Home renovation companies typically offer a variety of services. Here at Home Tales, we offer an architectural design package that is tailor made to your needs. When it comes to the build phase, we have a fantastic recommended builder who works with us on a number of our projects. You aren’t committed to use him, so you maintain flexibility throughout the entire design and build process. 

One item that is becoming increasingly popular amongst homeowners is an exposed brick wall. Over the last few years, more and more of our clients are asking about it and considering whether to incorporate it into their home renovation design. Within our architectural design phase, we have three core stages. The first is the architectural drawing stage. Your assigned designer will meet you at your property to measure up in detail. This enables them to return to the office and draw up your existing and proposed drawings. At the survey, they will also take the opportunity to sit down with you and discuss those all-important design proposals. This is the time you can share your ideas and thoughts about the extension or renovation. If you want to go for an exposed brick wall, your designer will advise on which wall they feel would work best, and how much of that wall you want to include with the exposed brick affect. Generally, homeowners will opt for one full wall in exposed brick. This means one full wall in the room. If you are undertaking a ground floor extension, it’s a fantastic opportunity to incorporate an exposed brick wall, as you are building up the walls from scratch. 

There are a few ways you can go about creating an exposed brick wall. We were recently featured in KBB Magazine in the ‘Ask the Experts’ feature. Our head designer, Clara, offered some advice on how to achieve the exposed brick finish. She offered three options in her segment, all with different pros and cons. We thought we would further delve into the details and offer some additional information on the options that are available to you.

Creating a brick wall from an existing wall 

In this case, you can (in theory) strip back the layers of plasterboard on your existing wall to reveal the original brick underneath. It’s worth doing a patch test in the first instance to check the brick beneath the plasterboard is in good condition. On choosing your wall, remember it will need to be an exterior one, as internal walls are not made up of brick. On your patch test, if the brick is intact and still has its original colour, you can proceed with confidence. If it crumbles or looks cracked and porous, it’s probably best to leave it alone. Attempting to expose deteriorated brick will only cause further damage to the wall and it won’t look good on the finish. We would recommend getting a skilled labourer to undertake the work, as it requires tools and the appropriate knowledge. 

Re-building the wall from scratch 

If you are undertaking a home extension or substantial home renovation, this is a fantastic opportunity to incorporate an exposed brick wall into your home. The cost will be fairly minor in the grand scheme of things, as the brick wall will need to be built up regardless of whether it’s exposed brick or not. There will be a slightly difference to the way it’s built, as your builder will likely substitute the breeze blocks for bricks. The insultation will still need to be put in place which will be sandwiched in-between two layers of brick. The advantage of this method is that you can choose the colour and check the quality of your bricks prior to starting the wall. This means you can be sure of how it will look once it’s finished. 

Fake brick 

Another option is to add fake bricks onto your wall. The benefit of this option is that you can have it on any wall in the house, and it’s fairly cost efficient. These bricks look like normal bricks, but they are about a quarter of the depth. They can simply be stuck onto an existing wall and cemented in-place, to give the illusion of a legitimate brick wall. 

Wallpaper 

Wallpaper is another option – although it’s worth pointing out, this won’t look anything like a brick wall. The beauty of a brick wall it’s texture and rustic, industrialised look. Wallpaper won’t give you any of that feeling. That being said, it can (like the fake brick option), be used on any wall of the house. 

If you like the industrial look that exposed brick offers, why not consider crittal style doors for your garden access. We recently wrote a blog article on crittal doors and the options that are available to you. 

If you are considering a home renovation project or home extension, get in touch with our expert team today. We would be delighted to advise further on your project. We can also explain more about how we work, and how we can help with your project requirements. You can call us on 0207 043 2378 or email us athello@hometales.co.uk. Alternatively, you can book a consultation directly via our live booking page. We look forward to hearing from you.