here. And this can be applied inside and outside. But I do not believe the OP is talking about this.

sdsester

If it is just a veneer, I would take it off and get it out of the way.

Ron6519

We can post subjective guesses until the cows come home. The OP needs to post a picture so we can see what is actually on the house and not rely on vague or misleading information.
Ron