Decorative facing

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the present invention there are provided simple, efficient, and effective techniques for forming a decorative facing.
The facing may be formed directly on a wide variety of substrates and surfaces or it may be formed, transported, stored, and used as individual units, as desired.
For example, the facing may be formed in situ on concrete blocks, walls, floors, slabs, driveways, walkways, cinder bricks, ceiling tiles, fiber board, wood (e.
g.
, plywood, particle board), and so forth.
The facing material may also be made in the form of individual units having a variety of shapes, e.
g.
, thin brick elements, quarry tiles, etc.
The decorative facing is useful for both interior and exterior facing, and it has the feel and appearance of conventional fired brick.
In one embodiment there is provided a decorative brick element having a thickness in the range of about 0.
15 to 0.
2 inches.
The brick element comprises a cured molded mixture of Portland cement, sand, and pigmented binder.
The brick element has high strength and good color fastness (i.
e.
, it does not easily fade even at high temperatures).
In other embodiments the decorative facing is applied directly to concrete and cinder bricks, concrete blocks, floors, walls, slabs, etc.
where it hardens in place.
In yet another embodiment a prefabricated panel is provided having a decorative facing.