Finishing materials make our home comfortable and aesthetic. The development of technology in this area of construction and repair created unique samples of goods that make it easy to solve complex and time-consuming tasks earlier. Now there is no need to thoroughly level the surfaces before installing the finish, even if natural stone will be used in the design of the room or in the outdoor work.
Flexible marble, sandstone or even granite - now these are thin, light, bendable finishing materials. Flexible stone retained the beauty of natural material, but ceased to be bulky, heavy and expensive.
What is flexible marble?
Any flexible stone, including marble, easily glues to any curved surface. It is easy for them to revet columns, spheres, arches and equal walls with small defects. The material consists of marble sand, a thin polymer base and several other components (different manufacturers have their own secrets). Available in the form of plates, tiles, wallpaper. Like any material on a natural basis, marble is flexible, has advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages and disadvantages
Any material has properties and qualities that make it unique. Positive ones relate to ease of installation and operation, and disadvantages are often minor. Natural stone always evoked only positive emotions, marble was always endowed with the most flattering reviews. A flexible analogue of this stone receives no less rave reviews.
The advantages include:
- environmental friendliness;
- ease of installation: mounted on flat and curved surfaces without special preparation;
- resistant to aggressive external environment;
- fire and moisture resistant;
- light weight;
- has a lower cost relative to natural stone slabs;
The disadvantages include claims not to its qualities, but rather to insufficient acquaintance with the material. There are not enough construction and finishing companies familiar with the material and the nuances of working with it. This fact makes finishing work expensive. On the other hand, the curiosity and desire to establish production pushes many to make flexible marble with their own hands.
Flexible Stone: The Beginning
Before flexible marble appeared, the German company in 2009 first proposed an innovative material - flexible stone. Production consists of several stages of preparing natural rock for further cutting of a thin layer of sandstone.
The material turned out to be very interesting in quality, easy to install and durable in use. But due to the expensive production technology, the cost of flexible analogues is higher than the cost of natural sandstone. In addition, the variety of colors, like almost any natural stone, was very small. This material is in demand, but its cost is quite high, which not everyone can afford, especially when it comes to the external cladding of the building. Flexible marble was invented to diversify the range and make the material more accessible.
Flexible marble for everyone
The production of flexible marble is becoming widespread today, while the cost of finishing materials is becoming more competitive, and therefore affordable for a wide range of consumers.
The technology is based on the use of available materials, the main issue is only the correctness of their use and adherence to the exact sequence of process steps. Many swung to the production of flexible marble at home for their own needs.
The experience was not unsuccessful, and it was possible to make several discoveries that added variety to the technological process and make it possible to obtain flexible marble of various shades, including those that are not found in nature.
General technology: materials, tools
The main technological process takes place in several stages. For production, you will need materials and tools:
- well ventilated spacious room. Space should be enough to accommodate several pallets with material ready for drying;
- marble dust or fine sifted sand;
- dyes. The best performance in powdered metal oxides. In terms of particle size, powder dyes coincide with marble dust (quartz sand) and therefore are easily mixed into a homogeneous mass. Color: from natural to fantastic shades (green, purple, raspberry, etc.);
- binder polymer: acrylic latex;
- flexible backing. Well-established dense polyethylene, fiberglass;
- rigid sheets for drying the finished products, for example OSB sheets with bars about 50 mm high packed on all sides;
- several containers for mixing ingredients.
We make marble: method number 1
In the first step, mix the dry parts. If you plan to create marble, then mix sand with different dyes in different containers. There are veins on marble, their pattern is achieved using several shades of the same color in the basic basis. Having decided on the color and making the preparation of dry mixes, you can begin to prepare the basics for flexible marble.
The technology involves a dense thin base, suitable plastic film, fiberglass or fabric impregnated with water-repellent compounds. Spread the film on a solid, level, horizontal surface and cover it with a thin layer of acrylic latex. To make flexible marble your own hands turn out to be high-quality and stable, without waiting for the surface to dry, start to “draw” stone with dry mixtures. To fill the entire area without gaps, press the sand to the base. You can use a sheet of glass, a rolling pin, etc. Put the product to dry, it usually takes about a day. If you make several sheets, then they can be stacked on top of each other, the necessary clearance between the plates will be given by the stuffed planks. Hair dryers, electric fans will help speed up the production of flexible marble.
We make marble: method number 2
There is another interesting way to make a finishing flexible material with an imitation of marble. The same materials and tools will be required. To the above list, sheet glass of the same size as the prepared pallets, and a glass tube with a bell are added. Prepare dry mixes and backing. Secure the latex coated backing to the pallet with double-sided tape. Lay glass on nailed edges and secure it with mounting tape or tape. Place the structure upright.
Using a glass tube with a bell, pour sand into the gap between the base and the glass, setting a pattern that imitates a pattern of natural stone. The manufacture of flexible marble using such a molding of the material allows you to more closely control the process and get an authentic pattern.
The production of flexible marble in sheets can be considered finished after the prepared material has completely dried. In order to further fix the materials on the substrate and give a noble matte gloss to the final product, cover everything with matt acrylic varnish, this will result in almost real flexible marble. The production technology is not too complicated, but it requires skill and artistic taste.
Application
The production of flexible marble in a artisanal way allows you to independently achieve the desired effect. Get the finishing material in the right amount for the craftsman is not difficult. The main task is to mount it correctly on surfaces. For external works, flexible adhesives for stone or adhesives for tiles are used for flexible sheet marble; first, the surface must be primed with an acrylic primer in two layers for better adhesion.
For interior use, a primer and tile adhesive are also used. Glue should be applied with a notched trowel, after which the finishing material is applied to the surface and pressed tightly. Additionally, for better adhesion, carefully roll over the entire surface with a rubber roller.
The production of flexible stone in industrial and domestic conditions requires good preparation and careful adherence to the process. If you don’t feel the strength to create a pattern identical to that of marble, create a fantasy stone or sandstone, it has a simple pattern that is easy to repeat.