Hand Trowel

Getting the wall ready for fixing Brick Slips is essential. Firstly, lay down your floor covering to prepare for loose dust. Ensure all surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and wiped down, getting rid of any dirt or grease that might affect how well the Brick Slips stick. Use a wire brush or scouring pad to lift off any excess dust.

When the wall is completely scrubbed clean, and dry if you’ve given it a wash, you can now add the primer. Brick Slips bonding primer is a PVA based liquid covering that creates a sealed surface, preparing the wall to fix Brick Slips. The primer is not an adhesive, and won’t stick the Brick Slips directly.

Using a spirit level, work out where you’re going to place your first Brick Slip. Start at the bottom, then work in horizontal strips. You should only need around 2-3mm thickness of adhesive, applied with a spreader, on the back of the Brick Slip to fully stick. Again, follow manufacturer’s instructions for guidance.

To help you set each Brick Slip correctly, Brick Slip spacers are 10mm T-shaped accessories placed between the Brick Slip you’ve fitted and the next - much like you would when tiling. The great thing about these spacers is that they can be left in place if you want flush mortar joints, or can be taken out and reused for recessed mortar joints. Our Brick Slip spacers come in bags of 200, and to cover one square meter of wall you should need approx 60 spacers.

Mortar provides an even, classic finish to your brickwork. The purpose of Brick Slip mortar is decorative, as the adhesive holds each piece in place. Some even prefer keeping gaps between the bricks for aesthetic reasons. 

Brick Slip mortar can be mixed to a standard cement mortar ratio of one part cement to two parts soft sand. Again, we strongly advise following the manufacturer’s guidance to make sure the mortar is made to meet the specific requirements of the project. For example, ratios can vary when using a mortar gun or mortar bag.

When applying the mortar, this should be pushed firmly into the gaps between each Brick Slip with a pointing trowel. You can then finish the pointing with the brick jointer.