Not everyone who wants to use natural stone in their homes can afford to buy it. This natural material has always had a rather high price. Fortunately, for many years it has been replaced by the so-called "imitation" stone, which is much cheaper.
The use of material in the interior
Imitation of natural stone wonderfully decorates almost any interior. At the same time, it is used not only for finishing walls and floors, but also for other decorative and functional elements of the room (columns, fireplaces, portals, niches, partitions). This finish brings a special comfort and novelty to the interior. Contrary to popular belief, this finishing material looks perfect not only in antique, classical and medieval interiors, but also in those rooms where there is an ultra-modern design. The effect of stone imitation directly depends on its texture (texture) and color.
Types of stone imitation
Stone-like walls can be created using various finishingmaterials. There are a huge number of them currently being produced. 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.
Tile imitating stone has long gained well-deserved popularity. It is durable, abrasion resistant and looks great.
Recently, stone-like panels have gained immense popularity. They can be used for finishing both facades and interiors.
Such stone imitation as porcelain stoneware 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 decorative 3D panels with amazing reliefs are being 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 finishing residential premises. Modern stone-look tiles are simply amazing 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. As a result, their popularity is growing day by day. Gypsum stone tile is much cheaper than its natural counterpart. Another of its advantages isease of processing and installation.
Varieties of tiles under the stone
Wild stone tile is 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 different varieties of this tile:
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Stone tile Ceramic tiles imitate the surface of natural stone. It is made from clay. After molding, the tiles need to be fired at a high temperature.
- Gypsum tiles are 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 to decorate walls and decorate fireplaces.
- Gel-based acrylic tiles are highly durable. It is used for the manufacture of countertops, "marble" panels, decorative elements. Acrylic imitation stone is often used to produce artificial types of onyx used for wall paneling.
When choosing this facing material, you should pay attention to what it is intended for. The tile facing under a stone is issued both for internal, and for external (facade) works. Both of these types of materials are distinguished by their reliability, durability, resistance to mechanical stress. It is believed that ceramic tiles under the stone is an environmentally friendly finishing material. That is why more and morepeople 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 high humidity.
Facade stone-like tiles do not change their properties even under the influence of low and high temperatures. Despite fluctuations in air humidity, it retains its original appearance for many years. The front tile under a stone has the different sizes, invoices and shades. The latest photo printing machines imitate almost all known types of natural stone. The latest collections of tiles are characterized by their uniqueness and careful drawing of the smallest details. Recently, imitation of stone, reminiscent of marble, onyx, travertine, has been especially popular. This finishing material gives any room a special aristocracy.
Stone-like tiles, photos of which can be found on many sites on the Internet, allow you to create the most unique interiors. The only thing you need for this is enough money and a little imagination. Nowadays, you can pick up tiles from the same collection, but in different shades - so that none of them repeats on 3-4 square meters.
Now dark stone-like tiles are in high demand. Decorative ceramics of this type are perfectly combined 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 made using innovative technologies, so that it practically does not differ from natural rocks. Wall decorative panels under a stone are practical, have an excellent view, are easily mounted. Another advantage of this facing material is its comparative cheapness. The most affordable of these panels are made of high quality plastic. They are durable and do not require complex maintenance. Most often they are used in the decoration of bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms. They can often be found even in office premises.
Varieties of panels under the stone
Most often this finishing material is produced by high pressure casting. Depending on its composition, panels are distinguished:
- Having a uniform structure (made of high quality PVC).
- Combined (the outer layer is made of polymer, and the inner layer is made of expanded polystyrene). This material is a good insulation, so it is in high demand.
- Made with Styrofoam and Styrofoam bonded to the outer cover.
Many panels contain resin, foam and stone powder. On sale there is a huge number of models of facade panels that imitate such types of stone as slate, limestone, sandstone, malachite, quartzite, topaz. Also popular are varieties with embossed forms (rubble orrocky stone). On sale you can also find materials resembling flat bas alt, onyx, granite, travertine, goldite, dolomite. The most popular models are those with neatly stacked rows of rectangular stones.
Due to the variety of these panels, anyone can quickly finish their house as an alpine house, and 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 facade panels under stone
Such a finishing material is not afraid of high or low temperatures, moisture and s alts. 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 effect facade panels include:
- wear resistant;
- low thermal conductivity;
- good sound insulation;
- impact resistance;
- corrosion resistance;
- fire resistance.
This finishing material has the following advantages: low cost, light weight, the ability to mount on walls of any type without special preparation.
Facade panels cost
There are both very expensive and cheap stone effect panels on sale. Pricing is influenced byfactors: manufacturer, brand awareness, used equipment (technology), quality of raw materials. So, for example, panels made of heavy-duty material, in which there are special additives, will be much more expensive than ordinary ones. The quality of the surface of the panel also affects the cost. So smooth materials are cheaper than embossed ones, which imitate stone with greater plausibility. Panels with bright, saturated hues will have a higher price tag than lighter ones, as they require additional color stabilization in their manufacture. 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, mixing is carried out without vacuum. At this point, the filler particles get wet. After that, a catalyst (Butanox M50) is added to the mixture and again everything is mixed under vacuum. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times for 15 minutes. The finished mass is poured into a special mold and the surface is leveled with a special brush. A hardened sheet of artificial granite is polished using a polishing machine. Approximate composition of the composition: resin - 35-40%, filler - 60-65%, catalyst - 1.5-2%.
Rules of carefor imitation stone
Almost all finishing materials that imitate natural stone are wear-resistant materials. They are easy to care for. This material is very strong, durable, resistant to mechanical stress.
Imitation stone should not be scratched, washed with aggressive detergents. It should be periodically wiped with a soft cloth.
Making artificial stone with your own hands
There is another stone imitation. With your own hands, you can make an artificial stone from concrete. Its cost will be slightly higher than gypsum imitation, but it can be used not only in interior decoration, but also for facade cladding. It is also used for landscape decoration. Concrete is used to make "boulders" or tiles that mimic the surface of natural stone.
To obtain an imitation, you need 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 ordinary paving slabs. Purchase the following materials:
- polyurethane injection molds of various shapes and configurations;
- cement of the highest grades;
- sifted fine sand;
- clean water;
- special release agent that prevents the mortar from sticking to the mold walls. If it is not available, regular machine oil can be used.
First of all, the cement mortar is mixed. Its proportion is 1:3. Polyurethane forms are laid on a flat surface, their inner 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 hardens, the form is carefully bent, and the finished artificial stone is easily separated from it. These blanks must be thoroughly dried and painted in the color you like. To give the stone imitation a more natural look, choose a moisture-resistant paint in natural tones. The blanks are painted in several layers using a spray gun. Before that, the surface of the imitation is dusted with a dry cloth. To give the 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 are often drawn on the imitation, copying one or another natural stone.
Making imitation stone from gypsum
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 the mixture is prepared at a time for only 1-3 blanks. The ratio of dry mixture and 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. Forto strengthen the strength of gypsum stone imitation, about 10% sand can be added to the mortar.
To speed up the work on the manufacture of imitation, plasticizers such as citric acid or PVA glue are added to the solution. They prevent rapid hardening of the gypsum mass, which allows you 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 stone imitation should harden. Hardened blanks are easily removed from the polyurethane mold. They are sent to dry for several hours.
To obtain multi-colored artificial stones, a coloring pigment of the required shade is added to the gypsum mixture. More realistic coloring is obtained by manually painting the stones after drying. After drying, such imitations are covered with a waterproof matte varnish.
