How Do I Install Brick Slips Around A Window?
There are two main solutions-
- Use corner tiles into a recess, both vertically on the sides, and horizontally on the top (and bottom if you don't want/have a cill).
- Framing the window with some trim/architrave means the tiles will come up to that neatly.
Using Corner Tiles around Windows and Doors
The first consideration you have to make is the thickness of the brick plus the adhesive. Your recess won't be made to accommodate it, so just check that installing the corner tiles into the recess won't be a problem, for example stopping a window from opening.
The tiles are 22mm thick, you should allow for around 5mm of adhesive too. Essentially you need to make sure there is at least a 3cm gap between the wall and any window opening to make sure you've got the clearance.
Once it's functionally ok, you then have aesthetic decisions to make.
Sides of the window recess
This is a straightforward part, once you've chosen to use corner tiles, you simply need to alternate them to keep the bond pattern. We recommend starting any project with the corners, this sets the bond pattern up perfectly for you, and means and cut tiles are then at the ends of the wall rather than somewhere that can be seen.
Top of the window recess
Even once you've chosen to go with corner tiles, you still have choices. Firstly you can choose a cill or even trim at the top of a window to simply cover the bottom of the tiles above so they don't show the back edges. This means the top of the recess will not be brick. The other choice here is to use corner tiles vertically.
If you use corner tiles vertically, you have another choice, which way around? There are two sides to this choice- aesthetics and logistics. You may simply prefer the look of either the shorter side or the longer side facing out. The logistical choice is then based on the depth of the recess; the longer side may fill all of the recess, whereas the shorter may leave a gap, alternatively, the shorter side could fit perfectly on a smaller recess.
Brick Slip window cill
Most people already have a cill in place and wish to keep that smooth flat surface, however exactly the same choices as the top of the recess are in play here too.
What about the side and bottom of a brick for windows?
This is called a stretcher reveal, and we can absolutely cut these to order on any of our blends, just ask us. The reason we don't offer it as a product on the website is that it can cause issues where it isn't appropriate.
The bottom of a brick is wider than the face, whilst the faces are 65mm high, the bottom is 102.5mm. This means that unless your recess is 8cm or less, you will need something to cover the rest of the top/bottom, and that will create an inconsistency with the 65mm slips that can look odd. However if your recess is 8cm or less and you want this look, contact us.
Using Architrave or Trim around a window
Essentially this means you can separate the window from the brick slips. As long as the trim has a nice flat edge for a cut brick slip to push up against then it will look fine, it needs to be at least 10mm out from the wall to ensure you're covering the back edge, and ideally 30mm to cover the whole side of the slips.
