Today, stone decoration is very popular. It is used both for exterior and interior use in the kitchen, in the corridor and even in the bedroom. Artificial material is created using unique technology. First, a special concrete mortar foams to a certain consistency, and then it is poured into molds. It is used to decorate the facade of the building, as well as the interior: the kitchen, the corridor, and in some cases the bedroom. It all depends on the personal preferences of the owners. Artificial stone has many positive and negative sides.
Advantages of artificial material
Its main advantage is low thermal conductivity, which occurs due to air bubbles that are formed as a result of foaming of concrete. Decorating the house with stone will serve as an additional insulation.
If you sheathe the whole house, it will be very warm.
A further advantage is also associated with air bubbles. They conduct sound waves poorly, that is, extraneous sounds and noises from the street will not enter the house. This advantage is very important, since you do not need to spend extra money on soundproof materials.
The third advantage is the low weight of the tiles. At least one block and has large overall dimensions, its weight is much lower than that for brick. Therefore, shrinkage is reduced to a minimum. Also, thanks to this factor, home decoration is much easier and faster.
Before moving on to the negative sides, a few more features should be noted. When performing work, it is not cement that is used, but a special glue that practically does not form cracks and, as a result, prevents cold air from entering the house. The tile adapts to all types of construction work. For example, when laying an electric wire in a tile, you can make small channels. However, it will not collapse.
The disadvantages of artificial stone
This material is very fragile. Finishing with natural stone at home will last a long time, but before starting work, you must follow the rules for its storage.
The next disadvantage is the high permeability of the material.
It arises due to the presence of air bubbles, which easily gets any moisture. After that, the material will begin to break down. Therefore, some rules must be observed during storage and transportation.
The third drawback is the poor appearance after construction. To solve this problem, it is necessary to perform facing with another material. In addition to giving an aesthetic appearance, it will protect the artificial stone from various influences. Lined stone should be easily washed from dirt.
And the last minus of this building material is shrinkage. Before you start facing the facade, you need to wait a while until the tile sits. In some cases, the term can be quite substantial. In the process of shrinkage, it is better to cover the tile with polyethylene so that moisture does not get on it. All these manipulations complicate the construction process.
Decorating the house with artificial stone
This process is carried out by special construction organizations.
However, the work can be done with your own hands, if you have certain skills and knowledge. Stone decoration (photo above) is carried out in several stages. Let us consider in detail each of them.
- Foundation preparation. To begin with, the surface is leveled by applying plaster. We attach insulation boards to a flat wall. This is done with dowels or glue. A quartz primer is applied on top of the insulation , which can be a roofing material. The next step is fixing the construction mesh. It provides strong grip. After carrying out these preparatory work, they begin to finish with artificial stone. It is important to know the installation technology itself.
Additional Information. If the wall surface crumbles, it is better to use a special primer for deep penetration.
2. Facing the basement. External processing can be carried out using torn or even plates. Finishing stone in the second way is much easier, however, torn elements give the house sophistication and a more pleasant appearance. The difficulty in laying such elements is to collect a specific pattern. Lining is performed in the following sequence:
- special glue is applied to the wall;
- the plate is applied to the wall and pressed until glue comes out from the edges;
- wooden tiles are inserted between the tiles;
- corner elements are laid at right angles;
- after lining is completed, we wash the artificial stone.
Additional information: the cladding on the outside of the house is carried out at a temperature of + 5-25 º.
3. Grouting. For this stage, it is necessary to make a cement-sand mixture. Then we apply it to the cladding using a special tool. After that, the surface is washed and treated with water repellents, which prevent moisture, exposure to dirt and sunlight.
Stone decoration in the apartment
Today, stone decoration is performed in almost all rooms.
It all depends on the personal preferences of the owners. The most popular is the decoration of the kitchen with stone and corridor. As a rule, in the kitchen, individual sections of the wall are covered with artificial stone, less often full laying.
Corridor Requirements
It is a place that interconnects other rooms (kitchen, bedroom, hall, bathroom). Each of them is performed in a specific interior. Therefore, the task of the corridor is to ensure a smooth transition to these rooms.
The corridor must meet the following requirements:
- be wide so that through it it was possible to carry elements of furniture, etc .;
- illuminated (provided by lamps located on the ceiling and walls);
- functional (if necessary, furniture items and other things can be placed in it);
- Do not have sharp corners, which can be injured.
Special requirements also apply to the decoration of the corridor. It should be hygienic, durable, not require special care and have a pleasant appearance. Artificial stone meets these requirements.
Types of corridor finishes
Stone decoration of this room is carried out in three versions:
- Full cladding of walls and door slopes. This method of decoration is used in homes where it is necessary to create an atmosphere of ancient times.
- Partial wall cladding and full door slopes. This method is aimed at giving the room a more comfortable look.
- Facing of individual sections of the wall. This method is aimed at creating a pleasant appearance of the kitchen.
Finishing technology
First you need to smooth the walls from bumps with plaster.
It is applied with a spatula. There should be no cracks, pits, bulges on the wall, that is, it should be in perfect condition. Finishing the hallway with a decorative stone on an uneven surface will cause a lot of difficulties.
The next step is the primer walls. It is used to achieve two goals: to make the surface of the wall more solid (so that a piece of plaster does not fall from it), and also to glue the glue to the wall. If pieces of plaster are already falling from the wall, then a deep impregnation primer is used.
Before laying a stone on a wall, it is necessary to put it on the floor in order to select a specific pattern, in which both color and size would be combined.
Finishing the corridor with stone starts from the corner of the wall from the bottom up. To simplify this procedure, you can make a preliminary drawing of the placement of tiles on the surface, which will give a more complete picture. The sketch is done with a simple pencil.
About glue
To glue artificial stone to the wall, a special adhesive sealant is used. Before starting the procedure, the material is cut to the desired size. You can also grind corners. It is applied first on the tile, and then on the wall to ensure a secure fit. The adhesive is applied to the wall with a notched trowel. The distance between the laid tiles must be at least 8 mm. Between them wooden inserts are inserted. Then they are removed and grouting is carried out with cement-sand mortar. It is applied to the seams with a spatula or rag.
If they are not needed, then tile should be laid close to each other. To change the size or shape of the artificial stone, use a hacksaw or pliers. If necessary, sharp corners are ground. After finishing work, it is necessary to wash the tiles from cement with water.
The cost of decorative stone
The price of this material depends on its overall dimensions, thickness and other characteristics. The average cost is 800-1200 rubles per 1 square meter. It is worth noting that the price of natural stone is much higher.
Cost of material and work for the decoration of the facade
Finishing them is one of the cheapest jobs. It creates an imitation of bricks, the cost of which may vary. Its cost depends on the complexity of the texture. The thinnest decorative brick can be purchased at a price of $ 20 per 1 square meter.
The cost of some types of stones reaches $ 30.
The decoration of the facade and apartment with decorative stone can be performed both independently and with the help of specialists. In the first case, the owner will be required to have tools and certain knowledge in the construction industry. Otherwise, you need to entrust everything to professionals. They charge different amounts of money for work. The amount depends on the company, region, complexity of work. On average, it is about 700-1000 rubles per square meter.
Conclusion
Decorating with decorative stone is a simple and cheap kind of work. It can be performed both outside the house and inside. In this case, the room will find a pleasant appearance. The external cladding, due to the porosity of the stone, protects against the penetration of cold wind and noise coming from the street. The styling technology is quite simple, and it can be performed by anyone with some knowledge in this matter. Thus, in the interior design, you can add some zest and make it unique. At the same time, all practical qualities will be preserved - durability, thermal insulation and resistance to various kinds of damage.