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Can You Put Brick Over Siding? (How To)

Having brick on the outside of your house gives your property that solid, rustic charm. Brick has plenty of curb appeal and needs very little upkeep. It also increases the value of your property. The only downside is the cost because brick is one of the most expensive building materials, and you will most likely need professional help building the new brick walls.

Generally, it is possible to put a brick over the siding. There are three options you can choose. One, install the thin brick siding. Two, install full-thickness brick from the foundation up. Three, install full-thickness brick from the ground up.

House with brick siding

If you have a house that is covered in siding which is in bad condition, it is possible to replace it with brick siding. From the outside, the brick siding will look like full-thickness brick, but in reality, it is made from a brick that is only half an inch thick. The siding is lightweight (compared to full-thickness brick) and can easily be used to replace the damaged siding on the property.

Should You Put Brick Over Siding?

House with brick siding

When deciding whether to add a full brick wall to replace damaged siding, you will need to consider the considerable difference in weight between the two types of material. Brick is naturally much heavier than vinyl siding because it is made from stone.

Theoretically, it is possible to put a brick over siding, but you will need to ensure the foundation can support the considerable weight of a one- or two-story wall made of full-thickness brick. Adding a brick wall will also damage your landscaping around the house.

To accommodate the weight of the brick, you will need to dig a three-foot wide trench all the way to the footing of the foundation. Alternatively, you can use four-inch concrete blocks from the footings to just below the ground line. Both methods are costly and will damage the perimeter of the house. The concrete will also need to be set and cured for several days, extending the project timeline.

What Tools Do You Need To Put Brick Over Siding?

Tool used for bricks

You will need the usual building tools to erect a brick wall over the siding. Mind you, it is more challenging to build a brick wall than it looks. For one, the mortar is slippery, and it is easy to make mistakes when aligning the bricks, ending up with a disaster that is not structurally sound and looks uneven.

The tools needed to put a brick over siding include the following: trowel, angle iron, lag shields and lag screws, claw hammer, story pole, spirit level, drill and drill bits, brush, brick joiner, mortar, mason’s blocks and line.

Erecting a brick wall is best left to professionals with building experience. If this is your first DIY project, getting someone who can oversee your progress and save you from costly mistakes is advisable.

What Preparations Do You Need To Put Brick Over Siding?

House with brick siding

Before you start laying the bricks, you need to prepare the walls by removing the existing siding. You will need to start from the top of the wall opposite to when it was installed. Using a Zip tool, remove the panels one at a time. Once you remove all siding panels, you will need to protect your home from moisture.

The felt paper or house wrapping must be applied securely to create a moisture barrier. Having a house that is well protected from moisture will prevent any mold from forming. You might find that the house already has a layer of house wrapping, but examine it to ensure that it is intact. If you find any damaged patches, it is better to replace the old covering and apply a new one.

In preparation for putting bricks over the siding, you need to remove existing siding, ensure that walls are covered with felt paper to protect from moisture, and install angle irons before laying the first bricks. 

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on December 18, 2022.

Angle irons act as a ledge to help you build strong foundations. Place a 4 x 4-inch angle iron at the foot of the existing home foundations to assess how much angle iron you will need to support the weight of the new wall.

Drill holes in the foundation to accommodate all the iron needed to support the wall. Insert the lag shields into the drilled holes and use the lag screws to fasten the angle iron to the foundation.

How To Put Brick Over Siding

confused man standing

When you decide to change the siding to a brick wall, you will need to remove the siding first. You cannot build a brick wall over existing siding. The old siding may be warped, damaged, or had some water infiltration, so adding a layer of brick over the problematic siding will not be a good practice in the long run.

Even though the existing siding looks okay, you need to assess it properly to ensure that there are no hidden defects. In fact, it is a far better practice to remove old siding before building a brick wall. That way, you can be sure you will have a sound house.

When putting bricks over siding, you must first remove the siding and replace it with brick. Once you have the angle iron in place, you can start to lay the bricks. Start by placing a layer of mortar and press each brick into it. Check their positioning with a spirit level.

You must ensure the first brick is aligned with the foundation edge when laying bricks. There should be a half-inch air space between the bricks and the foundation. To secure the brick, the mortar bed should be three-eighths of an inch thick.

Carry on laying the bricks in rows, making sure that they are lying level. You need to check with a spirit level after every three to four bricks that you added to the row. Continue until the required height.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on December 18, 2022.

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