How to prepare white mortar for masonry. Jointing for brickwork. Let's prepare a colored solution with our own hands

The process of making decorative masonry from special grades of bricks often faces the problem of lack of expression color scheme. Despite the relatively large number of colors and shades of facing bricks, most often the customer and the contractor argue about the color of the resulting building; one building can have too different shades and colors, even from the same batch of bricks.

For what purposes was the colored solution invented?

In addition to the unpleasant effects of lime or salt efflorescence on a red or dark background, the color and shade of the bond joint can radically change the shade, overall impression and perception of colored masonry. Craftsmen involved in decorative masonry know firsthand about the insidious effect of darkening the original color of a wall. The rich fiery red or beige color of the brick acquired a grayish tint upon completion of the masonry.

The reason is the gray or dark gray color of the brickwork joint. Approximately 15% of the surface of a brick wall is occupied by the joint surface, gray and featureless. Bright shade a finished building can be darkened by even 3% of street dust that has settled on the brick, and 15% of a gray seam can completely ruin appearance building.

To prevent loss of shades, experienced craftsmen take some measures in advance:

• The interbrick joint is grouted with grout mixtures of various colors and compositions;
• A brick wall is painted with special color compounds that reveal the color and, often, give the brick texture water repellent properties, preventing efflorescence and discoloration;
• They use a colored mortar for laying bricks; after jointing and contouring the seam, the required color and shade of the entire brick building is achieved.

For your information ! Despite the fact that there are only five basic pigments for producing a colored binder, in practice, using additives in bricklaying mortar, it is possible to obtain about 30 individual colors and shades.

Using the capabilities of colored solutions

Ability to manipulate color characteristics brickwork or even individual sections of the wall makes it possible to professionally emphasize the beauty of the texture of the material, especially in the rays of the setting or rising sun.

In what cases is it preferable to change the color of the seam?

By choosing the color of the seam, it can be highlighted with maximum contrast, strength, or, conversely, merged into one color with the brick. In both cases, the effect is achieved by using special mineral paints and a couple of compounds that prevent the loss of astringent properties and protect the coloring pigment from destruction and leaching.

Contrast is a universal way to emphasize the expressiveness of masonry

White mortar for bricklaying has always been and will remain the champion in efficiency and expressiveness. In combination with any, except yellow color, shades and colors allows you to visually make masonry on colored mortar light and bright. The question of how to make white mortar for bricklaying always depends on the economic feasibility of such an undertaking.

The white color of the masonry seam can be obtained:

• adding excess slaked lime;
• zinc oxides;
• titanium oxide.

The latter compound produces an exceptionally high-quality white color that is resistant to oxidation for ten years. Previously, white lead additives were used, but due to the toxicity of lead, its use was abandoned long ago.

The high cost of titanium salts often forces one to resort to trickery. To obtain a colored seam, two different types of mortar are actually used. The first is the usual one based on a cement-sand mixture. The second is a colored, white composition that is mixed based on white cement M-500 with the addition of a coloring pigment. Brick laying is done using both mortars. The first mixture fills the entire area for laying bricks, not reaching outer edge walls 2-3cm. The space left for the outer part of the seam is carefully filled with a colored - white solution.

In addition to excellent frost resistance, white cement It has a dense structure and retains moisture very well, which prevents the penetration of some of the salts of the usual solution onto the wall surface in the form of stains and efflorescence.

The use of colored solutions to mask masonry seams

In addition to contrasting the line of brick laying, a colored binder can be used to completely hide the structure of the wall. At the same time, the mortar joint itself has an absolute color match with the painting facing bricks. When the seam is cleaned, it is leveled flush with the bricks and, after drying, even follows its texture. The wall may look like a monolith or have a completely different pattern, a larger grid of blocks made of several bricks, or specifically outlined and shaded.

And often this is not a whim of the artistic imagination of the home owner. Experts recommend a similar technique to increase the thermal insulation characteristics of walls. In addition, the main problems with cracking of beautiful ceramic bricks are associated with the intensive absorption of moisture by the masonry through the mortar joint recessed into the wall.

The leveling technique is effective, but requires considerable effort and knowledge in accurately selecting the composition of the colored binder. As the colored seam dries, it lightens. Moreover, under the influence of the sun and rain moisture, part of the coloring pigment may fade, which is why a thin mesh of the seam appears against the background of the wall, but clearly visible from a distance.

Specifics of preparing colored solutions

To produce rich and bright colors, metal salts are most often used - iron, nickel, chromium, cobalt, copper. They are stable and resistant to heat and low temperatures. In addition to the coloring pigment, it is important to choose the right supporting base for the color mixture, usually white cement in bright colors or slag Portland cement for dark, almost black colors. The most durable brands have a distinct dark, almost black color, which helps to obtain a black mortar for bricklaying.

Previously, carbon black additives were used for black or very dark colored compositions, but, as it turned out, amorphous carbon greatly reduces the strength of the solidified solution due to poor wetting; now the carbon black has been replaced with complex iron salts.

Let's prepare a colored solution with our own hands

The main difficulty in preparing a colored solution is exact dosage dye into a stock white or gray solution. Often, a colored solution acquires its true shade only after prolonged stirring and complete dissolution of the dye. Therefore, before mixing the main portion of the colored solution, several test mixtures are performed with different amounts of dye and water. The pigment itself must first be dissolved in warm water, with a slight settling of undissolved grains of dye.

Next, a dye solution, half of the cement and a third of the amount of sand are poured into a mixer or hand mixer in small portions. As the solution is beaten and mixed, the rest of the cement and sand is added. Usually total quantity pigment placed in the solution is not recommended for more than a tenth of the solution M100 and 1/12 for M75-M45.

Advice ! If you need a complex shade of a colored solution, it is better to use a branded colored solution; your own experiments will often require a large number of experiments and test batches, which will cost several times more.

Innovations in the use of colored masonry mortars

The desire to give the walls of a house a refined and slightly pretentious look pushes craftsmen to unusual solutions in the use of colored solutions. A small addition of finely ground glass powder with a fluorescent component makes the grout mesh glow against the background of dark brick for several hours after sunset.

One more unusual use is the grouting of colored mortar joints with a mixture that changes its color depending on the temperature environment. Thus, as the wall made of facing bricks warms up or cools down, it can change its shade and texture pattern.

Such things can be called eccentricity, but practice shows that those who like to decorate their homes in the most in an unusual way There is enough, which means there will always be a couple of fresh offers to meet demand.

Conclusion

The reliability of the quality of coloring pigments is also important. Most of the color components and pigments sold, even in wholesale transactions, are counterfeits; you need to understand this and be prepared for a thorough analysis and comparison of the purchased product.

Salts of non-ferrous metals are quite expensive raw materials, and in counterfeits they are often replaced with aniline water-soluble dyes. Most often, the durability of colored solutions suffers. After a season or two, the dyes fade or are washed out by rain moisture. In this case, it is necessary to treat the seams with a weak acid solution and grout them with new grout or repaint the entire wall.

Sometimes experts advise testing a sample of a dry mixture of a colored solution by heating it over an open fire to a temperature of 250 o C; theoretically, a high-quality mixture should not discolor; a fake will lose color. But there are no practical methods for such verification yet.

All masonry mixtures existing today are a special type of building material that is widely used for masonry or wall cladding using individual elements, including various types of bricks. To make durable and high-quality masonry, it is necessary to take into account characteristics composition different types mixtures, prepare the working solution correctly and follow the application technology.

High-quality masonry mixtures are special complexes that, when sealed with water, can form a ready-to-use, durable, elastic, high performance characteristics mortar suitable for construction or finishing works. The components of dry mixtures, as a rule, do not differ much, and are presented:

• a binder, which can be either natural clay or cement;
• the main component in the form of fractionated sand or expanded clay concrete;
• solvent in the form of pure water;
• a variety of additional mineral components.

If there is a need to obtain a brick masonry mixture that optimally matches the color scheme with the masonry being performed, a variety of natural dyes and pigmenting substances.

Selection principles

The key task of the masonry mortar is to perform a connecting function between all elements of the structure being built, and the choice of mixture should be based on the mandatory consideration of the following principles:

• the composition of the working solution for performing work in summer and winter has certain differences;
• when choosing a mixture, it is necessary to take into account the location of the object, since underground and above-ground work is carried out using solutions of different compositions;
• laying with clinker bricks is carried out using a working solution of a special composition;
• When constructing stove or fireplace structures, the use of cement mortars must be excluded.

Type of binder component included in standard solution, allows you to determine the type of hardening, which can be either hydraulic or air. If there is one binder component, then we have a simple mixture represented by lime and cement compositions. The presence of several binding elements is a sign of a complex masonry mixture, which can have high ductility and successfully resist cracking under negative influences. external factors.

When ready-made is needed
masonry mixture for bricks

Main types

Today, the initial parameters of the mortar make it possible to subdivide all masonry construction and finishing mixtures into several main types.

Color mixture

Cladding activities using bricks often involve the use of colored mixtures. Such compositions have certain advantages, and the standard composition includes fine-grained inorganic components in the form of lime or cement, water and colored fillers. The ready-made mixture is typically filled with a mineral dye based on iron oxide. The total volume of dyes should not exceed 8% by weight of the entire solution. A high-quality color mixture can be represented by the following main components:

• cement grade M500, which reduces the release of salts and gives the masonry optimal strength;
• fractional washed sand, eliminating the presence of clay and foreign impurities;
• mineral-type colored pigment components that provide sufficient resistance to adverse weather conditions for long-term use and give an aesthetic appearance;
• polymer additives that provide high strength and water resistance.

The use of color mixtures allows a harmonious combination of the color of the brick with the coloring of the seams. At self-production you need to remember that to obtain light colors, only white cement is added, and to achieve dark shade Gray cements should be added.

Making your own mixtures

For the purpose of preparing the simplest and most popular masonry mortar with your own hands building bricks need to prepare:

The preparation technology is simple and consists of adding cement and sand to a small amount of filtered water, thoroughly stirring and adding the remaining water. The resulting mixture should be stirred for about three to four minutes. It is important to remember that the sand used for preparing mixtures must be sifted, and large volumes of masonry require the use of a concrete mixer.

The optimal consistency of the composition has characteristic homogeneity and elasticity. Works with silicate or ceramic bricks carried out with cement-sand mortars.

Independent calculation of consumption

Step-by-step calculation of consumption allows you to obtain the most accurate amount of solution with minimal errors. First you need to calculate the area of ​​the masonry, excluding the area of ​​door and window openings, and then calculate the amount of mortar per each cubic meter of area - a third of a cubic meter of mixture.

For example: the task is to erect a one-story building, with a wall length of 15 m and a ceiling height of 3.4 m. The presence of seven windows measuring 1.8 x 1.2 m and a pair doorways 2.1 x 1.3 m.

Independent calculation of masonry with outer thickness at 64 cm and internal thickness at 25 cm, will be as follows:

• determine the total volume of the external walls: (4 walls x 15 m x 3.4 m – 7 windows x 1.8 m x 1.2 m – 2 doors x 2.1 m x 1.3 m) x 0.64 m;
• determine the total volume interior walls: (42 m x 3.4 m – 5 x 2 x 1.3) x 0.25 m;
• we calculate the ratio of aggregates and binding components 4:1;
• calculate the amount of cement.

As a rule, the following proportions are used when mixing:

• one part cement;
• three parts of sifted sand;
• ½ part water.

To prepare the most common types of mortar, the following proportions of sand and cement are recommended:

• 5:1 for the manufacture of grade M25;
• 4:1 for the manufacture of grade M50;
• 3:1 for the manufacture of grade M75;

For example, to prepare M25 you need to mix 2 tons of sifted sand, 0.26 tons of M400 cement and add 350 liters of water. The ratio may vary depending on many factors, including soil and climatic conditions and the location of the work. Clinker facing bricks require compositions with increased viscosity. Increase strength lime mortar possible using hammer slag. A properly prepared mixture spreads quite slowly.

Consumption standards

Depending on the thickness of the brickwork, standard standards for the consumption of working material may vary.

The most common grades used for brickwork are M50, M75, M100, M125, M150 and M200.

According to SP 82-101-98, when preparing mortars for brickwork, you need to focus on certain parameters. A tabular example of obtaining a cubic meter of working composition using a concrete mixer with a capacity of 200 liters.

SP 82-101-98. Preparation and use of construction mortars

To increase strength, it is advisable to add a plasticizer, which saves about ten percent of cement. As a result, there is no delamination, and application of the composition becomes much easier.

If there is a need to paint, the pigments are first diluted in a small amount of warm water and then added to the first portion of the concrete mixer composition. Standard additives, such as modifiers, plasticizers and hardeners, must be added to the same portion. The correct ratio is always prescribed by the manufacturer of building materials on the packaging or in the attached instructions.

Features of traditional masonry

Technological processes and principles are based on certain key parameters, including masonry thickness:

• half a brick - thickness is 12 cm;
• in one brick - thickness is 25-26 cm;
• one and a half bricks - thickness is 38 cm;
• two bricks - thickness 58 cm;
• at two and a half - the thickness is 64 cm.

Construction ceramic blocks installed on a layer of special solution or bed. The same mixture is used to fill the gaps or seams between the elements. The standard thickness of the aggregate should not exceed a centimeter. Specialists in the field of finishing and construction work practice several types of laying elements, but the most common and simplest is the chain construction of walls. The following masonry options can also be used:

• continuous type;
• with four-row ligation of seams;
• with an air gap;
• well.

The choice of construction method depends on the height of the structure, its purpose, quality characteristics and dimensions of building materials.

Tools used

To build quality walls or to perform aesthetic cladding, it is very important to ensure that you have a complete set of tools.

When working you will need to use:

If necessary, you need to prepare in advance scaffolding or any devices that allow all construction or finishing work to be carried out safely and efficiently at a sufficient height.

Step-by-step instruction

It is important to note that it is necessary to lay elements, regardless of the parameters of the structure being constructed, from the corners, following simple technology.

Step 1. Take a couple of bricks and place them, maintaining a right angle, on the foundation base, checking the accuracy of the location with a building triangle.

Step 2. Lay the next pair of elements, and then lay two more on top of the resulting group of four bricks, allowing the next row to overlap the previous row.

Step 3. Having drawn the area into three elements, you need to carry out the same work on the other corner, using ordering and pulling moorings, which will allow the rows to be oriented strictly horizontally. The lacing should be located approximately every 5 m, without sagging.

Single-row masonry involves the construction of the beginning outer wall, and then internal, after which the backfill is laid. Multi-row masonry involves arranging blocks in a mixed or stepwise manner.

Rules for applying the solution

Today, in modern brick construction, several effective ways applying the working solution. When laying it yourself, it is enough to choose the most convenient option.

First way

Step 1. Lift the element previously laid on a dry surface with your left hand.

Step 2. Using your right hand, apply the solution to the installation area and use your fingers to level it to the optimal thickness.

Step 3. With your left hand, lower the brick into the water and place a small amount of mortar on the side.

Step 4. Place the element on the “bed” and press it, slowly moving it back and forth, which helps to obtain a thin seam.

Second way

Step 1. Place the element on the working solution distributed over the surface.

Step 2. While lifting the back of the brick, lower its front side so that the forward movement causes the mixture to accumulate with the butt edge.

Step 3. Using both hands, push and press the brick against the adjacent element, squeezing out the excess amount of mortar.

Third way

Step 1. Gently but thoroughly wet the brick in warm water.

Step 2. Apply a heap of solution to a well-moistened surface.

Step 3. Apply the mixture to the end part, then lay the brick and press it, moving it back and forth with both hands.

The laying of every third or fourth row must necessarily end with filling the seam space, which will make it possible to obtain more attractive seams, and also help to increase their resistance to temperature changes. Among other things, such an event is aimed at a kind of prevention of destruction of the structure as a result of negative impact moisture. The only option when it is permissible to neglect such a procedure - finishing walls with plaster.

It should be noted that it is necessary to control the quality of installation almost constantly, and each square meter of the constructed surface must be checked for the correctness of corner connections, vertical and horizontal indicators using a plumb line, building level and square. It is strictly forbidden to shift the laid elements after the solution has hardened.

If it is impossible to make it yourself building mixture, can already be used ready-made compositions from such well-established manufacturers as Osnovit-Brikform, Knauf, PKF Stroybeton, Rusean, Vilis, PERFEKTA and DAUER.

Video - Masonry mixture for bricks

Video - Bricklaying with colored mortar

Mortar of various colors for facing a brick wall - latest development, offered on the construction market, which is very popular. The article will tell you what the secret of this solution is and how to use it.

Colored material for brickwork is a unique building material used in finishing the facades of brick buildings. The color of the solution can be matched to the color of the facing material.

It gives originality to the entire building and sets it apart from other houses by the fact that there are no visible seams on it.

Construction mortars are a special fine-grained mixture consisting of clean water, inorganic substances and special fine aggregate. This material is used in the process of repair, internal and external finishing work during the laying of brick walls.

Construction mortars are divided into several main types:

• air - the main components are fine special aggregate and a special binder air mixture;
• waterproofing - white cement with an admixture of ferric chloride, ceresite and sodium aluminate;
• ceresite is a white solution containing ammonia, lime and amyl acid;
• masonry - consist of either cement with lime, or cement with clay;
• acoustic - contain gypsum, white cement, lime and fine aggregate.

The main component of colored masonry mortar is white cement, to which various mineral dyes are added in a certain amount, depending on the saturation of the desired color.

The proportion of dye in the mixture can be 1-8%. Contents higher than this are not recommended. Also among the components of the solution are polymer additives, providing stability, resistance to moisture absorption and strength of the composition, washed sand and persistent chemical mineral pigments that prevent the formation of efflorescence on the wall surface.

Sometimes, in order to improve the formulation of a color mixture, manufacturers add various additional components to their composition that increase the adhesive characteristics of the building composition, its ductility and durability, giving it good properties moisture retention and reducing consumption rates
material. White cement in the mortar helps achieve a pure color.

The range of application of the composition in construction is quite wide: finishing of internal and external walls using facing material, plastering surfaces, finishing fireplaces. The use of a colored composition gives a special charm to the entire house and the room inside.

The strength of masonry is created due to the durability of the components of its masonry elements, including the strength of the masonry composition.

Advantages of the solution

Like any other material, colored masonry mortar has its advantages over concrete:

• dries quickly enough - within 3 hours;
• the color and concentration of the solution can be chosen as desired;
• the surface of the solution is not covered with efflorescence;
• affordable price.

This solution also has several positive properties:

• after complete drying, the colored material has good strength and protects the wall well from all kinds of damage;
• the seams look very neat, minor wall defects are smoothed out, the surface takes on a finished look;
• this masonry is durable, since the colored building material is distinguished by its high strength of connection with the brick;
• the solution is not afraid of moisture and frost;
• is an environmentally friendly building material;
• does not fade in the sun;
• leaves no traces after contact with the surface finishing material(if removed in time).

Special manufacturing technology greatly facilitates construction work:

• in one working cycle it is possible to perform both masonry and grouting;
• the high plasticity of the building material ensures a fairly easy and fast masonry process;
• During laying, the brick does not need to be pre-wetted, thanks to high humidity solution;
• durable masonry without cracks is ensured as a result of strong adhesion to the stone;
• Correctly selected color of masonry mortar and grout helps to avoid unpleasant surprises in the form of fading, dampening and leaching, providing durability and external beauty to the entire home.

How to choose

When choosing a color mixture for masonry colored mortar, it is very important to pay attention to certain nuances that will help you purchase quality material and avoid a lot of trouble.

When purchasing building materials, you should pay attention to the degree of moisture absorption of the brick. Different types bricks differ in this indicator, which varies from 2% to 15%.

Fresh masonry made from different types of brick absorbs water differently. If the solution gains strength too slowly or too quickly, the properties of the masonry deteriorate significantly. To prevent this from happening, construction market offers masonry mortars with different moisture retention rates: low - 5-6% range, medium - 7-10%, high - 10-15%. The compositions of the first group are well suited for clinker bricks, the second - used when working with facing bricks, the third - for sand-lime brick. Some companies also produce colored compositions for summer and winter masonry.

When choosing a colored masonry mixture, you need to decide on the desired color. Domestic companies offer big choice shades (about 35 colors). Foreign manufacturers produce about 50 colors. Sometimes, when ordering, a company can create an individual shade that is not in the catalog, especially for the customer.

The most popular shades of solutions are: white, beige, yellow, brown of various shades, terracotta, red, green light shades, pink, gray and black.

The experience of masters shows that ocher masonry mortar goes well with yellow brick, chocolate with red, white with gray. For the right choice It is best to consult a specialist about the color of the mortar, since the beauty and color of the wall depends half on the seams.

You can choose a color in two ways:

1. Determine the shade based on the color of the brick. In this case, the seams will be invisible, and the wall itself will look monolithic.
2. Great to play in contrast. In this situation, there is an excellent opportunity to express the texture and color of the material, create harmony in the color of wall and door cladding, and the finishing of any architectural elements and roofing.

The thickness and type of masonry joint also influence the choice of shade, since occupying 15-20% of the area of ​​the entire wall, the joints can completely change the appearance of the house.

A multi-colored masonry composition may have the “University” characteristic, which is an indicator that this composition can be used for interior and exterior applications for all types of brick, artificial stone, etc.

How to cook properly

Preparing a laying solution is not at all difficult, but the process has some nuances, so you need to carefully read the instructions before starting work.

For better mixing, you can use a regular concrete mixer. If she's not there,
You can prepare the solution manually or using an electric drill with a special whisk attachment. To mix the material, you need to pour clean water into a container (120-250 ml per 1 kg of mixture), add the powder and mix well until the consistency of sour cream. Now you need to leave it to rest for 5-7 minutes so that all the color additives are well dissolved and mix again. Now you can get to work.

Do not forget that in the cold season the dry mixture must be diluted with warm water, and also that the composition hardens quite quickly (about 3 hours). When the composition begins to lose its plasticity and harden, it is strictly forbidden to add water to the composition. The material can only be revived by stirring. After 3 hours, the solution cannot be used.

When the next portion of masonry mortar is needed, the mixture must be diluted in the same proportions, otherwise the color of the mortar will not match.

When using a multi-colored masonry mortar for the first time, experts advise applying it to an inconspicuous area of ​​the masonry to determine the color and its saturation. If you don’t like the shade, you can add water or a dry mixture. The proportions of water must be strictly observed: if the solution is too dry, it will crack, and if it is too liquid, it will be squeezed out of the seams.

Without a doubt, such a composition can be prepared independently by mixing white cement and the desired dye. But, due to the fact that a lot of mortar is required for masonry, it is very difficult to choose exactly the same shade in a new batch. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and use a ready-made mixture.

The prepared masonry composition must be used immediately. It is applied in an even layer over the entire surface of the brick block, making sure that no gaps or voids are formed.

How to lay facing bricks correctly

After the walls have been erected and insulated, you can begin laying facing bricks. The solution should be applied in a small layer 1.5-2 cm thick, not reaching the edge by about 1 cm. When using this type of solution, it is necessary that the thickness of the seams be the same. For this, a square lath with a side of 8 mm and a length of 1 m will be used. Using it, a gap is laid on the brick for the seam, then a row of bricks is laid according to the size of the lath. For vertical seams, you can use another strip of shorter length.

It is better to start facing from a corner, 5-6 rows high, and then level the rest of the bricks along them. During laying, you must immediately remove any mortar that appears from the surface.

The color composition is applied to brick block using a special steel spatula, taking into account the thickness of the seam of 10-20 mm. The laying is carried out along a complete seam with further processing of this surface with a special jointing tool. On the front side, the seams are processed directly during masonry work. If a light-colored solution is used, then to prevent oxidation of the solution from interaction with metal, it is best to use a special wooden or plastic jointing tool.

The use of modern colored masonry mortars will give the house a certain uniqueness and charm and increase its durability.

Material for construction country house often it is brick. It looks very elegant, and at the same time it has mass useful properties- for example, it retains heat well in the finished building. And even finishing brick also brings considerable benefits, and also performs an aesthetic function. And to make the house even prettier, you can add additional decorative elements. For example, grouting the joints of brickwork looks impressive, and, as it turned out, brings considerable benefits.

Grouting the seams of brickwork is the alignment of the seams formed during the laying of bricks, their decorative design, possibly applying an additional layer of mortar of a different color, which will effectively emphasize the correctness of the lines and the neatness of the masonry itself. This is a unique way of finishing walls, thanks to which they will become more expressive and neat. The grout combines the horizontal and vertical seams formed during the bricklaying process into a single whole.

Grouting the joints of brickwork is necessary not only for decorating the facade of the house. It makes the masonry more resistant to weather conditions, increases its tightness, and increases the service life of the entire structure. That is, it increases the density and strength of the masonry seam and makes it possible to give clarity to its pattern.

On a note! Grouting joints is not always able to improve the appearance of masonry. If the work on building a brick wall was carried out carelessly and carelessly, then the curvature of the seams and walls, unremoved pieces of excess cement and other defects cannot be corrected even by the best and most careful applied mixture for grouting.

The main purposes of using grouting or grouting.

1. Improving the appearance of the facade of the house. The use of grout mixtures that have different shades (and their color range is quite rich) can emphasize the neatness of brick laying. Contrasting shades are often used, for example, light-colored grout looks good in combination with dark brick and vice versa.
2. Grouting will protect the cement mortar seams from moisture, which will significantly improve its service life, as well as the house and walls as a whole.
3. The thermal and sound insulation values ​​of walls made of bricks are significantly increased by grouting the joints.

Where can jointing be used? After all, it’s not always possible to see houses with such finishing, which means, theoretically, you can do without it? Grouting is necessary if the walls of a brick house will not be tiled or plastered in the future.

Advice! If the walls of the house will be decorated using grouting, then during masonry it is necessary to use only intact and neat bricks without flaws. And the seams between individual bricks should be of the same thickness, although some craftsmen make the horizontal ones slightly thicker than the vertical ones - this is a kind of design move. In general, according to the requirements of SNIP, the thickness of the joint layer of brickwork should be as follows: vertical joints from 8 to 15 mm, horizontal joints from 10 to 15 mm.

Grouting joints is suitable for any type of brick - construction, facing. The main thing is that the bricks themselves are beautiful if grouting work is planned specifically for aesthetic purposes. She looks very good on façade walls at home, and indoors. Also excellent option The joints of natural stone masonry may be grouted.

Grouting methods

Grouting brickwork joints can be done in several ways. The effect that can be given to the walls of the building will depend on this. Let's take a look at the most popular of these methods.

Table. Grouting methods.

What is used for grouting

What might be needed to grout the joints between bricks? Not as much as it might seem. First, you need the grouting solution itself, the creation of which we will talk about a little later. Secondly, we also need tools with which all the work will be done.

To grout the joints you will need:

• spatula (trowel);
• “spinner” for a hammer drill or a construction mixer;
• the hammer drill itself is directly used for working with the “turntable”;
• fine sieve for sifting sand;
• container for mixing the solution;
• jointing of such a size that its width is equal to the width of the seam between two bricks. If the width of the vertical and horizontal seams is different, then two types of this device will be needed.

Note that the main tools that may be used are listed here. But in some cases they may not be useful at all. For example, if you do not plan to make a shaped gap, then you can simply remove fresh excess cement during laying with a trowel.

Preparing the solution

The color of the grouting solution is determined after the masonry is completely completed. But in general, you can choose the color scheme at the stage of choosing a brick. It is better to buy materials that match each other in color as closely as possible; they should be in harmony with each other, and not make you want to immediately look away from the wall of the house. But often designers experiment with a combination of two bright contrasting colors, and such experiments often look very impressive and beautiful.

On a note! If the desired color was not available, then you can grout the seams with ordinary cement-sand mortar. In any case, it will look nice, as it has a grayish natural color, in harmony with all other shades.

To prepare the mixture itself, which will be used to grout the joints on the brickwork, you will need the following components:

• cement High Quality– 4 buckets;
• clean fine sand - 2 buckets;
• dry ready-mix for preparing grout mortar;
• clean water - about 6 liters.

Note: the volumes of materials are approximate, but will allow you to roughly calculate costs.

To prepare the solution, you need to carefully sift the sand using a fine sieve, removing large fractions and possible debris from it. One part of the entire sifted material must then be mixed with two parts of dry cement, after which a little water is added to this composition and everything is mixed to a thick mixture of uniform consistency with a construction mixer. Then the grout mixture and water are added and everything is thoroughly mixed again.

The finished mixture should be allowed to brew. After the solution swells a little, having absorbed the liquid, it is mixed again. That's it, the solution is ready for use.

Quick Mix series VK 01 – Masonry mortar with route for facing bricks

The process of grouting brickwork joints may be monotonous, but quite simple. Any person can carry it out, so the owner suburban area will be able to cope with this task on his own.

On a note! It is important to carry out grouting work only when the bricklaying is completely completed. Otherwise, there is a risk of ruining all your work. It is important to take into account the weather conditions during the work, humidity and the quality of the materials used for grouting - all this will significantly affect the quality of the entire work.

Step 1. Grouting of masonry joints should be done on a clean and prepared surface; it is even advisable that the cement mortar has already been dried. First of all, the surface of the seams is cleaned of debris with a brush.

Step 2. Then the seams are washed with regular clean water from the hose. In addition, this procedure will ensure that the brick itself does not draw water from the cement mixture.

Step 3. The grouting solution is prepared according to all the rules.

Attention! If you use a ready-made mixture for grouting, then you need to prepare it as written on the package. The above instructions are just a rough guide.

Step 4. The prepared mixture is placed on a large spatula, which is then placed close to the seam. Using a narrow joint, the mixture is carefully but quickly applied to the horizontal seams, in the process lightly pressing into the gap to remove air from the cavity.

Step 5. It is convenient to fill vertical seams if you hold a little mixture in your palm. By the way, builders advise first filling the vertical joints and only then moving on to the horizontal ones.

Step 6. After filling the joints with grout, its remnants are removed with a brush. The work has been completed.

Attention! After applying the solution to the seams, it is important to immediately remove any excess, if any. Otherwise, they will freeze and ruin all your work. You can form the shape of the seams when the solution has set a little.

Video - Method of grouting brickwork joints

Grouting old masonry joints

Grouting of joints can be done not only on fresh masonry. Using this method you can improve the appearance of old brick building. This is especially true if the mortar in the gaps has already begun to deteriorate, causing the thermal insulation of the entire structure to deteriorate.

If grouting is done on old brickwork, then you must first remove part of the old mortar (about 1-2 cm). This is done using a chisel and a hammer. You can also wash off the remains of the old mortar using a special device that blasts the masonry with a powerful stream of water (for example, a mini high-pressure washer).

Without understanding what kind of architectural element it is, when it is needed and what requirements are put forward for it. Only taking into account these data can you choose the optimal brick for the plinth, taking into account all the parameters and performance characteristics.

And finally, a few tips and secrets that will help improve the quality of the work performed.

Grouting brickwork joints is one of the most durable ways to decorate the appearance of a brick facade wall. It looks very impressive, and all the work is easy to do yourself, without the help of specialists. And this is undoubtedly a huge plus.

White mortar for bricklaying is used to decorate country buildings. To give greater expressiveness to the masonry, use different colors of mortar, not just white. For each type of brick you can choose suitable design. How to get a colored seam?

Colored grout looks much better than regular gray, which is why they are often used to decorate the front sides of a house.

Despite the fact that brickwork even by itself looks quite presentable, almost 15% of the brick wall will be occupied by stripes - seams between the elements. The classic version of brickwork has a dark red color and a white seam, which visually separates the elements from each other. Thanks to this combination of colors, the entire structure will be perceived completely differently - details, volume, shadows and texture of materials will be visible.

If you choose the wrong color for the seams, then the masonry will lose its appearance, become faded and inexpressive, and the appearance of the building will fade. Over time, under the influence of external factors and weather, the seam will turn gray, after which it will lose its attractiveness. The gray seam practically does not separate the elements, so the feeling of volume and expressiveness of forms disappears. This is how only 15% of the masonry area can affect the visual perception of the entire structure. It is worth remembering that attention to small details helps improve the perception of many buildings.

Fortunately, you can avoid all of these unwanted faded visual effects by choosing the right seam materials.

How to create a white seam?

If you want to decorate your dark brick home with white joints, choose your additives very carefully. Also the classic version of the seam is pure white can be done using the following methods:

1. The space between the bricks is grouted with special grouts that give the material color. It will not be possible to create a snow-white seam.
2. The brick structure is treated with special compounds that help the materials develop color. The same composition has excellent protective properties and protects the wall from wear.
3. When constructing a brick structure, a mortar with an appropriate shade of color, for example, white, is used. Jointing and contouring help achieve purity in the color of joints in brickwork.

White color helps to emphasize the volume and texture of the structure, thanks to it it is possible to highlight details and individual elements walls, which is why it is used so often with red, orange and brown bricks.

You can get it in the following ways using a standard masonry solution:

• add more slaked lime;
• use nitric oxide in the composition;
• get titanium oxide.

Unfortunately, each option is costly in its own way.

Cooking tips

White masonry mortar for bricks can be created in different ways, but it is spent on the components of the mortar Money it will take a lot. The highest quality white color is produced by titanium oxide in solution. The whiteness of such a mixture does not disappear for decades.

1. To create a high-quality white masonry mortar, you will have to mix two types of mixture. The first will be on a cement-sand base, and the second is made on the basis of white M500 cement with dye additives (titanium oxide).
2. When laying, both mixtures are used, but in a certain order.
3. When laying bricks, the inner part is filled with the first mixture of sand, and covered with the second outer part bricks The quality of construction is not lost, but the appearance changes.

The adhesion of materials will not allow one type of solution to separate from another until it dries completely. In addition, if the house is made of dark brick, various traces of dye will not be visible on it, which happens in some cases if you add the wrong component to the mixture, since the solution will not flow.

Mixing the solution

You will need for the solution:

• white cement;
• dye;
• sand;
• water;
• capacity;
• kneading tool.

Don’t try to make a solution right away, as it probably won’t work. Mix in small containers samples to check the final color.

The composition of the mixture will be with the following proportions: cement to sand 1:3. In this case, the dye should not be more than 10% of the amount of cement. The sand should be clean, river, medium size. Mix all the ingredients dry, and then gradually add warm water to obtain the required consistency. Let it sit for a while, then stir it in, and you can start laying.

Another option is to stir the dye separately in water until the small particles dissolve in the liquid. Then the components of the mixture are gradually poured into one container: half cement, 1/3 sand, and the rest is dye.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk2ziNXPVBA

For cement grade M100, the amount of dye in the solution should be no more than 1/10, and for M75 and below - no more than 1/12.

Conclusion

If you want to decorate your red brick house, use the technology of grouting the joints with colored mortar.

This is one of the most economical options updating the appearance of brickwork. In this case, the solution may change its color depending on environmental conditions, which means that the appearance of the wall will change along with the temperature around it.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlWgCJBWje0

The most reliable way to permanently give your brick country house visual appeal is to lay the bricks on a colored mortar. The methods for preparing the mixture have been described, all that remains is to apply the knowledge in practice.