You can give a room an interesting look by installing brick pavers (figure A) as flooring. Pavers are thinner than construction bricks, but they're made the same way.
Brick can be laid out in a variety of patterns, including a running bond (figure B), a jack-on-jack pattern (figure C), a ladder weave (figure D), a herringbone pattern (figure E) and a basket weave (figure F).
Before you begin laying pavers, make sure that the subfloor is level and clean as well as sturdy enough to bear the weight of the bricks. Materials:
Wet saw
Thin-set mortar
Notched trowel
Chalk line
Level
Brick sealer
Short-nap roller
Rubber grout float
Grout
Plastic spacers to space bricks evenly
Measuring tape
Brick pavers
Safety glasses
Gloves
- Locate the center point of the room. To do so, measure the longest part of the room, and mark the center. Then measure the room's width, and mark the center. Run a chalk line across both center marks. The center is the point at which the lines cross.
- Mix a batch of thin-set mortar to the consistency of toothpaste. Don't mix more than you can apply in 20 minutes. Mortar can be very dusty (figure G), so mix it outside or in a garage. Make sure the ventilation is adequate.
Use latex-modified mortar for a stronger bond. To speed up the mixing process, use a mixing attachment on your drill (figure H). - Use the trowel recommended by the mortar manufacturer to start spreading your mortar. Hold the trowel at a 45-degree angle to produce a level bed of mortar with grooves that help hold the bricks in place (figure I).
- Begin laying bricks in the center of the room, pressing firmly and twisting slightly to set them securely in the mortar. If you're using a basket weave or other pattern that can easily be broken into sections, use a chalk line to set reference lines on the floor. Follow these closely: if your first bricks are out of alignment, the rest of the floor will be too. Use plastic spacers to ensure proper spacing (figure J).
- When you need to cut brick, use a wet saw, which features a diamond-impregnated blade cooled by water (figure K) and provides a very smooth edge on each cut. When cutting out corners with a wet saw, raise the brick as you push it toward the corner cut (figure L) for a precise square edge.
Projects involving bricks can take a long time. Avoid the temptation to rush as you get near the end. - To prevent the bricks from absorbing too much moisture from the grout, apply a coat of brick sealer (figure M) with a short-nap roller, a paintbrush or a sprayer. After applying sealer, allow the bricks to cure for 24 hours.
- Apply grout in the same manner as you would for a tile floor. Use a rubber grout float to force as much grout as possible into the joints. Spread the grout in several directions to ensure the best coverage.
- After applying a section of grout, allow it to cure for a few minutes, then wipe off the excess with a clean sponge. After cleaning most of the grout off the bricks, rinse the sponge. Then wipe a small section of bricks with one straight stroke. Turn the sponge over, and wipe the same area again to remove most of the residue. When the grout begins to dry, buff off any haze that forms on the bricks.
RESOURCES :
Sunshine Pavers, Desert Sand color
Florida Brick & Clay Company Inc.
Plant City, FL 33567
Phone: 813-754-1521
Fax: 813-754-5469
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