If there’s one type of project most do it yourself homeowners can’t take on, it’s brick. Bricklaying is a special skill and even if you completed multiple home renovations over the years, you probably never did it yourself.

No big deal. You can still get the brick look you want at home without hiring a contractor.

DIY junkies choose real or faux brick veneer because:

1. The look is indistinguishable from full depth brick when installed.
2. It’s lightweight, so projects rarely require any reinforcing.
3. It’s easy to install, with multiple installation options.

Find the right brick veneer product with the best installation option for your family today and give your home the look you want this weekend.

Installed brick veneer looks just like full depth brick

When the job is done, nobody will see the difference.

Natural brick veneer is natural brick.

Faux brick and faux stone veneers aren’t the flimsy, obvious reproductions they once were. If you walked by a faux installation in a friend’s house, you wouldn’t even know.

Even when you put your hands on a real or faux veneer, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.

Lightweight veneer doesn’t need any sort of structural reinforcement

Brick or stone veneer is a lightweight product (relatively speaking). Lifting and installing generally isn’t a problem, unless you want your infant children in on the job.

The craftsmanship and longevity of traditional brick masonry construction will always have an appeal, but there are lots of times when full depth just isn’t an option. If you want to get the look and charm of interior brick walls without the hassle of reinforcing the floors, rebuilding the walls, and losing space, brick veneer is the solution. If you want to remove that vinyl siding, brick veneer is the solution.

Brick veneer is easy to install, with multiple options

Brick veneer comes in a range of installation options, including:

• Panels.
• Screw-on.
• Individual stones.

Brick veneer panels are pretty self-explanatory. Brick or faux brick sections of wall come preassembled, and the homeowner sticks them to the wall in interlocking poster-paper sized sections.

Some stone veneer comes in screw-on pieces, where individual stones are attached to brackets, which you screw directly to the wall. No mortar required.

Of course, you can also get individual veneer stones to attach with mortar, one at a time. This is the most work-heavy installation method.

Review the main benefits

Brick veneer looks and performs like the real thing.

It’s lightweight and doesn’t require any special reinforcing or substantial muscles to install.

It’s easy to install and you can choose the best option for your skills.

Value you can’t ignore

Brick veneer is a superb choice for a rich appearance and some easy DIY installation.

Get the same products the pros use, but install it yourself over the weekend.

Contact us for pricing on a few brick veneer products today.

The post Do It Yourself! Why Most DIY Homeowners Choose Brick Veneer appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.

Firstly, everyone at the four Grand River Natural Stone locations (Kitchener, Stoney Creek, London & Fergus) would like to wish you all the best for the New Year.

Speaking of the New Year, January has always been a popular time to install brick veneer.

That’s because of its five key advantages which homeowners and contractors alike find very appealing:

1. 1. Similar in appearance to natural bricks
2. 2. Veneer is very lightweight
3. 3. Easy to install for do-it-yourselfers
4. 4. Provides great insulation (especially those made from waterproof composite material)
5. 5. Cost savings compared to natural bricks

Our first blog of 2017 takes a closer look at the benefits of brick veneer products vs. siding, concrete bricks or clay bricks.

Veneer delivers the benefits of full-size brick…

Incredibly versatile and durable, brick veneer can be used to replace a variety of outdoor siding materials for your home:

• Wood
• Metal
• Vinyl siding

Not to mention that brick veneer is perfect for your indoor or outdoor fireplace too.

And if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can smartly install them yourself without having to pull out your calculator and figure out the costs of using skilled bricklayers.

And that’s not to mention the additional price of having a foundation to support heavy, full-sized bricks as well.

…With the same ease of installation as siding

In 2017, there are modern, mechanically fastened brick veneer installation options.

And these are great for DIY’ers.

Here (in a nutshell) is how they work.

(Keep in mind that not all modern brick veneer panels are designed in this particular manner):

Front side of the panel

• Has the brick veneer stone on it
• That’s the side that will be outward facing from your home

Back side of the panel

• Has metal fasteners built into them
• Like a puzzle, these fasteners lock into each other
• When they’re in place, you simply bolt or screw them into the frame of your home.

Assuming your home already has framed walls, then brick veneer supplies all the advantages of real brick or siding when properly installed.

Additionally, your home’s resale value immediately rises and will continue to do so especially when compared to less expensive siding options.

More brick veneer benefits

Brick veneer is designed to look and act like the real thing.

And they’re designed to be incredibly easy to install too.

That said, there are other additional benefits to using brick veneer in and around your home:

• Lightweight, yet strong: Most veneer bricks are approximately 1” thick (compared to 3”-4” for conventional bricks). This lighter weight makes them easy to handle and install upon a majority of residential walls.

• Superior insulation & customization choices: Brick veneer panels are graded on their insulation levels (otherwise known as R-value).This give you the ability to customize the degree of insulation in different parts of the house where you choose to install it.

• Affordability: The costs of brick veneer construction and installation projects tend to be lower than those of traditional brick walls. Additionally, brick veneer tends to be easier to take care of, which means lower maintenance costs over many years.

Value that pays for itself

Considering the many advantages that brick veneer holds over other siding choices, such as:

• Ease of installation
• Accommodation of additional insulation
• Fireproofing
• Easy maintenance

Brick veneer wins easily.

Lastly, when it comes to appearance and aesthetics, it would take an expert to know that your veneer wall or fireplace is not actually made from brick.

We have the brick veneer you want at a cost you’ll love

Brick veneer is a superb choice for a rich appearance at a reasonable cost.

And as a homeowner – that’s all you can really ask for.

As we said off the top, January is a very popular time for brick veneer installation projects.  So we’re ready to help you with yours.

All you have to do is contact us with your questions or ask for a FREE quote on the brick veneer you’re interested in.

The post Benefits of Stone Veneer Installation Brick & Siding appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.