Creating artificial rocks, which are very similar to natural ones, is a fascinating process. It has been used by owners of private territories and summer residents for many years. To create a realistic landscape with stone boulders, methods of building rocks from available materials should be used.
Design and Preparation
Before creating a landscaping of the site with your own hands, you need to determine the scale of the territory. Massive cliffs are hardly suitable for a small area. It is also important to plan where you will make stones. It may take several days to harden the concrete, only after which it is recommended to proceed with the placement of products where necessary.
During operation, the outside temperature must not fall below 16 ° C. If you do not have the practice of doing such work, you should start by making a small stone. Such structures usually do not have a bottom, and the base is made of lumber. For artificial rock, you will need to lay out the base of the boards, which will get the shape. A small depression is excavated in the ground, where the construction grid is located. The frame is placed in it and fixed in shape.
Preparation of tools and materials
If you decide to build an artificial rock, then first you need to take care of the availability of some materials and tools, among them it should be highlighted:
- cement;
- construction grid;
- sand;
- wide adhesive tape;
- protective gloves;
- nippers;
- metal trowel;
- capacity;
- paint;
- pigment dye.
As for sand, you can use any of its types, for example, quarry or river. When buying a construction mesh, you should choose a material with cells from 50 x 50 to 60 x 60 mm. Adhesive tape can be replaced with duct tape. Capacity will be needed to prepare the solution.
Before installing artificial rocks, you should consider whether they will be combined with the exterior. Taking into account this factor, a pigment dye is selected. It should be designed for concrete, which means it will have the property of resistance to negative factors like ultraviolet radiation. This is the only way to avoid the rapid burning of artificial rock. When purchasing paint, you should prefer its polymer variety.
The need to use a frame
Creating the shape of the stone allows you to lighten the weight of the future product. For the model, foam is usually used, which is laid on the frame. The latter in shape and volume will correspond to the future design. This part will make up the core. It is covered with a layer of concrete up to 8 cm thick. If necessary, you can transfer such a rock during operation from place to place.
Before you start applying the solution to the shape of the stone, you must stretch the wire mesh to the surface and fix it with ties. This will ensure reliable adhesion of the solution to the material on vertical bases.
Work sequence
The basis for the rock can be improvised materials that should be prepared in advance. Even construction debris, natural stone and cans will do. You can stock up on wooden blocks, pipes and a battle of asphalt. Then you can get to work. To begin with, the master will have to form a base from the material, the size and shape of which will correspond to the parameters of the rock. For adhesion of materials, wrap the frame with a building mesh and fix everything.
The base for large stone can be made of polyurethane foam, which is laid out in layers. Next, proceed with mixing the solution. To do this, you need to prepare 3 parts of sand and a part of cement, adding natural fillers in the form of stone chips, broken glass, fiberglass, brick bricks, quartz sand, ash and wood glue. The mixture is diluted with water until you can get a composition whose consistency resembles a thick dough.
The frame is fixed with concrete mortar. To do this, using a spatula, concrete is applied to the surface. In the process, you have to work hard, giving the product a plastic line that is characteristic of natural rocks. For greater realism, you should first consider how natural stones look. Until the mortar has solidified, you will need to give it a texture that resembles a rock. Leaves, sand and fine slag can be applied to the surface.
To obtain the effect of the porous structure, a sponge should be applied, which is pressed against wet concrete. Greater artistry of artificial rock can be given if scratches, grooves, erosion and abrasion are applied to the surface.
Cliff decoration
The resulting structure must be placed in a shaded, well-ventilated place. The surface is periodically wetted with water from a spray bottle, this will avoid cracking and drying out. It will also be necessary to complete the final finish. To do this, after 3 days with the help of a fine-grained grinding stone, it is necessary to wipe away excessive irregularities. The base is fanned with a paint brush to remove dust.
Then the stone is washed and dried. Artificial rocks have yet to be painted. Small cracks on the surface fill well. To do this, it is convenient to use a sponge that is dipped into the composition. This technique will allow to achieve the effect of inclusions. A solid roller is used for the same purpose. It will take some time for the concrete to solidify and shrink. This stage takes about a month. After giving the product its final appearance, you can move it to a permanent place.
What to consider when staining
In order to make the artificial stone in landscape design more realistic, spray paint should be used. Water-based formulations are suitable. To form a deep texture, several layers of pigment should be applied. First you need to study what shades are present in natural rocks. This will allow you to understand that among the primary colors:
- green;
- blue;
- Orange;
- red;
- brown;
- yellow.
As a result, transitions and spots between colors should not be visible on the surface.
Protection against external factors
Artificial concrete rocks require moisture protection. In this case, a sealing method is usually used. This will extend the life of the stone. To do this, use a water-based sealant, which is laid on the surface in 3 layers. After applying each, you should wait for it to dry. Every year, the sealant layer is updated to maintain protective properties.
Finally
Designing the landscaping of the site with your own hands, you can complement it with artificial rocks. They look very realistic, and also go well with artificial ponds. You can supplement such compositions with animal figures. If desired, stones can be made even to order.