Stone veneer is a facing material that is used to decorate rooms and premises, building facades, some elements of the decor, in particular columns, countertops, furniture. The material has an attractive appearance, and it is quite easy to work with it, so designers take it into service.
Material characteristics
The basis of the material is natural flexible stone. He gets additional properties through the use of layers having a complex composition. The mineral formula is verified with the expectation that the material is as durable and light as possible, environmentally friendly and safe. To do this, use a polyester resin, fiberglass and a substrate. Thermal expansion has a thickness within 0.8 millimeters, and the entire sheet is usually obtained no thicker than two millimeters.
One of the advantages of stone veneer is its low weight: a sheet of one square meter weighs about one and a half kilograms, so the finish does not burden the structure. Designers use this material for decoration, including walls and ceilings. Additional properties due to which veneer has become so popular in recent years are resistance to wear and moisture.
Aesthetic properties and variety of appearance
Externally, this material is indistinguishable from natural stone, which gives the designer the opportunity to turn any interior or facade into a real work of art with a preferred color scheme for the customer. There is no need to use a heavy facing stone, and veneer can be applied, including on chipboards and other typical surfaces. Its applicability is significantly higher than that of many other materials used for cladding.
Appearance - various shades of gray, green, brown, white, yellow. Among the assortment available today, there are solutions for both relatively modest and luxurious interiors. With proper use, you can achieve that the floor, walls, ceiling, building facade, any elements of the environment will look aesthetically pleasing and impressive - as if the truth were made of natural stone. Veneer goes well with natural stone trim, as well as with other materials.
Work with stone veneer
The recommended temperature range for work is from +10 to +35 degrees Celsius. To use the material in conjunction with wood-based panels (particleboard or MDF), two-component epoxy adhesives are usually used. Sometimes epoxy glue is used for the edge, and aerosol adhesive is used for the base. If the edge is pasted over on the machine, then standard hot melt adhesive can be used.
After completion of work, the edges of the base are ground. At the same time, designers can use a creative approach and repeat the pattern texture, round or cut corners. In addition, masking tape, double-sided tape and various adhesives can be used during operation. The top coat, which is applied on top, performs the function of impregnation. For this purpose, special compositions for various purposes are used: water repellents for building facades, special impregnations for furniture and fireplaces, for wet and dry rooms.
Other properties
Environmentally friendly clean and safe, and therefore he is preferred. It is inferior in strength to natural stone, but it weighs less, therefore, it is widely used as a decorative material. Despite the subtlety, the material is not fragile, does not break and does not crack. It should be remembered that he acquires most of his qualities only when treated with an impregnating finishing layer - otherwise the finish will be “afraid” of water, temperature and other negative factors.
Thus, this material cannot be called universal one hundred percent, and working with it requires a certain skill. At the same time, it is often used where natural stone and some of its analogues cannot be used. As for the price, it is quite acceptable taking into account all the properties. The color scheme is also good, and lovers of the texture of natural stone will always find veneers to their liking.