How to Brick an Accent Wall

Bricks were once one of the most commonly used building materials for houses, but this is not always the case in modern homes. Many modern homes utilize cheaper materials that are easier to apply, like concrete, metal and plastic. If you like the look of brick and want to bring an old-fashioned or vintage element into your home, consider installing a brick accent wall. Expensive paints and wallpapers cannot compete with the authenticity of a real brick wall, and most homeowners are capable of installing one themselves.

Joint compound
Sandpaper
Wood slat
Level
Nails
Tile saw
Bricks
Mastic
Notched trowel
1/2-inch spacers
Grout bag
Grout or cement
Small trowel
Stiff brush

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare the wall you have chosen to use as your brick accent wall by filling any cracks or large holes with joint compound. Allow the compound to dry, then sand it away to create a smooth surface. Clean the wall of any dust or debris and remove any screws, nails or picture hooks.
- 2
  Cut a slat of wood the length of the wall and position it horizontally, flush with the bottom of the wall. Lay a level on top of the wood and adjust the wood until it is completely level. Secure the wood in place by driving a nail through it into the wall at each end and in the center. You may choose to leave a portion of the nail sticking out of the wood to make removal easier later. This piece of wood will serve as a ledger to help you keep your brick rows straight as you lay them.
- 3
  Cut 10 bricks in half using a tile saw and set them aside.
- 4
  Apply a generous layer of mastic, a type of tile adhesive, to a small section of the wall near the bottom corner using a notched trowel. The notched trowel will create grooves in the mastic, which will help to create a tighter seal once you install the bricks.
- 5
  Install your first full brick in the bottom corner of the wall by aligning the bottom edge with the ledger and the outside edge with the edge of the wall itself. Press the brick into the adhesive. Continue installing full bricks horizontally across the wall, making sure to line each up with the ledger. Maintain a 1/2-inch space between bricks, using spacers if needed.
- 6
  Install a half brick above the first brick, aligning the outer edge with the edge of the wall and leaving 1/2 inch of space between the two rows. Install full bricks to the end of the row. The center of the bricks in one row should be in line with the space between two adjacent bricks in the row above and below. This is called a running bond pattern, and it is one of the most commonly used patterns in brick masonry.
- 7
  Continue to install bricks using this pattern, moving vertically up the wall until you reach the halfway point.
- 8
  Apply a layer of mastic to the top half of the wall once you have finished bricking the lower half and complete the bricking pattern as before. Once you have installed all of the bricks, allow the adhesive to set for at least 24 hours. After this time, remove the ledger from the bottom of the wall.
- 9
  Fill a grout bag with your choice of grout or cement and squeeze it carefully into the gaps between the bricks. Spread the grout with a small trowel. After the grout has set for 20 minutes or so, tidy up the surface of the wall by going over the surface of the bricks with a stiff brush to remove any excess grout.
- 10
  Allow the grout to set for 24 hours, or longer if recommended by the manufacturer's instructions.

How to Fix Cracks Along the Seams of Walls

How to Remove & Redo Old Drywall Tape

Walls