Decorative stone is a building material of remarkable beauty, which is used for various types of decoration, external and internal. Facing with this material is much easier than with ceramic tiles. Moreover, it can be done independently. At the same time, laying decorative stone is carried out using a minimum of materials and tools. Many home masters fear that nothing will come of their venture. But there is nowhere to retreat: all materials have been purchased, tools are waiting in the wings, and friends and relatives are eagerly (and someone with an undercurrent of gloating) expecting what the renovated apartment will look like. So, for the job!
Decorative stone is an interior decoration that gives it an unusual and non-standard look. It is simply impossible to ignore him;
It is very simple to work with an artificial stone. The reasons are lightness and proper shape. In addition, caring for a stone is very simple. A normal soapy solution is sufficient;
Ecological cleanliness, safety. The material does not corrode, is not subject to decay, is unattractive for fungal infections and bacteria;
Reliability, durability. The material serves for a long time, without losing its operational qualities;
An extensive selection of styles, textures and shades. This allows you to create exactly the interior that you like best;
Hypoallergenicity. Artificial stone made by classical technology contains exclusively natural components: water, gypsum, quartz sand, marble chips and inorganic additives;
Low cost. Gypsum is not among the expensive building materials. Its price is comparable with such materials as alabaster, drywall and chalk. This makes repairs not only efficient, but also low-budget.
There are also disadvantages:
The fragility of the material. A minor blow is enough to destroy the material;
Insufficient moisture resistance (this applies to gypsum stone). When used in the kitchen or in the bathroom, an additional moisture-resistant coating is required.
The advantages of stone wall decoration
Decorative stone looks great as a finish for window and doorways, as well as a fireplace area. It goes well with indoor plants, as well as aquariums and home fountains. If we talk about style, then this finish looks best with a classic interior, adding notes of aristocracy and chic to it.
In order for the cladding to look really beautiful, you need to take into account one of its features. Enough bright lighting will be required, otherwise the room will look somewhat gloomy. This problem can be solved by laying the stone not completely, but alternating it with plain wallpaper, paint or decorative plaster of a light shade.
Types of decorative and natural stone
The most common varieties of artificial stone are based on cement mortar and gypsum. Plaster finishing material is unstable to high humidity. Therefore, it is used in living rooms, bedrooms or hallways. Facing artificial stone made of cement, on the contrary, is moisture resistant, therefore it is used in rooms with a high level of humidity, for example, in a bathroom, on a balcony, bathroom or in the kitchen. Today's fashion trends are facing materials with realistic imitation of masonry and slate. A brick or clinker surface is perfect for modern loft interiors, designing a zone near a fireplace or stove, and also for decorating the walls of loggias and balconies. As for the imitation of slate, this is the only kind of decor that forms a single stone surface resembling natural rocks. Each element has its own individual look, and the whole composition together looks very impressive and charming.
Of the natural stones used to decorate houses and apartments, the most common are granite, limestone, marble and sandstone.
Marble is a beautiful aristocratic material with which you can create magnificent "palace" interiors. The color scheme is rich, but the most popular, in addition to black and white, are shades of beige, red and brown. It looks best in spacious rooms. With a limited number of square meters, the “royal” finish will look somehow ridiculous.
Sandstone has 3 primary colors: red, chocolate brown and green. Three material names are distinguished by the degree of granularity. It is very simple to process and stack sandstone stones. The material is inexpensive, but quite spectacular. Apply for buildings and as decoration;
Limestone is an alloy of stones laid in horizontal rows. The hue may be pink, gray, yellowish or white;
Granite, in addition to a beautiful noble appearance, is distinguished by special strength and durability. Use it for interior and facade decoration. It looks good with other finishing materials.
Mounting Features
The specificity of the technology of working with artificial stone is that it does not have an even facial structure, like ceramic tiles, so bringing the plane to zero is completely unnecessary. Is it necessary to observe the row? It is desirable since the appearance of the cladding benefits from this. Now consider the main stages of work related to the laying of artificial stone.
Preparatory work
An important point before installing a decorative stone is a thorough preparation of the surface. Walls should be freed from the remnants of old coatings and degreased. It is not necessary to level the wall to the ideal state, since the cladding will reliably hide all the flaws. But it is necessary to check the adhesion of the surface. Sprinkle it with water and see if there are areas where water is not absorbed but hangs on the wall with drops. These areas need to be subjected to particularly thorough machining, and then repeat the experiment with spraying. Carefully scratch the surface of the wall with a metal brush, then use a paint brush to process the stones from the back and the outside.
Before starting the facing work, place the trim elements on a flat surface, think about the future pattern. This will allow you to find in advance the best option for placing pebbles on the wall and avoid confusion.
Necessary styling tools
The most common tool that is used when laying artificial decorative stone on the wall.
Hacksaw for woodwork. She cuts very well gypsum-polymer stones, no worse than grinders;
Miter box. Indispensable if you need to cut the material at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees;
Spatulas of different sizes for applying adhesive;
Kitchen sponges. They are convenient to use when filling putty;
Chisel, sandpaper, file. Using these tools, you can easily adjust the stones, as they do not always cast in a perfectly smooth shape. It is most convenient to use a chisel for work, and then clean the surfaces with sandpaper;
Construction level and a simple pencil;
The mixer is construction. It can be replaced with a drill with a nozzle. It is convenient for mixing adhesive and putty compositions.
Such materials will also be needed:
Putty. It is used to seal joints at the corners and between joints;
Varnish on the water. It will be required to cover places in the area of seams and chips;
Tile glue (it can be replaced with liquid nails).
Tile glue should be diluted so that the ready-made solution is used for 15, maximum 20 minutes. It’s impossible for longer, because the mass will begin to harden. The best consistency of the adhesive solution is creamy, like toothpaste. In any case, you need to read the instructions.
Styling technology
To properly and beautifully finish the walls with artificial stone, it is not at all necessary to have experience in construction or design work. A bit of hard work, patience and the desire to do something yourself - all that you need. Lack of experience compensates for the building material. General conditions for finishing work are as follows:
The temperature range when faced with artificial stone is from 5 to 30 degrees. If the air temperature exceeds 30 degrees, then about half an hour before starting work, the wall and the back surface of the stone are moistened with water.
Inspect each pebble before laying. Sometimes the opposite sides have a different shade.It does not hurt to ask the seller which side is better to lay the material.
Make markings on the wall. Its step is up to 500 mm. This is necessary in order to know in advance how the decor elements will go.
Styling methods
There are 2 ways of laying artificial stone: with and without jointing. The first method is used to decorate the "brick" texture. You can lay out the wall without embedding with artificial stones imitating slate. Seamless styling is easier and faster. Its essence is that stones must be laid one from another at a minimum distance. Excess glue must be removed on time, otherwise it will then be difficult to do. The essence of laying stones with jointing is that the cladding elements are laid at a distance from one another. In this case, to the list of tools and fixtures you need to add the previously purchased flashing. It will also require a dye to match the finishing stone (or, conversely, a contrasting shade), for seams.
Now the process itself is step by step. Stone laying begins with corner elements, alternating short and long stones. To create support, the cladding is from the floor up. When the glue dries in the lower layer, you can proceed to further laying. The polymerization time of the adhesive depends on the particular brand. For individual adhesives, polymerization time is not necessary at all. In each case, you need to read the instructions. If seamless styling is used, it is necessary to ensure that the glue goes on the end parts of the stones, without getting on the front of the decor. Design features of curved or complex sections:
Complex elements are performed using a file and (or) a chisel. This skill is useful if you need to gracefully bypass a socket or switch, as well as when designing slopes, front doors and interior arched openings.
For a perfect corner cut, use a miter box. When laying pebbles cut at an angle, monitor their tight fit.It is convenient to use the miter box and for the formation of right angles. If the miter box is not at hand, you can use an object with a precisely calibrated right angle.
Figured cutting is performed along the contour of the texture.
Filling of joints with putty can be done using a plastic bag from under dairy products. Fill the bag with putty mortar, and then release it through a small hole directly into the seam. Excesses are removed with a sponge from under the dishes.
Finishing
To keep the stone properties longer, it is coated with special impregnation. Apply it, previously perfectly cleaning the wall. If you need a shiny surface, then apply acrylic varnish on top. If you want to achieve maximum naturalness, then impregnation, on the contrary, is diluted with water. A decorative stone painted in various shades looks beautiful.
Mistakes to avoid when laying stone
Novice masters when walling with decorative stone often make such mistakes:
A wide seam that does not decorate, but spoils the whole impression of the composition;
Poor priming of the wall. After some time, the lining begins to fall off;
Damage and chips of individual trim elements during trimming;
Wrong choice of texture and shade;
Row errors made from the very beginning. This leads to the fact that the material is laid randomly. The appearance of the wall from this greatly loses.
The cost of repair depends on the amount of work, prices for materials and prices from specialists. DIY cladding makes it cheaper.
Conclusion
Work, especially for not too experienced craftsmen, is necessary without haste, then the result will be much better. It is advisable to joint and grout the seams 2-3 days after the end of the facing work, when the glue is completely dry. If you complete all the steps according to all the rules, the result will be truly impressive.
Decorative stone is a building material of remarkable beauty, which is used for various types of decoration, external and internal. Facing with this material is much easier than with ceramic tiles. Moreover, it can be done independently. At the same time, laying decorative stone is carried out using a minimum of materials and tools. Many home masters fear that nothing will come of their venture. But there is nowhere to retreat: all materials have been purchased, tools are waiting in the wings, and friends and relatives are eagerly (and someone with an undercurrent of gloating) expecting what the renovated apartment will look like. So, for the job!
Content
Advantages and disadvantages
First of all, about the benefits:
There are also disadvantages:
The advantages of stone wall decoration
Decorative stone looks great as a finish for window and doorways, as well as a fireplace area. It goes well with indoor plants, as well as aquariums and home fountains. If we talk about style, then this finish looks best with a classic interior, adding notes of aristocracy and chic to it.
In order for the cladding to look really beautiful, you need to take into account one of its features. Enough bright lighting will be required, otherwise the room will look somewhat gloomy. This problem can be solved by laying the stone not completely, but alternating it with plain wallpaper, paint or decorative plaster of a light shade.
Types of decorative and natural stone
The most common varieties of artificial stone are based on cement mortar and gypsum. Plaster finishing material is unstable to high humidity. Therefore, it is used in living rooms, bedrooms or hallways. Facing artificial stone made of cement, on the contrary, is moisture resistant, therefore it is used in rooms with a high level of humidity, for example, in a bathroom, on a balcony, bathroom or in the kitchen. Today's fashion trends are facing materials with realistic imitation of masonry and slate. A brick or clinker surface is perfect for modern loft interiors, designing a zone near a fireplace or stove, and also for decorating the walls of loggias and balconies. As for the imitation of slate, this is the only kind of decor that forms a single stone surface resembling natural rocks. Each element has its own individual look, and the whole composition together looks very impressive and charming.
Of the natural stones used to decorate houses and apartments, the most common are granite, limestone, marble and sandstone.
Mounting Features
The specificity of the technology of working with artificial stone is that it does not have an even facial structure, like ceramic tiles, so bringing the plane to zero is completely unnecessary. Is it necessary to observe the row? It is desirable since the appearance of the cladding benefits from this. Now consider the main stages of work related to the laying of artificial stone.
Preparatory work
An important point before installing a decorative stone is a thorough preparation of the surface. Walls should be freed from the remnants of old coatings and degreased. It is not necessary to level the wall to the ideal state, since the cladding will reliably hide all the flaws. But it is necessary to check the adhesion of the surface. Sprinkle it with water and see if there are areas where water is not absorbed but hangs on the wall with drops. These areas need to be subjected to particularly thorough machining, and then repeat the experiment with spraying. Carefully scratch the surface of the wall with a metal brush, then use a paint brush to process the stones from the back and the outside.
Necessary styling tools
The most common tool that is used when laying artificial decorative stone on the wall.
Such materials will also be needed:
Styling technology
To properly and beautifully finish the walls with artificial stone, it is not at all necessary to have experience in construction or design work. A bit of hard work, patience and the desire to do something yourself - all that you need. Lack of experience compensates for the building material. General conditions for finishing work are as follows:
Styling methods
There are 2 ways of laying artificial stone: with and without jointing. The first method is used to decorate the "brick" texture. You can lay out the wall without embedding with artificial stones imitating slate. Seamless styling is easier and faster. Its essence is that stones must be laid one from another at a minimum distance. Excess glue must be removed on time, otherwise it will then be difficult to do. The essence of laying stones with jointing is that the cladding elements are laid at a distance from one another. In this case, to the list of tools and fixtures you need to add the previously purchased flashing. It will also require a dye to match the finishing stone (or, conversely, a contrasting shade), for seams.
Now the process itself is step by step. Stone laying begins with corner elements, alternating short and long stones. To create support, the cladding is from the floor up. When the glue dries in the lower layer, you can proceed to further laying. The polymerization time of the adhesive depends on the particular brand. For individual adhesives, polymerization time is not necessary at all. In each case, you need to read the instructions. If seamless styling is used, it is necessary to ensure that the glue goes on the end parts of the stones, without getting on the front of the decor.
Design features of curved or complex sections:
Finishing
To keep the stone properties longer, it is coated with special impregnation. Apply it, previously perfectly cleaning the wall. If you need a shiny surface, then apply acrylic varnish on top. If you want to achieve maximum naturalness, then impregnation, on the contrary, is diluted with water. A decorative stone painted in various shades looks beautiful.
Mistakes to avoid when laying stone
Novice masters when walling with decorative stone often make such mistakes:
The cost of repair depends on the amount of work, prices for materials and prices from specialists. DIY cladding makes it cheaper.
Conclusion
Work, especially for not too experienced craftsmen, is necessary without haste, then the result will be much better. It is advisable to joint and grout the seams 2-3 days after the end of the facing work, when the glue is completely dry. If you complete all the steps according to all the rules, the result will be truly impressive.