What is brickwork for plastering?
Brickwork for plastering (Dutch: vuilwerk or vuil metselwerk, literally “dirty masonry”) is masonry or concrete work whose surface will later be hidden by a finish. It therefore does not need to be as neat and even as facing brickwork or fair-faced concrete, which are meant to stay visible. In American English it is also described as brickwork for rendering.
Where is it used?
- Inner leaves of cavity walls that are plastered or finished with plasterboard.
- Internal walls that are plastered or tiled.
- Facades that later receive render or an external insulation system.
- Backing in solid masonry: the bricks at the back or inside of a wall.
What it means in practice
For brickwork that will be plastered you can use cheaper bricks or blocks, such as calcium silicate, concrete or aerated concrete blocks, because appearance does not matter. Joints do not need pointing either. What does matter:
- Flatness and plumb. The flatter the wall, the thinner the finish can be. A crooked wall costs extra plaster, extra drying time and therefore extra money.
- Clean substrate. Remove protruding mortar, dust and dirt so the finish bonds well.
- Preparation. Follow the plaster or tile adhesive manufacturer’s advice on priming highly or poorly absorbent backgrounds.
- Strength still matters. Such masonry is often loadbearing; the structural requirements are the same as for facing work.
Related terms
- Facing brickwork
- Fair-faced concrete
- Plastering
- Block plastering
- Facing brick
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