You can improve the look of the interior in many ways, but decorating the walls with artificial or natural stone can be just that “highlight” that will give luxury and comfort to the room. At the same time, you should not think that this type of repair is too time-consuming - this is an erroneous opinion. It is enough to stock up on time and desire, take the right tools and choose the right glue for the stone to radically transform the room.
Necessary materials
There are several principles for laying decorative stone. The list of materials and tools necessary for repair depends on them. During work you will need:
- pencil, tape measure, ordinary and notched trowel, as well as level;
- miter box and hacksaw;
- to create the effect of uneven edges of the masonry - a flat file;
- when simulating masonry from stone blocks or bricks - cross stitches;
- foam sponge and brush;
- construction mixer and rubber mallet;
- container for the preparation of glue (from a dry mixture);
- a pastry bag or syringe to fill the seams.
Complete with a decorative stone, it is worthwhile to purchase paint and a joint mixture that is most suitable for color, because it is with them that the seams will be filled. You will also need a primer suitable for the characteristics of the material, acrylic impregnation for gypsum or colorless varnish.
Choose glue for stone
Particular care should be taken in those mixtures or solutions that are responsible for the strength of the installation. After all, first of all, it depends on them how long the repair will retain its original appearance.
It is clear that the glue for natural stone, however, as well as artificial, should be selected special, because this material is quite heavy. Of course, it can also be put on cement mortar, but the question is how long such gluing will last. It is better to purchase a special glue for stone, which is sold both in dry form and in a ready-to-use solution. Also suitable universal mixture "Crazy Velcro", made on an acrylic basis. Thanks to it, gypsum tiles can be firmly attached to any surface.
Preparation for work
You can revet with a decorative stone any interior details, including corners and arches. At the same time, the effect of an uneven surface looks very beautiful. If you want to achieve such a result, then before gluing a decorative stone, it is better to lay the tiles on the floor for clarity. This will help to fit elements with different thicknesses under each other, as well as approximately represent the final result in the mind. Particular attention should be paid to the extreme components. They need to be cut through one with a hacksaw, which will provide a shift of the seams on different rows of masonry. If you want to create "torn" edges of the stone, then you should use a file. Carefully remove the gypsum material, not forgetting after that to clean the tile from dust and paint it to match the stone.
Tiles that will lie on the outer corners of the structure must be prepared. For this, a stus and a hacksaw are taken and with their help one of the internal protrusions of the element is cut off at an angle of 45 degrees. Thanks to these techniques, a beautiful angle is formed. Also, do not forget to adjust the tiles in length.
Surface preparation
Before gluing a stone to a wall, it should be brought to a level condition. This can be done either with putty or plaster, or by lining the surface with OSB boards or drywall. When laying heavy natural stone, it is better to reinforce the wall with a metal mesh - this will increase the bonding strength, which will significantly extend the service life of such a repair. If the stone rests on a tree or structures exposed to vibrational stresses, installation should be carried out on elastic acrylic adhesive - this will prevent cracking of the masonry.
Mounting a stone on a wall
If a dry mounting mixture is used, then it is worth remembering that the glue for natural stone, as well as for gypsum materials, hardens very quickly, so you need to knead it in small portions. Follow the instructions for kneading exactly, namely: proportion, sequence of actions, water temperature - this will maximize the reliability of the glue. To create an even masonry, mark up by level. The stone is mounted from bottom to top, with the first row being strictly horizontal. The laying technology is practically no different from tiling.
Bonding Elements
Glue for stone on a gypsum basis is applied evenly to the surface. The tile is pressed firmly against the wall, and for better adhesion it can be gently tapped with a rubber mallet. If excess glue comes out, then they should be quickly removed with a foam sponge. If an adhesive for artificial stone based on acrylic is selected, the technology for applying it is slightly different. Using a notched trowel, the mixture is applied directly to the surface of the tile, which is then pressed against the wall.
You can glue a decorative stone both close and with the use of cross stitch. But in the second case, it is necessary to fill the seams with gypsum glue using a pastry bag or syringe. If necessary, the seams should be painted over with a thin brush to match the stone.
It remains only to correct the scratches if they appear somewhere. This can be done with a paint suitable for the color of the tile. The final touch will be the application of colorless varnish or a special acrylic product, which will give attractiveness to the masonry, as well as increase moisture resistance and abrasion resistance.