brick slips ..blast from the past

[jamie B]

Haven't been asked for this sorta thing for YEARS! starting a job on monday for a customer of mine who always has 'wacky' ideas..this one is to tile the kitchen in brick slips cut (by me!) from very old london stocks to make the kitchen look like exposed wall..they are even going as far as having the power points running up the wall in metal conduit a la 'warehouse' ( I did tell her it would be loads cheaper to just go and live i an east end warehouse squat!) ..anyhoo..my question for all y'all is this..I've recommended the 'joint' should be left and 'tooled' in with a blunt stick (ie . smooth out the addy to give the appearance of a recessed mortar joint) rather than grouted...have any of you done similar jobs? and what did you recommend?.. I know we can always grout afterwards, but I feel the look is more convincing with a thick bed addy smoothed out..any thoughts /suggestions?, just thought as it's a bit different from my average monday I'd enquire...oh and happy saturday!

 

[jamie B]

..oh and she wants a good sealer recommended for the bricks..over to y'all:smilewinkgrin:

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Hi Jamie, I presume you will use grey adhesive. Are you thinking of allowing adhesive to ooze out and then tool, to look like pointing? You could keep the joints clean and then point with wide joint grout. Just a suggestion.

 

[jamie B]

exactly that Phil, I'm planning on using a very deep notch trowel and spacers I've made from wood to mortar joint size then using a blunt stick to 'point' them in..the dillema is she doesn't want the pits in the face of the bricks to be covered with any grout..hence why I'm no planning on using any!..BUT she doesn't know yet if she wants that 'look' (ie what colour the joint should be grey/yellow!)..no one ever said it was gonna be easy!

 

[Rob Z]

Jamie, it seems to me that the setting material is too sticky to try and tool it the way you would tool real brick mortar.

To satisfy this customer, I would consider setting the brick tile with tile setting materials, then grout with a grout that has the color and texture of mortar (or close enough), and then strike it with a striking tool that the brickies use.

As for the grout in the pits on the brick, I had good results using a particular grout release product made by Summitville Tile Company. It was a heavy emulsion that had a yogurt-like consistency. It really worked well and prevented 99% of the grout from sticking where it shouldn't. I know Summitville likely isn't sold in the UK, but surely there is a similar product available there.

 

[jamie B]

great advice..thanks Rob..I'l have a sniff around!

 

[buddha1964]

Point the joints with sand and cement with added plasticiser or lime, using a pointing trowel, gauging trowel and a jointing tool. Fill joints, when fairly dry use the jointing tool to run along the joints and a brush off, job done. Colour can be added to the mix if you want. Good luck

 

[peckers]

Point the joints with sand and cement with added plasticiser or lime, using a pointing trowel, gauging trowel and a jointing tool. Fill joints, when fairly dry use the jointing tool to run along the joints and a brush off, job done. Colour can be added to the mix if you want. Good luck

you can also try different sands to get the texture you want too
good advice above.

 

[Rob Z]

Jamie, this is the stuff I used on a lot of jobs. I haven't had anyone ask for it for a long time, however. Top quality, excellant products.


Summitville Tiles, Inc.


This is the grout release that I used:

broken link removed

 

[Dave Ramsden]

Possibly set with a cement/mortar mix and PAYG??