“Clean” brickwork, not hidden by plaster and has long been used in exterior and, partially, in interior design, continues to remain popular and to this day. However, natural brick is quite difficult and does not differ in a variety of artistic solutions, while various types of imitations (first of all, decorative tiles under the brick) have a much wider set of advantages. Being much lighter and thinner, such a tile is easy to mount and is made in a wide variety of textures and color schemes. In addition, a wall brick tile can be used not only as a single cladding option, but also to be only part of the wall covering – framing the fireplaces or mirrors, serving as a background for paintings of painting, visually dividing into the zones of the room or being a separate element of the decor.
Classification and operational properties of tiles
The imitating natural brick tiles differs both in production technology and in raw materials used for it. The main materials of the final product are a clinker, ceramics, polymer cement and gypsum.
Clinker
Clinker tiles for brick are made of the same shale clay breeds as ordinary brick – differences are exclusively in technology. To obtain clinker clay, a high -temperature firing is used, conducted until the mixture components, previously supplemented by a nearby mineral dyes, metal oxides and catalysts. The product obtained as a result has minimal porosity, high strength and outstanding thermal insulation, waterproof, frost -resistant and decorative characteristics. In this regard, it is the exterior, most exposed to negative atmospheric factors, facade tiles under the brick is most often made from the clinker (since the price of this tile is the highest).
Ceramics
In terms of composition and technology used in the production of technology, ceramic tiles are close to the clinker and, in principle, can be executed not only in smooth matte or glossy options, but also in textured. However, the features of the process of firing do not allow maximum detail, due to which the ceramic micro -relief is quite significantly different from the natural.
Polymer cement
The most accurately allows you to achieve imitation of natural brick tiles made of polymer cements. Its basis is mineral crumbs and the best brands of Portland cement, which largely containing astringent silicates, and casting or pressing technology can simulate the surface of any accuracy. At the same time, somewhat inferior to the clinker and ceramics in mechanical strength, the polymer-cement tile is chemically at least a stand, has a lower weight, a higher variety of textured and color performance and lower cost.
Gypsum
Visually and in production press technology, gypsum tiles for brick does not differ from cement. Unfortunately, its fragility and low heat resistance makes it impossible to use it in exterior, for facing fireplaces or in kitchens near plates and heating elements. However, for the rooms, the use of gypsum is quite acceptable, and the shortcomings of operational capabilities are fully compensated by low weight and budget price.
Use in design
The decorative tile imitating brick masonry not only does not create an excess load on the walls, but also allows you to easily design the interior in a wide variety of styles (several examples of which we will give).
English style
It is a brick cladding with red brick with the effect of “aging” in combination with a design that includes wooden, metal and ceramic elements. Complete lining in the English style is allowed only in rooms or spacious, bright kitchens. Small premises suggest partial use – for example, in the form of a kitchen apron.
Hi-Tech
The modern version of “high-tech” involves the elaborate cladding of predominantly individual walls, as well as small architectural elements (for example, columns). The brick is used exclusively smooth and glossy-strict light shades close to white, yellow, light gray or pink. The whole brick should be selected and a grout that imitates an almost complete absence of seams.
Country
The style of “country” is characterized by facing the maximum number of interior elements – doorways, window frames, fireplaces, wall sections – using tiles under the “aged” brick of dark shades. It is possible to vary various materials (of course, taking into account the fact that gypsum cannot be framed by fireplaces, and ceramics will not get realism).Tile colors are diverse (see photo).
Loft
For the “loft” style, as follows from its name, the tile in the “brutal” version is inherent – with the most applied imitation of “elaboration”, glitter and other attributes of interior antiquity.
Advantages of tiles for brick
Thus, in addition to the variety of options for selecting style, a wall covering in the form of a natural brick tile imitating:
high mechanical strength and heat resistance (with the exception of gypsum executions);
resistance to moisture and chemically active reagents (which greatly simplifies care for it);
environmental and fire safety;
unusual and aesthetic attractiveness.
Installation of tiles
Do -it -yourself installation instructions imitating brick tiles have its own nuances in comparison with traditional technology (except for the simplest cases with the cheapest gypsum tile, each element of which is an imitation of a number of bricks at once with their corresponding “chess”). In other cases, this feature immediately creates problems for novice tiles – since standard plastic crosses for aligning the rows are not applicable here.
In fact, there are no fundamental differences, and the traditional 4-radial option should simply be replaced with 3 radiation. If such crosses cannot be found on sale, the issue can be solved in two ways. In the first case, cut off one beam for ordinary. In the second (if such an operation is too monotonous for you and laborious) – to insert crosses in the corner joints, but vertically and only one ray next to them, and in pairs. Any of the options will ensure the uniformity of styling, regardless of the location of the elements in the rows.
It should also be borne in mind that the tile imitating brickwork is characterized by the width of the seam is large than when installing traditional tiles – because of which not only the shape, but the size of the crosses should be different, larger.
There is another feature regarding grouting. Depending on the chosen style (especially in the options a la “loft”), grout can not be used at all. In other cases, to give the coating of realism, instead of a thoroughly selected grout in the color of the grout, you can use the usual cement solution (or its high -quality imitation).
Laying decorative coatings from “brick” tiles is clearly shown on the video in this article.