Corium brick tiles in two colours on hotel building

How to install Corium brick tile cladding

Raising standards of performance within your building starts with raising standards of quality in the facade – and we’re here to help you see how with the Corium brick tile cladding system.

One of the advantages to choosing Corium brick wall cladding for your facade project is that it offers a quick and simple installation method that is up to 4 to 5 times faster than traditional brickwork, with options for prefabricated construction off-site.

Watch how Corium brick tile cladding is installed

Brick Cladding Installation: Step by Step

Let’s take a closer look at how the Corium brick cladding system goes from brick tiles and steel rails to a finished facade.

Rows of profiled steel sections are fixed to the backing structure.
Corium extruded fired clay brick tiles are simply clipped into place by hitting the brick tile with a rubber mallet. The clipping process ensures that consistent horizontal joints are achieved, whilst vertical joint spacing can be adjusted to suit design requirements.
Once all the Corium brick cladding tiles are installed and the quality approved, mortar is applied to vertical and horizontal joints between the tiles to provide a brickwork finish.

Structure

The Corium brick effect cladding system is suitable for use with a wide range of sub-structures, including concrete, timber frame, structural steel, lightweight steel frames, structurally insulated panels and masonry. It can be used anywhere above the dampproof course level.

Four types of Corium backing rails are available: Magnelis ZM310, Magnelis ZM430, Stainless steel 304 and Stainless steel 316.

These backing sections are profiled to suit the brickwork coursing height, mounted horizontally or vertically and then mechanically fixed to the supporting subframe. For lightweight steel frame and masonry substrates, the subframe is generally aluminium, but for timber-frame structures the system can be fitted to timber battens.

Austenitic stainless steel fasteners (304 grade) with integral sealing washer (EPDM or similar) should be specified to suit the support material to which the Corium external wall cladding is being fixed. The system is fixed to vertical supports at maximum 600mm centres.

On-site and Off-Site Construction

Corium is a system designed for ease of use, with safe and speedy installation. A nationwide network of recognised installers are able to fit the exterior brick cladding from mobile platforms, scissor lifts, mast climber or traditional scaffolding.

Building with Corium brick cladding can be up to 5 to 6 times faster for construction speed than traditional brickwork, offering labour cost reductions and time savings. It can also be installed at temperatures and with moisture conditions where it would not be possible to lay traditional bricks.

If projects require it, Corium brick facades can also be assembled off-site, allowing for finished sections to be installed as a prefabricated solution to be pointed on site. This method not only ensures quality controlled factory conditions during fabrication, but it allows for rapid construction without delays due to weather, reducing wastage and on-site construction time.

In the event that a cladding tile is damaged, the individual tile can be fully removed and replaced with a new one, without the need to remove the whole area.

Sizes

A standard brick tile has visible face dimensions of 215 x 65mm to match standard UK brick size. Alternative tile heights of 50mm, 57.7mm, 92mm, 140mm and 215mm are also available.

Tile length can vary (depending on tile height) up to 327mm. The maximum possible tile size is 215mm (H) x 327mm (L). All tiles have a thickness of 32mm.

Purpose-made one piece external return corner tiles (215 x 102mm) are available, as well as cut and bonded corners.

Rails are manufactured in 2400mm lengths, or additional lengths can be manufactured with an extra cost. The height of rails which are used within the system are 60mm, 67mm and 75mm.

The Corium system (tiles, rails and mortar) has an overall weight of approximately 68kg/m2.

Movement Joints

To allow for horizontal movement, vertical expansion joints should be provided through tile, mortar and steel backing sections at a maximum of 12m centres in the brick tile cladding.

Horizontal expansion joints to allow for vertical movement should be provided at maximum 9m centres. Joints should coincide with movement joints in the substrate wall and allow for the same degree of movement (see section 4.7 of the BBA Certificate).

Mortar

Joints between the tiles are pointed with Parex Historic Mortar KL, which was developed specifically for use with Corium. It is a hydrated lime, sand and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) mortar manufactured to BS EN 998-2: 2016.

The mortar is applied using manual, mechanical or compressed air-based pumps with controlled nozzle applicators. The preferred joint profile is bucket-handle.