How to install brick cladding: A step-by-step guide

Do you want to try your hand at fitting brick slips? This product is easy to put up and can be handled even by people with minimal experience. How to install brick cladding, so you achieve the best result? Let’s find out!

Are you wondering how to install brick cladding on drywall or concrete blocks? Of course, the mounting process will be different depending on the type of product you use. One of the available options includes metal panels with pre-formed slots, which are mounted on the wall and enable easy and secure installation of individual brick slips. It’s a popular method, especially for external cladding. Another one uses sheets that contain about a dozen brick pieces placed in four rows and allows for much quicker and more efficient assembly. There’s also a traditional method of installation - brick by brick - which we’ll focus on in this article. 

Before you learn how to install brick cladding panels, you need to prepare the wall first. In order to do that, make sure the surface is thoroughly cleaned, wiped down, and then dried. Any leftover dust or grime can interfere with the subsequent efforts and the overall quality of the structure. When the wall is as clean as it can be, you can cover it with a primer that will improve the application of brick slips. Wait until it’s dry as well before moving to the following steps. 

Next, it’s time to prepare the adhesive that will be used to put the brick tiles on the wall. You should select a product specially formulated for this purpose so it has enough strength to hold each piece in place. In order to get the adhesive ready, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. It’s best to start with smaller amounts and add more of the product instead of mixing the whole bag right away. 

When the adhesive is ready, you can begin setting your first bricks. Start at the bottom and continue with the horizontal line before you move to the next. Use a spirit level to make sure the very first pieces are positioned straight, as they will serve as a base for other ones. When you’re ready to place a brick slip, take a little bit of adhesive and apply it with a spreader to the back of the tile to create about a 2-3mm layer of adhesive. Then put it on the chosen spot on the wall and check its levels. Use brick slip spacers between the pieces to maintain even distance. After you’re done with one row, move on to another, and so on. 

To complete your job and give the wall a classic look of brickwork, add mortar in the gaps between the bricks. Push it firmly into those spaces with a pointing trowel, and then finish the grouting with a brick jointer. And that’s how to install brick cladding!