Home › Brick Veneer Installation
Our team installs high quality brick veneers in Chattanooga, TN to transform plain exteriors into classic brick facades. We design and install thin brick veneer, siding, and cladding for new builds and remodels. Enjoy the look of full brick with less weight and cost while improving curb appeal and value.
Legendary Masonry Chattanooga provides professional brick veneers throughout Chattanooga, TN, Tennessee and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call 423-289-4557 or request your free quote.
Brick veneers that fit Chattanooga homes and weather
Brick veneers give you the look and feel of full brick without having to rebuild your walls, which makes them a smart option for many Chattanooga homes and businesses. At Legendary Masonry Chattanooga, we install brick veneers that handle our humid summers, sudden storms, and occasional winter freezes without cracking or peeling.
We start every project with a site visit, not just a quick quote over the phone. We look at your existing walls (framed, block, or concrete), moisture issues, and how sun and rain hit each side of your property. On older Chattanooga homes, we often find previous siding trapped moisture against the sheathing, so we build a veneer system that lets the wall dry out properly. For commercial buildings along busy roads, we may recommend harder, more stain resistant face brick to handle exhaust and grime.
Brick veneers are typically 3/8 to 1 inch thick for adhered veneer or a standard 3 5/8 inch face brick used as a veneer with a small air gap. We explain both options, where each works best, and how they affect cost, weight, and appearance. Our goal is not just to make the wall look like brick, but to give you a long lasting veneer system that performs well in our local climate.
How brick veneer installation actually works
A properly installed brick veneer is a system, not just thin bricks glued to a wall. Legendary Masonry Chattanooga follows a step by step process so your veneer stays bonded, drains correctly, and resists cracking.
1) Substrate inspection and prep: We verify that the wall is strong and flat enough to carry the veneer. On framed walls we check sheathing and fasteners, replace soft or damaged sections, and tighten loose areas. On block or concrete, we remove paint, efflorescence, or loose parging. Any surface that is too smooth is mechanically roughened so mortar can grab.
2) Moisture and weather barriers: For most residential projects we install a weather resistant barrier over framed walls, tape seams, and add flashing at window heads, sills, and bases. On veneers with an air gap, we add weep vents at the bottom so any water that gets behind the brick can escape. This is critical in Chattanooga where heavy afternoon storms can drive rain behind siding.
3) Lath and scratch coat (for adhered veneer): For thin brick veneers we fasten corrosion resistant metal lath to the framing or masonry with appropriate fasteners, then apply a cement based scratch coat about 1/2 inch thick and score it horizontally. This creates a rough, strong backing to hold the brick units.
4) Laying the brick veneer: We snap level lines and start in the most visible corner or entry. Joints are usually 3/8 inch, but we adjust based on the style you prefer. For adhered veneer, we butter the back of each thin brick with mortar and press it into the scratch coat with a slight wiggle so full coverage is achieved. For anchored veneer, full face bricks are laid on a shelf angle or foundation ledge with wall ties or veneer anchors tied into the structure.
5) Tooling and cleaning: After the mortar sets slightly, we tool the joints to the chosen profile (concave, grapevine, or flush) and brush off crumbs. We avoid harsh acid cleaning unless necessary, especially on lighter bricks, and if we do use cleaning agents, we neutralize and rinse thoroughly so residue does not stain later.
6) Final check and caulking: At the end, we seal small joints where brick meets windows or doors with flexible sealant, leaving drainage paths at the bottom. We also walk the job with you and mark any spots that need extra cleaning or touchup before we consider the veneer complete.
Design choices for brick veneers in Chattanooga
Brick veneers are not one look fits all. Legendary Masonry Chattanooga helps you choose styles and details that make sense for your specific property, not just what looks good in a brochure.
Color and blend: Local homeowners often like warm reds and earth tones that match older Chattanooga neighborhoods, but we also install grays, charcoal blends, and tumbled bricks for a more modern or rustic look. We bring real sample boards to your site so you can see how colors shift in your natural light rather than relying solely on photos.
Pattern and layout: Standard running bond is still popular because it is clean and timeless, but brick veneers allow for more creativity. Accent panels in soldier course or herringbone above garage doors, basketweave patterns on porch walls, and contrasting brick bands at window sills are all common in our projects. We can also design quoin style corners with alternating long and short bricks for a more traditional look.
Mortar color and joint style: Mortar can change the appearance of brick as much as the brick color itself. A light mortar makes the wall appear softer and larger, while a dark mortar sharpens lines and hides some dirt. Joint tooling type matters too. Concave joints shed water well and resist freeze damage, which is why we recommend them for most exteriors in Tennessee. Flush or raked joints give a more contemporary or rustic appearance, and we use them where design is a higher priority and the wall gets less direct rain.
Where to use veneers: Around Chattanooga, we commonly install brick veneers on front facades, chimney chases, porch columns, outdoor kitchens, and accent walls inside entryways or living rooms. For basements and retaining walls, we pay extra attention to drainage and back side waterproofing so the veneer is not sitting against continuously damp concrete.
What affects cost and timeline for brick veneers
People often ask what makes one brick veneer project more expensive than another. Legendary Masonry Chattanooga breaks down your estimate so you can see exactly what you are paying for and where you have options to adjust.
Wall condition and access: If your existing sheathing is in good shape and the area is easy to reach, costs are lower. If we have to repair rotted framing, remove old stone or brick, or work on very high or tight areas that require staging or lifts, labor goes up. Corner work, arches, and detailed patterns are slower to install and add to the budget.
Brick and mortar selections: Standard stock bricks and common colors are usually less expensive and quicker to get. Special order colors, handmade or tumbled bricks, or imported lines carry higher material costs and sometimes longer lead times. Pigmented mortar and specialty joint profiles also add to cost but can be worth it if appearance is a key goal.
System type: Adhered thin brick veneer weighs less and often works well over framed walls with proper preparation, and it can be more economical if no structural shelf angle is needed. Anchored full brick veneer uses more material and may require structural support at the base, but it offers deeper shadow lines and a feel almost identical to full brick construction. We explain where each system is appropriate and how it impacts price.
Season and schedule: In Chattanooga, the best times for brick veneer work are typically spring and fall, when temperatures are moderate and mortar cures steadily. Summer heat requires shading and more frequent curing, and winter work may need heated water or temporary protection to keep mortar from freezing. If your project must be completed during very hot or cold periods, we plan for weather measures which can slightly increase cost and time.
Permits and coordination: Some exterior changes, especially on commercial buildings or in certain neighborhoods, may require permits or HOA approval. We can provide product data, drawings, and photos to help with those approvals. Timeline also depends on coordinating with other trades such as framers, window installers, or roofers if your veneer is part of a larger remodel.
Common brick veneer problems and how we prevent them
A lot of the calls we get in Chattanooga are from people who already have a failing brick veneer that was installed without much thought to moisture or movement. Legendary Masonry Chattanooga is careful about both, so your new veneer does not repeat old mistakes.
Moisture trapped behind veneers: When water gets behind brick and has nowhere to go, it can lead to mold, peeling paint indoors, or crumbling mortar. We prevent this by incorporating drainage planes, proper flashing at windows and doors, and either weep holes (for anchored veneer) or breathable assemblies (for adhered veneer). On problem walls we may also recommend improving gutters or grading so water is routed away from the veneer.
Cracks and separation: Hairline cracks in mortar can be normal, but long running cracks or bulges in the wall are not. To reduce cracking, we use the right type of mortar for the brick selected instead of a one mix fits all approach, and we respect control joints and movement joints. Where the veneer meets other materials, such as siding or stone, we leave controlled gaps and install flexible sealant instead of trying to mortar everything solid.
Efflorescence and staining: That white powdery film on brick is caused by salts in the mortar or brick moving to the surface with moisture. Locally, this often shows up on shaded or north facing walls. We minimize it by using clean, properly graded materials, avoiding over saturation of the wall during curing, and detailing for drainage. If existing efflorescence is present, we clean test patches first to choose the least aggressive method that still works.
Hiring a qualified installer: Before you hire anyone to install brick veneers, ask how they handle drainage, flashing, and movement joints. Ask to see jobs that are at least two or three years old so you can see how their work holds up. We are happy to show you completed projects around Chattanooga and talk through what we did on each one so you know exactly what to expect on your own property.
