Application in finishing works of decorativestone helps to add coziness and uniqueness to the interior. In addition, it has a number of other significant advantages. This material is very easy to work with due to its light weight. It does not require special care, is reliable and has a fairly long service life. It is an environmentally friendly material, resistant to corrosion, fungal and bacterial damage.
Decorative stone is environmentally friendlymaterial and has a long service life. This type of decorative cladding is distinguished by its affordable cost, variety of textures and colors, so creating a unique interior with its help will not be difficult.
Where is the decorative stone used?
This material can be used for finishingcorridors, kitchens, living rooms. They can be used to lay out an entire wall, or they can be used as separate accent fragments. It is appropriate to use it in framing arches, doorways, decorating fireplaces, and it also goes well with photo wallpaper. A beautiful and functional design solution would be to install built-in plasterboard shelves finished with this decorative material. There are no strict standards for using decorative stone. The most important thing is that the final result matches the original idea. As a rule, small tiles with a small texture are used to decorate walls. Rough brick can be used to decorate arched openings. This type of decorative finishing must be combined with the color scheme of the room. Return to contents</a>
Varieties of decorative stone
Samples of artificial stone.There are natural and artificial facing stones. Natural ones are onyx, sandstone, limestone, marble, granite, etc. The advantages of marble include a rich color palette. Sandstone can have a red, chocolate and green shade. It is quite easy to lay: hewn elements by alternating horizontal and vertical fragments are placed in the form of a mosaic. An alloy of limestone tiles of different sizes is laid in horizontal rows. Limestone can have yellowish, white, gray and pink shades. Natural material attracts and has a special energy. But decor with its use can be found rarely. This material is quite expensive and at the same time has an impressive weight, which complicates transportation and installation. In addition, not every surface can withstand the weight of such cladding.
Schematic options for laying decorativestone. An excellent alternative to natural material has become decorative artificial stone. This material weighs 1.5 - 2 times less than natural, costs less, and is practically no different in appearance. The strength of artificial stone is also at its best. The most popular are decorative stones based on cement and gypsum. Gypsum tiles are not able to withstand high humidity, so this decorative element is used in dry rooms (in the bedroom, hallway, etc.). Stones based on cement mortar can be used in the bathroom, kitchen, etc. Artificial facing stone can imitate any natural material. Today, the most popular imitations of brick and slate. Brick looks great on the balcony, in the bedroom, in the hallway. It helps to create both strict and dynamic interiors. Artificial slate is the only type of decorative finish that allows you to create a monolithic surface. Each element of such a wall looks unique and ambiguous. Return to contents</a>
Installation of decorative stone: tools and materials
Wall alignment diagram.The cladding is done after the window and door openings have been formed and the ceiling finishing work has been completed. In case of simple cosmetic repairs, decorative stone can be glued at any time. The following consumables are required for laying:
- glue;
- grout;
- water repellent impregnation (for wet rooms).
The quality of consumables affectsdurability and reliability indicators of the cladding. It is recommended to buy compositions made directly by the manufacturer of the purchased decorative stone. It is prohibited to use glue and grout that are not intended for mounting decorative stone. To lay artificial slabs, various adhesive compositions are used. This can be a composition that includes PVA and gypsum or water-acrylic glue (any mounting glue). Acrylic adhesive sealants, liquid nails and a solution of cement and glue are also suitable. You can not worry about the quality of fastening of decorative artificial stone to the surface, as it is quite light.
Decorative stone laying scheme.The color of the grout should be given great importance. In addition to its auxiliary role, it also plays an aesthetic role and the appearance of the finished surface depends on it. To create a glossy surface with a "wet effect", you can use a special varnish. Tools:
- level;
- spatulas;
- brushes;
- a set of foam sponge;
- stool;
- pencils.
When using dry mixture:
- capacity;
- a nozzle-mixer;
- drill.
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The process of laying decorative stone
The decorative stone is very thin, it is not"steals" the space of the room. The surface on which the stone is laid must have a smooth structure. First, you need to putty and plaster the wall, then sand it and prime it. If cement glue is used, instead of priming, the surface should be treated with water. The surface of the stone also needs to be primed. It will reduce the absorbency of the stone and remove dust. The primer should dry for an hour. The process of laying decorative stone depends on its shape. Rectangular tiles are glued in rows. When laying the stone in rows, you need to mark a horizontal line with a level along which the first row of stone will go. Oval stones are arranged in random order. Elements with an irregular shape should initially be laid out on the floor to have an idea of the sequence of their gluing.
For laying decorative stone you canUse tile adhesive. Stones of different sizes should be laid in the order of large, medium and small tiles. The order should be changed in each row. When laying decorative stones of the same size, part of the first fragment of the second row should be sawed off with a hacksaw to ensure that the rows do not match. The stone should be laid from top to bottom. This is especially important if the surface is tiled along the entire height. If you start gluing the stone from the floor, it is almost impossible to calculate the mark of the first row so that the elements of the last one do not need to be trimmed. You do not need to mix a lot of glue at once. It sets quickly and becomes unsuitable for work. Apply the glue with a notched trowel. After that, remove the excess and press the fragment tightly to the wall surface. The adhesive solution can be applied both to the surface to be tiled and to the stone itself. Any excess glue that comes out should be removed immediately with a damp sponge. To give the corners an aesthetic appearance, the stone is cut using a miter box and a hacksaw at an angle of 45°. To fill the seams with grout, you can use a special bag or a pastry syringe. Return to the table of contents</a>
Can I glue the decorative stone on the wallpaper and stone it with gypsum board walls
Natural stone is not suitable for claddingplasterboard walls due to its excessive weight, but the structure must withstand the weight of artificial stone. Manufacturers of artificial stone assure that plasterboard walls installed in accordance with building codes are capable of withstanding even the heaviest facing coating. At the same time, 1 m² of facing can withstand from 10 to 60 kg. Experienced builders recommend strengthening a plasterboard wall with a reinforcing mesh if the load on the structure is more than 30 kg per 1 m². It is not recommended to glue decorative stone directly to the wallpaper. Using a construction knife, part of the wallpaper should be removed. The existing wallpaper is removed to the last layer, after which the remaining glue is washed off with water. The plastered surface requires a reliable coating. If there are irregularities or voids somewhere, a new layer of plaster is applied to them. After this, you can face the clean wall with stone. The facing should overlap the wallpaper by no more than 1.5-2 cm. After installing the stone, it should be covered with water-based varnish or acrylic impregnation. They will protect the stone from destruction and improve its appearance.
