In any house, not only coziness, comfort of living and the main plumbing amenities are important, but also the aesthetics of perceiving the home. Everyone is engaged in “decorating”: someone collects elephants, someone hangs walls with photographs, posters, posters and paintings, someone has fun with embroidery or burning - it depends on who imagines the beauty in his house. At the same time, the option to fit stucco molding on the wall comes to many minds, even if their tastes are very different. For stucco trinkets and additions are very different, from the most unexpected materials and can satisfy even very pampered aesthetes.
Where such items would be appropriate
Note that if you plan to use stucco molding (on a wall or ceiling), you should first figure out whether it will be combined with the overall design of your home. Most of all, this type of decoration is suitable when choosing a classic style, Gothic, Art Nouveau, Empire style, romanticism or Baroque. Actually, it was the admirers of these styles that used stucco molding on the wall in large quantities at one time, and without it there was clearly a lack of something. However, in the simplest design, you can apply such a design move. In principle, ceiling moldings familiar to everyone (skirting boards, cornices - they are called differently) are a modern imitation of stucco details.
Types of similar jewelry
Note that stucco molding in the interior has been used for many centuries and still has not lost its relevance. The main thing is to soberly assess the general view of the room where you plan to place it, and successfully fit stucco details into the "surrounding world". And for this, it would be nice to know what kind of jewelry you can supply your home with.
The most common elements are cornices and moldings. They are compatible with almost any design of the apartment. The same can be said about ceiling outlets designed to frame fixtures. However, when choosing them, one must be able to successfully choose a combination of a chandelier and a socket: the modern spot -mounted built-in lamp inside a lush and elaborate stucco element will look rather silly. Columns of various kinds, including pilasters, are of little use in city apartments - for this they have not enough space. However, for framing niches or doors, small versions of such stucco molding can be quite appropriate. The decor in the form of garlands, medallions and intertwined ribbons is combined only with a small number of design styles - only "heavy" directions take such stucco on the wall.
Materials for work
Originally, of course, stucco made of gypsum was performed. In parallel, soft stone and alabaster were used. Now, too, you can refer to these materials. However, modern industry supplies other sources, which are often much easier to work with and which have undeniable advantages over the classics, but they also have their drawbacks. So, stucco molding on a wall or ceiling can now be made of foamed polyurethane, polystyrene, fiberglass or polystyrene. For example, the same widely used ceiling skirting boards are most often foam. Which material to choose depends on you and the tasks.
Gypsum: Advantages and Benefits
Let's start with the classics. If you choose gypsum as the basis, then you can hardly do stucco molding on the wall with your own hands - you still need special skills and good artistic inclinations to work with it. However, in bonuses you can record the uniqueness of the decorations of your apartment (unless, of course, you turned to a specialized workshop, but were not satisfied with factory blanks). At the same time, the same gypsum is a very moody material. If your house is located near a river, sea or lake (that is, the humidity in the room is elevated), or the ventilation in the apartment is not up to standard, then the gypsum elements will not last long. Another drawback is by no means a small investment of money - the source material is inexpensive, but the work with it is very highly paid.
Polystyrene: advantages and disadvantages
Of modern sources, this material is the most popular. Polyfoam, in general, is very democratic, the rest are much more expensive in production. The plus is the fact that polystyrene elements do not need special installation - they just need to be glued to the surface. However, the minus is that the joints of such decorations will periodically have to be glued. And the elements also need regular cleaning. But the advantage is the ability to vary colors - even a child can choose the right shade, and the polystyrene surface easily absorbs paint.
As an option - polyurethane
To apply such stucco on the wall can already afford a more limited contingent. This material is much more expensive than polystyrene. However, it is very durable and does not need to be repaired and regularly updated. Moreover, the care of such a decor is extremely simple: wiped with a damp cloth - and free. Moisture does not harm polyurethane products. Water resistance has become the reason that stucco made of this material is installed in pools, and even in saunas. Differential pressures also do not lead to cracking, so a one-time, albeit large, monetary investment justifies itself quite quickly.
Work stages
Stucco molding on the walls (photos of the options are presented in the article) can be ordered in the workshop, but can be done independently. The easiest way is with ready-made forms made of any material - they are sold in construction stores, and your task is only to strengthen them in the selected places. The fixing method depends on the material of the decor.
However, if you are interested in exclusive, you can work hard and make a completely unique decoration for your apartment. The easiest way to use gypsum. Since far from all possess the skill of sculpting, it is reasonable to use forms. The gypsum composition that you have to make can be further strengthened with fiber. Then it is poured into the selected forms and placed for drying somewhere where the temperature and humidity are constant - differences in both of them will lead to uneven drying, as a result of which cracks may appear, and the workpiece itself will be brittle and unreliable. If the gypsum elements are massive enough, they should be reinforced with a grid. When the workpieces dry out over the entire volume, they are ground, removing all roughness and minor imperfections. If desired, you can gilded stucco with a special composition. But be careful: this option of decoration is very striking, and with insufficient compatibility with the rest of the interior, you can easily slide into kitsch or gypsy.