Not everyone who wants to use natural stone in the decoration of their homes can afford to buy it. This natural material has always been quite expensive. Fortunately, for many years it has been replaced by the so-called "imitation" of stone, which is much cheaper.
Use of material in the interior
Imitation of natural stone adorns almost any interior. At the same time, it is used not only for walls and floors, but also for other decorative and functional elements of the room (columns, fireplaces, portals, niches, partitions). Such decoration brings a special cosiness and novelty to the interior. Contrary to popular belief, this finishing material looks perfect not only in antique, classic and medieval interiors, but also in those rooms where there is an ultramodern design. The effect of imitating a stone directly depends on what texture (texture) and color it has.
Types of stone imitation
Stone walls can be created using various finishing materials. Currently, there are a huge number of them. Below are the most common ones.
Finishing artificial stone is made from a mixture of cement and sand with the addition of various additives (pigments, fillers) that improve performance and decorative functions.
The tile imitating stone has long earned well-deserved popularity. It is durable, resistant to abrasion and has a wonderful appearance.
Recently, stone panels have gained immense popularity. They can be used for decoration and facades, and interior.
Such imitation of stone as porcelain tile has been known for many years. It is much more durable and stronger than ceramic tiles. There are many different colors and textures of this finishing material. Today, innovative 3D decorative panels with amazing reliefs are also produced.
Stone tile
This facing material has been on sale for a long time, although it was in special demand only in public institutions - such as restaurants, bars, cafes. In recent years, it has been increasingly used for decoration of residential premises. Modern stone tiles simply impress with a variety of textures and shades, allowing you to create a stylish and original interior design. Such finishing materials made of ceramics have a wide variety of shapes, textures, colors. Thanks to this, their popularity is growing every day. Gypsum stone tiles are much cheaper than their natural counterpart. Another of its advantages is its ease of processing and installation.
Varieties of stone tiles
Wild stone tiles are made from various materials. The simplest of them consist of gypsum and ceramics, but there are also expensive ones, for example, made on the basis of acrylic. Below are the various varieties of such tiles:
- Ceramic tiles imitate the surface of natural stone. It is made on the basis of clay. After molding, the tile needs to be fired at high temperature.
- Gypsum is used only for interior decoration. You can do it yourself. At home, tiles are made from special modified gypsum. The cost of such material is relatively low. Gypsum tiles are often used for wall decoration and decoration of fireplaces.
- Gel-based acrylic tiles are highly durable. It is used for the manufacture of countertops, "marble" panels, decorative elements. Often made of acrylic imitation stone produce artificial types of onyx, used for the manufacture of wall panels.
When choosing this facing material, you should pay attention to what it is intended for. Tile facing under a stone is issued both for internal, and for external (front) works. Both of these types of materials are distinguished by their reliability, durability, and resistance to mechanical stress. It is believed that ceramic tile under the stone is an environmentally friendly finishing material. That is why more and more people prefer it in the decoration of dining rooms, living rooms, bathrooms and kitchens. Gypsum stone tiles can only be used for interior decoration. It is used where there is no increased humidity.
Facade tile under a stone does not change its properties even under the influence of low and high temperatures. Despite the differences in air humidity, it retains its original appearance for many years. Facade tiles under the stone have different sizes, textures and shades. The latest photographic printing machines imitate almost all known breeds of natural stone. The latest collections of tiles are characterized by their originality and careful drawing of the smallest details. Recently, imitation of stone, reminiscent of marble, onyx, travertine, has been especially popular. Such finishing material gives any room a special aristocracy.
Stone tiles, photos of which can be found on many sites on the Internet, allow you to create the most unique interiors. The only thing needed for this is enough cash and a little imagination. Nowadays, you can choose tiles from one collection, but in different shades - so that not one of them is repeated on 3-4 square meters of area.
Now dark stone tiles are especially in demand. Decorative ceramics of this type combines wonderfully with materials such as glass, wood, metal. With the help of it, any design ideas are realized.
"Stone" panels
Today, stone panels are at the peak of their popularity. Many designers use them not only for facade decoration, but also for interior work. This finishing material is manufactured using innovative technologies, so that it practically does not differ from natural breeds. Stone wall decorative panels are practical, have a great look, and are easy to install. Another advantage of this facing material is its comparative low cost. The most affordable of these panels are made of high quality plastic. They are durable and do not require complicated care. Most often they are used in the decoration of bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms. They can often be found even in office rooms.
Varieties of stone panels
Most often, this finishing material is produced by casting under high pressure. Depending on its composition, the following panels are distinguished:
- Having a homogeneous structure (made of high quality PVC).
- Combined (the outer layer is made of polymer, and the inner one is made of expanded polystyrene). This material is a good insulation, therefore, is in high demand.
- Made with polystyrene foam and polystyrene, connected to an external coating.
Many panels include resins, foam and stone powder. On sale there is a huge number of models of facade panels that mimic such types of stone as slate, limestone, sandstone, malachite, quartzite, topaz. Varieties with embossed forms (rubble or rocky stone) are also popular. On sale you can also find materials resembling flat basalt, onyx, granite, travertine, goldstone, dolomite. The most popular models are with neatly arranged rows of rectangular stones.
Thanks to the variety of these panels, anyone can quickly finish their house both under an alpine house and under a medieval wall for relatively little money. Due to the wide color palette for facade panels, you can choose any shade of stone from light beige and white to dark brown and black. Such a variety of colors allows you to create a harmonious combination of the house and the surrounding landscape.
Properties of stone facade panels
Such a finishing material is not afraid of high or low temperatures, moisture and salts. Since it has a low coefficient of linear expansion, these panels do not deform for many years. A reliable joint system allows them to withstand even strong winds. High quality materials are resistant to fading in the sun. Other properties of stone facade panels include:
- wear resistance;
- low thermal conductivity;
- good sound insulation;
- impact resistance;
- resistance to corrosion;
- fire resistance.
This finishing material has the following advantages: low cost, light weight, the ability to mount on any type of wall without special preparation.
The cost of front panels
On sale are both very expensive and cheap stone panels. The following factors influence the formation of prices: manufacturer, brand awareness, used equipment (technology), quality of raw materials. So, for example, panels of heavy-duty material, in which there are special additives, will be much more expensive than usual. The cost is influenced by the quality of the surface of the panel. So smooth materials are cheaper than embossed, which more likely imitate stone. Panels with bright, saturated shades will have a higher price than light ones, since their manufacture requires additional color stabilization. The most expensive finishing materials of this kind are those that have the thickest insulation layer.
Artificial granite
This finishing material imitates a granite surface. It is used for the manufacture of countertops, window sills, small panels. It can be milled, cut, polished. It is made using a vacuum mixer, in which a special filler is mixed, for example, GRANATEX 350, 400, 500 and POLYLITE 32166-16 resin. First, stirring is carried out without vacuum. At this point, the filler particles get wet. After that, a catalyst (Butanox M50) was added to the mixture and again everything was mixed under vacuum. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times over 15 minutes. The finished mass is poured into a special form and the surface is leveled with a special brush. The frozen sheet of artificial granite is polished using a polishing machine. An approximate composition: resin - 35-40%, filler - 60-65%, catalyst - 1.5-2%.
Imitation Stone Care Rules
Almost all finishing materials imitating natural stone are wear-resistant material. They are easy to care for. Such material is very strong, durable, resistant to mechanical stress.
Imitation under a stone cannot be scratched, washed with aggressive detergents. It must be periodically wiped with a soft cloth.
DIY artificial stone making
There is another imitation of stone. With your own hands you can make an artificial stone from concrete. Its cost will be slightly higher than imitation of gypsum, but it can be used not only in interior decoration, but also for facade cladding. It is also used to decorate the landscape. “Boulders” or tiles imitating the surface of natural stone are made of concrete.
To obtain an imitation, it is necessary to master some work skills and acquire the necessary materials. The technology for the production of artificial stone from concrete is not much different from the method of manufacturing conventional paving slabs. You must purchase the following materials:
- polyurethane injection molds of various shapes and configurations;
- cement of the highest grades;
- sifted fine-grained sand;
- clean water;
- special release agent that prevents the solution from sticking to the walls of the mold. In case of its absence, you can use ordinary engine oil.
First of all, a cement mortar is kneaded. Its proportion is 1: 3. Polyurethane forms are laid on a flat surface, their internal walls are coated with a release agent and the finished solution is poured. Using a spatula, the cement-sand mass is slightly compacted to remove trapped air bubbles. The surface layer is carefully leveled.
After the solution has solidified, the form is carefully bent, and the finished artificial stone is easily separated from it. These blanks must be thoroughly dried and painted in your favorite color. To give the stone imitation a more natural look, moisture-resistant paint of natural tones is chosen. Workpieces are painted in several layers using a spray gun. Before this, the surface of the simulation is dusted off with a dry rag. To give an artificial stone made of concrete a more natural look, the recesses on it can be painted in a darker shade. Also, various specks, veins and other textures that copy one or another natural stone are often drawn on imitation.
Making imitation stone from plaster
For the production of this finishing material, it is necessary to purchase special polyurethane molds and modified gypsum. There is a strict sequence for preparing the solution. Gypsum is added to water, not water to gypsum. With constant stirring, a solution is prepared that solidifies very quickly. That is why a mixture of just 1-3 workpieces is prepared at a time. The ratio of dry mix to water depends on the brand of gypsum. Moreover, the thicker the composition, the stronger the artificial stone will be. As a rule, the ideal consistency of the solution resembles thick sour cream. To enhance the strength of gypsum imitation stone, about 10% sand can be added to the solution.
To speed up the work of manufacturing simulations, plasticizers such as citric acid or PVA glue are added to the solution. They prevent the gypsum mass from solidifying quickly, which makes it possible to produce more stones at the same time.
The finished mixture is poured into molds. Its surface is carefully leveled. After 30-40 minutes, the imitation stone should solidify. Frozen workpieces can be easily removed from the polyurethane form. They go to dry for several hours.
To obtain multi-colored artificial stones, a coloring pigment of the desired shade is added to the gypsum mixture. A more realistic color is obtained by manually staining the stones after drying. Such imitations, after drying, are coated with a waterproof matte varnish.