What is the Best Adhesive for Brick Slips?
One common question that’s thrown around is, “how do brick slips stick together?”
It’s relatively easy to answer that question if it’s surrounding actual clay facing bricks, which are stuck together using a mortar. Bricks serve a structural purpose, and therefore, regardless of the bonding pattern that the architect wants to create with the exterior walls, there needs to be a high-quality mortar. The mortar colour also needs to be considered, given that it can affect the appearance of the final brick wall.
But what about brick slips? Given that they’re not structural, and used primarily for aesthetic reasons, what do you need to consider regarding them staying in the same position? All questions are answered in this quick guide.
What are Brick Slips?
Firstly it’s important to understand the difference between bricks and brick slips. Brick slips – otherwise known as brick tiles – are thin cuts of standard clay brick products. They are made from the same materials and have the same texture, but their dimensions are different. Usually, the length of brick slips mirrors that of standard bricks.
Brick slip systems are created by laying the slips on smooth cladding panels, in the same pattern as a standard brick bond. The design is laid to recreate traditional brickwork’s appearance, while not structurally laid one on top of the other as bricks are. The brick slips just sit fixed to the panel and simply replicate the aesthetic of standard walls.
Brick slips, much like clay brick products, are all available in various textures, colours and sizes. These should all be considered before you begin looking at adhesives to use alongside them in your project.
What are Brick Slip Adhesives?
Choosing the right brick slip adhesive can be difficult if you’ve not used brick slip cladding systems before. There are two significant categories of adhesive to choose from:
- Cement-based adhesives
- Epoxy-based adhesives
Using either depends on the wall material or substrate you will be fixing the brick slip products to. In special situations, the environment of where you’ll be installing brick slip panels can impact which adhesive to use.
If you’re trying to stick brick slips to surfaces that won’t absorb water, use epoxy-based adhesives. If the surface can absorb water, use either an epoxy-based or cement-based adhesive. Once you know what your substrate is made of, you can then decide on your best brick slip adhesive.
Things to Consider when Using Brick Slip Adhesives
There are a few things to be aware of before you begin looking at brick slip products online. You should always ensure:
- The surface is completely dry. Wet surfaces pose a problem when using non-porous surfaces, whereas dry surfaces mean it is easier for the brick adhesive to remain in place. Wet adhesives mean that the brick slips are too ‘heavy’ and don’t stay in one place as easily, instead just ‘floating’ down the wall.
- You don’t stick brick slips to the surface when the temperature is too low. Some adhesives rely on moisture in the air to cure, so lower temperatures (i.e. below 5 degrees Celsius) are not ideal climates to use certain epoxy-based ones.
- The adhesive is mixed correctly and is the right consistency. Mixing the adhesive properly will ensure a uniform, consistent texture and colour.
- You’re cautious with using too much at one time. Wall tile adhesives cure very quickly, so you should start with small amounts and build up once you are more familiar with the process.