How to Install a Brick Floor With a Wood Inlay

Measure the height of both the bricks and the wooden inlay pieces to determine the difference between them. Add one-eighth inch to the height of the bricks to account for the thinset used for installing then.

Lay the wood inlay pieces onto the floor where you wish them positioned. Outline each piece with a pencil and then remove them.

Create a base for either the brick or wood if one is lower than the other in height. For wood, use a plywood sheet of the needed thickness. Measure the area of each wood inlay piece and then use a circular saw to cut the plywood to the appropriate shape to place beneath each one. If the brick pavers are lower, use a three-quarter-inch cement backerboard if the difference in height is three-quarters of an inch or more, or build up a mortar base using quarter-inch layers. Cut the backerboard to fit the areas between the outlined wood inlay pieces by measuring each space and then marking the measurements onto a piece of backerboard with a pencil. Scribe along the marked lines with a utility knife and snap the backerboard to cut to size.

Attach the base for the low items to the floor if needed, using finish nails for plywood, or thinset mortar for the backerboard. Nail the plywood to the floor, with the nails spaced every 12 inches. Drive the heads of the nails below the surface of the plywood with the hammer to allow the inlay to sit flush on the base surface. Mount the backerboard base if necessary using thinset mortar to hold it in place. Spread the mortar on the floor where the bricks will be laid using the flat of the thinset, and then press the backerboards in place.

Nail the inlay pieces to the floor where you positioned them earlier. Use face nails spaced 6 inches apart to hold the inlays in place, and set the nail heads beneath the inlay surface. Fill the nail holes with a wood putty the same color as the wood, using a putty knife.

Build up the mortar base for the bricks if needed by spreading thinset over the floor in an even layer, a quarter-inch at a time. Allow the mortar to set six hours to firm up before installing the bricks.

Mount the bricks to the floor using thinset spread onto the floor with a notched trowel. Use the notches on the edge of the trowel to create grooves in the top of the thinset before placing the bricks for better adhesion. Leave a space of an eighth inch between the bricks, and between the bricks and the wood, to allow for floor movement. Begin the brick surface at the side of a wooden inlay to set the level of the bricks even with those of the inlay.

Level the bricks using a carpenter’s level to determine those that are uneven, and a rubber headed mallet to tap the uneven bricks into place. If the bricks are too low, add additional mortar beneath them. Allow the mortar to set overnight.

Fill the joints between the bricks and the bricks and the inlay pieces with thinset. Fill a grout bag with the thinset and then place the nozzle onto the joint at the surface of the bricks. Squeeze the bag to push the mortar into the joints. Remove any excess mortar with a damp sponge as you move along, to avoid its drying in place. Allow the floor about seven days drying time before use.