# how can i cover brick?



## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

you can attach anything you want over it. Is this outside or an inside wall?


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## jupiter824 (Nov 14, 2009)

its outside..
i read something about the brick needing to breath?..is that true?


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

yes to a degree. Brick is a bit porous. As such water wicks into it. It must breath so the water can escape again. But you can cover it and avoid this problem and thus the need to breath.


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## Skuce (Nov 2, 2009)

You can never cover brick with the thought afterwards that it doesn't need to breathe.

There is ALWAYS a moisture transfer in a brick building. Either from the inside or the outside. But that is irrelevant. Water is water.

You suction bond seal it in with a cement stucco....I give you 5 years before it starts to pop off and/or blister (if you are in a freeze zone) or start causing rot problems somewhere that you least expect it..

How old is the house? Because that will define what stucco mix you will need to use to match the mortar that was used or "should" have been used. (unless it was a cosmetic brick veneer)


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## BJLower (Aug 2, 2008)

I'll asssume Waco is Waco Texas, so you don't have to worry about any frost heaving.

You'll find that you can put nice trim around your door and windows that's styrophome!

You cut the dtyrophome to the shape you wand it (like round over your grage door) and just glue it in place. It doesn't have to be a perfect match. You cover that with a green mesh and a cement like stuff that turns hard as a rock and then cover that with a stucco of your choice. I's never seen it done until a couple of construction workers redid a house down the street. Something tells me thier cost on materials was very low. To prove how strong it was he gave it a good smack with a hammer and it didn't leave a mark. He said that if you say hit it with the car by the garage door i would smask. He said just use a masonary blade and a chisel to knock the bad area out and reploace it. 

We're going to be giving it a try. We did figure out that to get the curve for over the garage doors we'll have to use a parking lot and the old string and pencile method to make the curve smooth. THey have the styrophome in designs as well.


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## Skuce (Nov 2, 2009)

lol.

look up the information about the Foam and Synthetic stucco's on Google.....then tag the words "Class Action Suit" on the end

Have fun reading


Hard non-breathing cement is the last thing you want near ANY brick


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## user64621 (Oct 16, 2009)

When you say "thin brick", I'm sure you mean just a veneer. Cover that up as you will,... stucco would be the easiest, most practical of options.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

medusa... said:


> When you say "thin brick", I'm sure you mean just a veneer. Cover that up as you will,... stucco would be the easiest, most practical of options.


I don't know how you make that assumption. A veneer brick is not thin. It's a standard thickness brick over a stud wall. The poster needs to post a picture as the description doesn't make sense. 
Interior veneer brick is thin, but this isn't something that should be put on the exterior of a house. Doesn't mean it wasn't done, but pictures would clear up the issue.
Ron


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## user64621 (Oct 16, 2009)

I don't know how you make the assumption he's talking about the outside of his house,... maybe he's saying the inside of his house has an ugly thin brick, which would lead to an interior ... thin brick ? I thought a brick is a brick (standard), but when I saw "thin" brick that's the first thing that popped in my head. 

Sorry


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

You can buy faux brick veneer. "Thin brick" may be referred to here. And this can be applied inside and outside. But I do not believe the OP is talking about this.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

If it is just a veneer, I would take it off and get it out of the way.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

We can post subjective guesses until the cows come home. The OP needs to post a picture so we can see what is actually on the house and not rely on vague or misleading information.
Ron


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