Use this video to view the general installation guidelines for our brick panels. For more detailed instructions please read through the article below the video:

 

 

 

 

Antico Elements` great brick panels are designed to interlock on all sides to create a seamless look. They are designed for Indoor and Outdoor uses. Even though the installation is very simple, make sure to read the instructions in order to avoid problems and gaps with these types of faux brick panels.

Before installations:
Always try to keep the panels leveled. The walls should be dry and free of dust. We strongly suggest the use of fasteners and plenty of adhesive where the panels and lips overlap.
Important: When using the product outdoor make sure to store the panels in a cool area before installing them. If they are left in a hot place it may cause a small degree of shrinkage when the temperature outside drops.

Tools needed: ( same as wood cutting tools )

• Measuring tape and pencil
• Table saw, circular saw, miter saw,  jigsaw, etc. You can use any blade designed for wood. Our material is very friendly.
• Nails or screws ( exterior grade if used outdoor and masonry screws for brick, concrete, etc)
• Nail set
• Hammer (or screwdriver/drill if using screws)
• Level
• Framing square
• Chalk line
• Construction adhesive, E.G: Liquid Nails, PL, etc.
• Safety Glasses

Our products can be installed indoor and outdoor, directly over framing, drywall, brick, or concrete.
-For indoor, all you need is adhesive, caulking, and wood screws or long staples/finish nails.
-For outdoor you might need an outdoor-grade adhesive and galvanized screws. Some caulking may be needed.
-For brick, concrete, cinder blocks, and similar you will need masonry screws, like “Tapcons”.

Installing parts:

It is always a good idea to temporarily lay out the faux brick panels around the project to plan which / how faux brick panels will be cut and which will not.

We recommend that you install the panels from right to left unless you plan to use corner pieces ( see below ). For better results marks some horizontal chalk lines on the wall to keep your panels leveled.
Position the panels so that the horizontal lip is at the top and the horizontal notch at the bottom.
To start, the right side of the first panel should be trimmed, removing the fingers and creating a straight edge.

Apply a few lines of adhesive in the back and where the panels overlap / interlock and fasten the panel to the wall using screws, nails or long brad nails. We suggest using at least 8-10 screws per panel.

Continue with the rest of the panels of the first row. If the faux brick panels terminate against another wall, simply cut the panel to size. The exposed edges will be hidden by the next wall. It is always better to mark your dimensions in the back of the panels.

If you have an outside corner wall and need to wrap around it with our faux brick, you have at least 2 options. Using our Corners or Mitering the panels’ cuts.

1- Use our Faux Brick Corners.

When using the Outside Brick Corners we suggest starting the installation from one of the corners, and not from left to right on a wall, as mentioned at the top of this page.
Installing the left side will be easy. Installing panels on the right side of the corner will require lifting the previous panel a bit to squeeze the next one in. Not a big problem.

When using multiple corners you will notice that at one side of the wall you will interlock panel-to-corner easily and on the opposite side, some “jig-sawing” will be necessary. In this case, you should not install all the corners first. See the Image below.

To accomplish this, simply cut the last panel on that wall straight with the corner of the wall.
Place the corner on top of the panel and trace the fingers of the corner on the panel with a pencil.
Remove the corner and with a jigsaw create the matching fingers on the panel so that the two parts will interlock.

Now you may install the last panel and this corner piece. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the flat “lip” on the panel or corner that is not getting cut, to create a flat and even seam.

On the other side of this corner, you can simply interlock your next panel, the “fingers” will match without having to make custom cuts.
Repeat this method for each corner, where panels are installed between corners.

2- Create a mitered corner with a panel. For more on this type of cuts see: How To Create A Mitered Corner

You can use a faux brick panel to wrap around a corner.

One important note: Always use the two pieces of one panel for the left and right side of the corner so that the brick will match at the tip.

The same steps may be followed to create an Inside Corner. The only difference is that the panel needs to be cut with the opposite angle, as in the image below:

When installing multiple rows of panels make sure to start the second and every other row, with a half panel so that the seams will be staggered and you be able to use more of the left-over pieces. This is a great way to hide the seams since they will not all line up in the same vertical line.

In cases where you stop the installation of the panels in the middle of a wall or at a corner there are a few options available to cover the exposed material at the edge:
1- Use our Door And Window Trim to install right where the panel gets cut

2- Cut the end of the panel at 45 degrees and then miter cut a triangle piece from a leftover panel to create a return. You may follow the instruction on How To Create A Return. See also the image below.

3- Some customers sand and file the cut edges and shape them as the end of real brick. They apply some textured caulk and paint it with our Touch-Up kits. This last step takes a little time to complete.

For the top edge of the panels, we have a really nice Ledge Trim that is meant to nicely sit on top of a panel.

For exterior applications, we suggest caulking the edges where water could penetrate.

For light-colored panels (especially white) we strongly suggest applying a heavy amount of caulking in all joints. When the caulk dries paint it over with the same paint used on the panels. We do offer touch-up paint.
Please note that regular grout will not work with this product, because it will dry, crack, and not adhere properly.

---

Installing Panels Over Concrete Or Cinder Blocks

We suggest two ways of installing panels over concrete and cinder blocks.
The easiest way to install them is to use a construction adhesive and a power nail gun.

There are different guns to use on concrete. Some use a battery and a small can of gas to propel the nails into the panels and concrete. These can be purchased or rented and make the installation quick and easy. You can control how far the nails go.
Another type of gun uses some cartridges that shoot the nails as you hit the top of the gun with a hammer. This is probably the most affordable tool but it is more time-consuming.

Some clients can not obtain nail guns that can penetrate concrete so they use furring strips and install them by pre-drilling the concrete and use masonry screws (brands like Tapcons).

---

Furring strips:
These are vertical wood strips that are glued and nailed to the concrete/cinder blocks before installing the panels, to simulate a stud framing. These strips should be spaced based on the distance between the joints of the panels. It is always a good idea to have furring strips behind each joint between two panels.
Once these strips are installed, you can easily glue and screw the panels on the strips as you would do in an interior framed wall.

---

Maintenance:
When our products start to show some accumulated dirt you may easily clean it with water and soap. When choosing a detergent make absolutely sure they are not of a harsh or abrasive nature.
Those materials that contain bleach or any chemical solvent, such as paint thinners, are not recommended.
Using a wet, soft, brush apply some mild detergent such as car wash soap on the panels.
In a circular motion make sure to work the soap in all crevices and grout lines.
Once the water and soap have been applied they can be easily rinsed with water. When outdoor a water hose will work great.
A pressure cleaner may be used as long as the pressure is not high. We also recommend keeping the nozzle at a distance of at least one foot.

---

UV Protection:
Although the finishes used are specifically designed to be exterior, UV resistant, some fading under harsh sun exposure may occur during the years, just like any other product. If a company promises a lifetime or full and very long warranty on fading, they probably don’t plan to be in business for long. We do plan to serve our customers for a very long time, so we are very honest and upfront.
We strongly suggest applying a UV blocker, clear coat (ours or any other purchased by the customer) to any outdoor material on a regular basis (every 2-3 years). Your local paint store will have a Urethane UV inhibitor paint that can be sprayed or rolled. This will help preserve the beauty of our products.

Feel free to request additions and modifications to these instructions. Send us a comment via email to info(insert @ here)anticoelements.com.
Thanks!