Panel+ installation guides can be found at Old Mill Systems.
Brickwebb
Step 1: How to Measure for Product
To get started on a thin brick or Brickwebb project, you will first need to know how much product to order. You will need a tape measure for this process.
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How to Measure for Product
To get started on a thin brick or Brickwebb project, you will first need to know how much product to order. To find out how much product you need, follow these steps:
1. First – Measure the length and height of the wall or floor.
2. If your project includes corners, measure the height of each of your corners and add them together to get your total linear feet. For example, if you have two corners on a 10 foot wall, you will need 20 linear feet of corners.
3. Finally, you will want to subtract the area of any windows or other obstacles in your project.
4. Once you know your total square footage for flat Brickwebb or single thin bricks and your total linear feet for corners, go to oldmillbrick.com. You can plug these numbers into the calculator on the product page to see how many boxes you will need.
Step 2: How to Prep a Painted Wall
Old Mill Brick Brickwebb can be installed on almost any surface. However, some surfaces take some prep work. For a common painted wall, there are just a few steps you’ll need to take to prep the wall for your Brickwebb or Thin Brick project.
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How to Prep a Painted Wall
Old Mill Brick Brickwebb can be installed on almost any surface. However, some surfaces take some prep work. For a common painted wall, there are just a few steps you’ll need to take to prep the wall for your Brickwebb project.
1. Remove any outlet covers, thermostats, and other items from the wall. You will also want to tape anything that you can’t remove, like vents and adjacent walls. Turn off the power to any outlets you will be taping over and be careful not to touch the screws on the sides.
2. You’ll want to remove any baseboards and trim that are less than ½” thick. To remove a baseboard, start by scoring the calk with a box cutter or other sharp knife. Then use a pry bar and a hammer to pull the baseboard from the wall. Be gentle and do this a few times before pulling the full baseboard off.
3. Put down some plastic covering on the floor and secure it in place with tape to protect your floors and for easy cleanup later.
4. In order for the adhesive to stick to the painted wall, you’ll need to go over the wall with some 80 grit sandpaper. Use a small circle motion and go over the entire surface of the wall. You don’t need to push hard, the goal is simply to rough up the surface so that your adhesive can take purchase.
5. After sanding, go over the wall with a dry rag or duster to remove all the dust you just created.
Step 3: How to Install Brickwebb Corners
Old Mill Brick Brickwebb Corners make installing thin brick corners simple and fast. All you will need is your boxes of Brickwebb Corners, your mixed adhesive, ⅜” x ¼” notched trowel, tile cutter, and a level.
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How to Install Brickwebb Corners
Old Mill Brick Brickwebb Corners makes installing thin brick corners simple and fast. All you will need is your boxes of Brickwebb Corners, your mixed adhesive, ⅜” x ¼” notched trowel, tile cutter, and a level.
1. Always install your corner pieces first. Start from the top of your wall.
2. Use a notched trowel to apply the adhesive. Smear on the adhesive generously with a flat side first and then use the notched side to scrape off excess.
3. Apply your first sheet of Brickwebb Corners in a top corner and then move downward. Press firmly on the bricks so that the adhesive comes through the webbing and adheres.
4. Check that your section is level and make adjustments as needed while the adhesive is still wet.
5. Apply your next section of adhesive and repeat the process as needed. Once your corners are installed, you can move on to your Brickwebb Sheets to fill in the rest of your wall.
Step 4: How to Install Brickwebb Sheets
Old Mill Brick Brickwebb Sheets make installing thin brick simple and fast. All you will need is your boxes of Brickwebb, your adhesive or mastic, ⅜” x ¼” notched trowel, tile cutter, level, measuring tape, and a pencil.
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How to Install Brickwebb Sheets
Old Mill Brick Brickwebb sheets make installing thin brick simple and fast. All you will need is your boxes of Brickwebb, your adhesive or mastick, ⅜” x ¼” notched trowel, tile cutter, level, measuring tape, and a pencil. If your project includes corners, install your corner pieces first.
1. Use your measuring tape and pencil to section out your area into 21” sections. This will help you apply adhesive in manageable amounts while you install.
2. Start from the top of your wall or the far side of your floor.
3. Use a notched trowel to apply the adhesive. Smear on the adhesive generously with the flat side first and then use the notched side to scrape off excess.
4. Apply your first sheet of Brickwebb in a top corner and then move horizontally. Press firmly on the bricks so that the adhesive comes through the webbing and adheres.
5. Apply your next sheet overlapping the first sheet, leaving 3/8’’ between the bricks for grout.
6. Check that your section is level and make adjustments as needed while the adhesive is still wet.
7. For the edges, you can remove bricks from a sheet or use a box of individual thin bricks and cut them to size with a hand-held tile cutter. Remember to leave space for the grout and measure twice and cut once.
8. Apply your next section of adhesive and repeat the process as needed.
9. When you get to the bottom of your wall or edge of your floor, you may need to cut the brick sheets lengthwise. Use a hand-held tile cutter to cut your final row of brick to size if needed. You can cut the webbed backing with a box cutter or other sharp knife to remove rows of brick. Allow your Brickwebb at least 24 hours to dry before grouting.
Step 5: How to Cut Thin Brick
When doing a Brickwebb project, you will likely come across some obstacles that you need to cut around such as outlets, thermostats, windows, air vents, etc. You’ll also need to cut thin brick at the edge of your wall or floor. You can easily cut your thin brick using a handheld tile cutter.
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How to Cut Thin Brick
When doing a Brickwebb project, you will likely come across some obstacles that you need to cut around such as outlets, thermostats, windows, air vents, etc. You’ll also need to cut bricks at the edge of your wall or floor. You can easily cut your thin bricks using a hand tile cutter.
1. First, hold up your Brickwebb to the item that needs to be cut around. Identify which bricks and how many will need to be cut in order to work around the obstacle.
2. Make a mark in pencil on the bricks where they will need to be cut. (Remember to measure twice and cut once)
3. If bricks in the center of a Brickwebb sheet will need to be cut, remove the affected bricks and cut out the webbing with a box cutter or other sharp knife.
4. Cut the brick where you marked it. Be sure to wear safety goggles while cutting brick.
5. When cutting a sheet of bricks for an edge, cut right through the webbing with the bricks still attached.
6. Install the whole bricks around the item first. Then take your cut bricks and apply your adhesive to the back of the partial brick and place it in the space left.
Step 6: How to Mix Type S Mortar
Most Type S Mortar mixes that you can use for grout comes in a powdered form that you mix with water. You will need a five-gallon bucket, a hand drill and mixer attachment, your bag of mortar, and water.
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How to Mix Type S Mortar
Most Type S Mortar mixes that you can use for grout comes in a powdered form that you mix with water. You will need a five gallon bucket, a hand drill and mixer attachment, your bag of mortar and water.
1. Add about 2 inches of water to your five gallon bucket
2. Dump in half of the bag of mortar mix
3. Attach your mixing drill bit to your hand drill
4. Mix the mortar until all of the powder is incorporated. Start slow and then speed up as the powder mixes in
5. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes and then give it another stir
6. The consistency should be similar to cake batter. Add additional water or mix to get the desired consistency
7. Only mix as much as you need. Don’t mix more than you can use in the next 30-40 minutes.
Step 7: How to Grout with a Grout Bag and Brick Jointer
With Old Mill Brick’s patented systems, you can transform your home over a weekend, or add brick to your commercial project without needing to hire a mason.
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How to Grout with a Grout Bag and Brick Jointer
The easiest way to grout your Brickwebb or BrickPanel+ project is with a grout bag and brick jointer. This method also reduces the amount of grout that gets on the brick face. Make sure that your brick adhesive and optional sealer has had at least 24 hours to dry before grouting. For this step, you’ll need either a type s mortar mix OR a sanded grout in your color of choice, a grout bag, ¾” brick jointer, trowel, and a coarse bristle brush. We recommend trimming the end of your grout bag so that the opening is about 3/8” wide. If you are using a type s mortar mix, watch our video on how to mix your mortar.
1. To fill your grout bag, start by folding down the top edge of the bag and then step on the tip of the bag. Use a trowel to fill the bag about half-way.
2. Unfold the top of the bag and hold it over your bucket of grout. Shake the back to remove bubbles and then twist until the grout starts to come out of the tip. The grout should come out when squeezed, but not be so runny that it drips out on its own.
3. Hold the grout bag with one hand in the middle and one hand at the end where it is twisted. Put the tip of the bag in the space between the bricks at a 45 degree angle. Twist the end of the bag and squeeze as you move the tip along the gap. The grout should over fill the gap just a little so that you have enough to tool later. This process takes some practice. Do not try to wipe off excess while the grout is wet.
4. Start at the top of your wall. Fill in sections of about 4 square feet at a time. Give each section about 15 minutes to dry. You can do about 4 sections one after the other before going back with your brick jointer. 5. When the grout is dry enough to touch without sticking to your finger, but is still soft enough to squish a little, it is ready to start tooling.
5. Use the heal edge of your jointer to push the mortar into the gap and away from you. The excess mortar should fall away and not stick to the brick face. Use the tip to push in the short verticals and pull towards you.
6. As you use the jointer, if you come across a spot that doesn’t have enough mortar, pick up some of the excess that has just fallen away from the section you are working and push it into the gap. This ensures that the mortar you add has the same level of dryness as the surrounding material.
7. Repeat the process of grouting with the bag and then tooling with your jointer until your wall is completed.
8. After the grout has had some time to dry, it is time to come back and brush away any excess. Using a stiff bristle brush, start with a small section and brush the bricks with a 45 degree angle stroke. If the mortar leaves streaks on the brick faces or leaves mortar on your brush, it is still too wet. The brush will remove any high edges and leave a nice smooth look.
You’re all done! Don’t forget to send us pictures of your completed project to hello@oldmillbrick.com or tag us in your photos on social media.
