Brick It - Thin brick veneer

[Conductor562]

So my Mom has decided she wants to brick her kitchen back splash. She looked around online and found this veneering system called Brickit. It's thin slices of real brick mounted with a railing system. Doesn't look to complicated. Anyone ever used or worked with it?

You can check it out HERE

 

[neonnblack]

http://www.brickit.com/index.asp?gclid=CMLKkYnZobgCFa9cQgod4gUAGQ

 

[neonnblack]

Cool looking stuff.

 

[77thor]

It reminds me of a product called "Z-Brick" that was used years ago.

 

[bull_duck]

What is the pricing to a home DIYer?

 

[Conductor562]

Don't know the pricing. With my parents, cost isn't a big concern. I will pass along the info when I find out though.

 

[Houndogforever]

Brick seems too porus for a back splash. You want tile or something that won't absorb the spaghetti sauce splash. Getting grunt out of the grout lines is enough of a job, having brick just seems like it would be a grunt sponge.

 

[03protege]

http://www.bricksalvage.com/catalog/

found this website, you can go with vintage reclaimed bricks for cheap.

 

[03protege]

Brick seems too porus for a back splash. You want tile or something that won't absorb the spaghetti sauce splash. Getting grunt out of the grout lines is enough of a job, having brick just seems like it would be a grunt sponge.

I agree with this, I would definitely try to seal it

 

[kbs2244]

It is the current “Z Brick.”
The problem with it is that you can tell it is not full thickness brick.
The grout just doesn’t look “right.”
Before you get too far along, find an install to check it out.
Don’t be surprised if you are disappointed.

 

[Kevin54]

Are you sure you can't talk your mom into tile? One reason is that you are going to have to put mortar between the bricks. You won't be able to grout them like you can tile. And any grease, dust, splatters, are going to settle onto the brick fave along with any horizontal surface the brick has. It won't be the easiest to clean. It may look nice, but brick isn't really kitchen friendly.

 

[BMW Rider]

It is the current “Z Brick.”
The problem with it is that you can tell it is not full thickness brick.
The grout just doesn’t look “right.”
Before you get too far along, find an install to check it out.
Don’t be surprised if you are disappointed.

I disagree. The modern stuff looks much better than the old Z-Brick did. My dad did a wall in our basement rec room with Z-brick many years back and there was no way anyone would believe it was real brick. Like you stated, the grout line was just the coloured mastic used to hold the bricks to the wall.

I used a veneer brick in my basement wine cellar and it has a much more realistic appearance. The bricks are applied like tile with thinset, then afterwards, the grout lines are filled with mortar and pointed just like true brick mortar joints would be. The result is a very realistic look. Its a lot more work, and the product was pricier than Z-Brick but its a much better look.

There are many styles of brick available, the one I chose was a rustic antique European hand made brick style which was the perfect illusion to make my wine room look like an ancient wine cellar.

 

[bimmer1980]

I checked into this system and it runs about $10 to $12 per square foot for the materials. It ended up that I could do real brick for less. I was looking at it as an alternative to real brick on the outside of my garage.

Right now I have 50,000 lbs of brick that I need to install.

The real perk to the system is that it could be easier than real brick to install. They have a metal pre-punch layout system that is screwed to the wall and then the thin brick is glued to the metal. Once the glue cures, it is tuck pointed with real mortar (modified).

I may still use this system on my dormers, but it is real brick for the rest of the garage.

 

[akdiesel]

BMW RiderThe brick looks good and fits perfect for the wine set up.

We used subway tile travertine for our backsplash. The travertine appears to be just as or more porous then brick but when we grouted the grout filled the small holes. We sprayed grout sealer over the hole wall and they clean up great, even with a spaghetti mishap.
For the spacing we used the plastic spacers and checked every once in a while with a level to keep it straight.

 

[beater74]

I wouldn't brick it. They will never be able to clean it.

 

[kbs2244]

I am glad you like it BMW rider.
With the flat, “country,” mortar work it blends into your décor.
It is a matter of style and taste.
I like a deeper mortar groove.
And you can’t get it with just a ½ inch of brick to work with.

And, like others have said, I don't think it is pratical for a backsplash.
Find a glazed tile she likes.