How to Lay Brick Pavers Inside
Brick pavers installed indoors provides the look of a real brick floor without the expense and difficulties of laying the actual bricks. Thin brick pavers, 1/2 inch thick, install with the ease of floor tile. They come in a variety of colors, matching the large selection available with full-sized bricks. They're also as durable as full-sized brick, so once you lay them on the floor they should last for decades with minimal maintenance. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Pry bar
- Floor cleaner
- Cement fiber board
- Drill
- Galvanized screws
- Utility knife
- Fiberglass tape
- Brick pavers
- Thin-set mortar
- Notched trowel
- Carpenter's level
- Rubber mallet
- Tile cutter
- Grout
- Grout float
- Damp sponge
- Clean, lint-free cloth
- Grout sealer
- Mop
- Tile sealant
Instructions
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Remove any floor triim from the room, using the pry bar to lift it from the wall where it's secured by nails. Clean the floor with a floor cleaner designed specifically for your floor surface. If installing to a concrete surface, lay the pavers. If the surface is anything else, place a layer of cement fiber board to serve as a firm, level installation surface.
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2
Place a layer of cement fiber board on the entire surface of the subfloor. Screw the boards to the floor with galvanized screws. Install the fiber boards so that they fit are tightly against one another. Cut the boards if necessary by scoring the surface with a utility knife and then snapping the pieces apart. Tape the seams where the boards meet with fiberglass tape to provide a consistent surface for the pavers.
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3
Lay the pavers beginning at a corner of the room and working along the wall. Spread a layer of thin-set mortar onto the floor using the flat edge of a notched trowel. Tilt the trowel to a 45-degree angle and go over the mortar on the floor to raise ridges. The ridged mortar will spread more evenly along the back of the pavers than the flat layer of mortar would.
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4
Place the pavers onto the ridged mortar, setting them firmly into the mortar bed and twisting them slightly to ensure coverage. Place the pavers butting directly against one another along the wall, working line by line to cover the floor. Test that the pavers are level as you place them by using a carpenter's level. If the pavers are uneven, tap them into place with a rubber mallet.
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Cut partial pavers to fit where necessary, using a tile cutter. Allow the mortar to dry overnight.
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Grout the joints between the pavers, using a grout float to spread the grout along the paver surface and into the spaces between. Fill the joints completely with the grout and then wait 15 minutes to give the grout time to begin drying. Use a damp sponge to remove any excess grout from the paver surfaces and joints. Allow the grout to dry for 24 hours and then wipe the grout residue from the surface of the pavers, using the lint-free cloth. Wait another three weeks for the grout to cure.
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Seal the pavers using a sealant made for porous tiles. Apply the sealant by pouring it onto the paver surface and mopping the surface of the floor. Allow the sealant to dry overnight.
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Replace the floor trim removed at the start of the installation.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit brick walkway image by PaulPaladin from Fotolia.com
