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Brick veneer on interior poured basement concrete walls, Wisconsin

Henley06 | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 21, 2023 12:37pm

Hi all,

We recently had a basement foundation and basement walls poured for our small new construction home in Wisconsin. Unfortunately the concrete forms were not cleaned properly prior to have the forms placed and concrete poured which left a texture on all of the walls that I’d really like to cover up. Our basement will be utility and a small workout area. Our goal for design is a 1960’s mid century modern so I’m wondering if brick veneer can be applied directly to the concrete walls to give them a more finished look and brick some character to the basement? I know this won’t add any insulation value, and currently there’s no signs of water issues with the basement but would real brick veneer allow the concrete to breathe properly versus trapping water in the concrete and risk issues down the line? 

 

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  1. pkrivanec711 | Aug 21, 2023 04:21pm | #1

    Do you have pictures of the exterior concrete walls? Is this a walkout basement or will these walls eventually get back-filled and covered? In short, yes you can use a thin, brick veneer on the interior side. Being in Wisconsin, I would recommend adding insulation to the walls if you plan to condition the basement. On the exterior, if you are planning to have traditional brick with a air cavity, then make sure you have a large enough space, 1-1/2" min. air cavity with proper drainage.

    1. Henley06 | Aug 22, 2023 08:58am | #2

      Thank you for your reply. I attached a few pictures. The full height wall will be fully backfilled and the side tiered walls will be partially backfilled. I also included a picture of the interior basement wall texture, I’m probably being too particular on the overall finish, but I think brick veneer on the inside would give a really clean and finished look.

  2. pkrivanec711 | Aug 22, 2023 11:01am | #3

    Nice. The overall texture of the interior seems to be pretty standard for form work. You can always grind down any high spots as needed. Without proper insulation on the exterior and no plans to install it on the interior, this space will be very cold and hard to maintain temperature if conditioned.

    When in doubt, refer to the thin brick manufacturer's installation instructions. If nothing specific for your project, then reach out to the manufacture for that information.

    1. Henley06 | Aug 22, 2023 11:16am | #4

      Thank you! I really appreciate your time and input.

  3. Bethany | Aug 23, 2023 07:29am | #5

    Hi pkrivanec,It’s always a good idea to refer to the thin brick manufacturer’s installation instructions when working on a project. If the instructions provided by the manufacturer are not specific to your project, you can reach out to them for more information.General Shale provides instructions for interior thin brick installation, including the use of cement board or water-resistant drywall as a substrate . They also mention that applying thin brick directly over standard untreated drywall may negatively affect joint quality and overall durability.

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