Every year, natural materials are becoming more and more popular in the design of interiors and facades of buildings. And this is not surprising, because they are environmentally friendly and durable, and with their help you can bring to life absolutely any design solutions and ideas. One of the most common is decorative stone for the exterior of the house. It has a variety of shapes and textures, thanks to which you can transform the structure simply beyond recognition and make it more stylish, refined and elegant.
Varieties of facing material
There is no classification as such, which is not surprising, because stone is a rock mined in quarries. However, today it is divided into two types:
- natural;
- artificial.
Each type hascertain pros and cons that should be considered when choosing. Natural decorative stone for outdoor decoration is more preferable, because it looks much more solid and presentable, and also gives the building a special aura and energy. However, its cost is very high, so not everyone can afford such pleasure.
The following types of stone are in the greatest demand:
- dolomite;
- marble;
- sandstone;
- limestone;
- granite;
- shell rock;
- travertine.
Among the above, the most expensive decorative stone for the exterior of the house is marble and granite. But it is these varieties that have the best decorative and operational characteristics, for which they are valued in construction and design. Also very popular is travertine, with which the structure can be made in a majestic antique style. But this stone has a porous structure, therefore, in order to prolong its durability and protect it from the negative effects of the environment, the surface of the material is treated with special mastic.
The best options are shell rock and sandstone. They are easy to process and are affordable. Finishing exterior walls with decorative stone using these types of materials will look quite attractive and last quite a long time.
A good replacement for natural will be an artificial stone. In terms of their performance and appearance, they are practicallyidentical, but the difference in cost is quite significant.
What to look for when choosing?
When deciding to use a decorative facing stone for outdoor decoration, it is necessary to take its choice very seriously. The material is sold in the form of plates of various sizes, polished on one side. The other work surface remains untouched, preserving the natural properties of the stone.
The main problem that people face when choosing a natural stone is to choose the right color for the material. The thing is that the same type of it has different shades, which complicates the task for designers, since it is very problematic to achieve uniformity when finishing facades of large areas.
Determining the color
Exterior decoration with decorative stone (photos of buildings look simply amazing) can be made in a variety of colors. However, do not forget that the choice of shade is very important, since it affects not only the appearance of the house, but also the psyche and emotional state of a person. Professionals advise residential buildings to be done in warm colors, such as beige, light brown, pink and yellow. They allow you to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. In addition, stones of light colors do not heat up so much under the sun, which means that a comfortable microclimate will be maintained in the house.
Main nuances of facade cladding
If you decide to use a decorative stone for outdoor decoration, then you must follow a certain technology when working with the material. The thing is that it has a lot of weight, so it will create a large load on the facade of the building, as a result of which the house may sag over time, and the walls will begin to crack. Therefore, pre-bearing structures should be strengthened. For gluing, special cement mixtures are used, which contain additives that protect them from moisture.
Wall reinforcement
If the building is old, then before facing it with natural stone, you must first strengthen the supporting structures. This process is performed in the following sequence:
- Assessment of the technical condition of the building.
- Dismantling the old finishing material.
- Closing all cracks and cracks.
- Reinforcement of the facade with metal mesh.
To increase the strength of the walls, professionals recommend pre-plastering them. There is nothing difficult in this. You will need to treat the facade with a liquid cement mortar before reinforcing, after which the metal mesh is fastened with dowels. Then the facade is once again processed with cement of a thicker consistency and plastered. If you want to use decorative stone for the exterior of your home, then following this technology is a must.
Material preparation
Natural stone does not have the correct shape, so before starting the facing work, you must first work with it a little and fit it to the desired size.
When choosing a material, lay out individual blocks on the ground so that there is a distance of about one centimeter between them. Select only those that will create a harmonious cladding. Then it will be possible to start finalizing the stone.
For the lining of the walls themselves, you can use material of any shape and size, but with the corners of the building, everything is not so simple. You will have to cut the blocks at a right angle. This will require a grinder and a diamond disc. In addition, to improve the quality of adhesion, the back side of the stone is carefully polished.
Facing work
Many people today use decorative stone for the exterior of the plinth and the main part of the facade of the building. However, not everyone knows that for fixing the material it is necessary to use special adhesive mixtures, which contain water-insoluble polymers. The following are considered the best:
- "Hercules";
- WEISBAU;
- "OSNOVIT MAXIPLEX T-16";
- "Kreps";
- Ceresit SM 17;
- "Stonegrab";
- Litokol LITOFLEX K80.
Before finishing work, the surface is pre-primed with mixtures such as "Betonokontakt" or "Osnovit". Decorative stone for exterior decoration of the house is glued according to the following algorithm:
- Wetting the back sidelumps and leave them for about a minute.
- The adhesive mixture is applied to them in an even layer, about one and a half centimeters thick, after which several strips are made in it along the entire length.
- Press the stone against the wall and hold for 10 seconds for the mixture to stick.
All blocks are glued in the same way. Excess mortar is removed with a spatula.
Facade cladding with artificial stone
This option is more common due to the cheapness of the material. Many people think that decorative artificial stone for outdoor decoration is inferior to natural in all respects, but this is far from the case. They are almost completely identical in their performance and decoration, so it is very difficult to distinguish them.
Today, a large assortment of artificial stone is on sale, but all varieties have the same composition. The basis is cement and sand, and various additives and colorants act as additional components. For the production of decorative stones, gypsum or acrylic resins are used. They can be used not only for outdoor, but also for interior decoration. If you decide to use decorative stone effect panels for outdoor decoration, then it is very important to choose the right material.
Today, the range of artificial materials includes the following types:
- clinker stone;
- quartz agglomerates;
- porcelain stoneware;
- artificialmarble.
Each of the materials listed above has certain advantages and disadvantages, so to make it easier for you to make a choice, we will take a closer look at each of them.
Clinker stone
Made in the form of small bricks or slabs. The composition of the material contains special components that give it high resistance to moisture and severe frosts, due to which they well increase the thermal insulation of the building. In addition, decorative clinker tiles for outdoor decoration are not susceptible to ultraviolet rays, so they do not fade under the sun and retain their attractive appearance for a long period of time. The range of products is presented in various shapes, colors and textures, which allows you to implement any design ideas.
Porcelain stoneware and artificial marble
Both materials are made from a cement-sand mixture to which polyester resins and additives are added. According to their properties, they are practically indistinguishable from natural stone. Due to the special composition of the plates, they are very heavy, so manufacturers try to make them as thin as possible in order to reduce the load on the facade. The surface of the blocks can be any - glossy, matte and rough, thanks to which they can be used to give the facade a unique appearance.
However, porcelain stoneware also has one significant drawback - low strength. Enough even a weak blow with a sharp objector falling from a small height to damage the material. Also, very often chips and cracks form on the plates during trimming. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful when handling them.
Quartz agglomerates
As the name suggests, this finishing material uses quartz sand, stone chips and dyes. This variety is the most expensive on the artificial stone market, because due to the special composition and production technology, it is as close as possible to natural materials.
The texture and appearance of the agglomerates may vary and depend on the fraction of the components used. The main advantage is high strength and durability, but quality comes at a price.
Technologies for laying artificial stone
If you use decorative gypsum stone for outdoor decoration (it can be any other modern material), then it is important to consider that the gluing technology is different from that described for natural stone. Masonry can be either with or without seams, but the first option is more popular because it allows you to make the facade of the house more stylish and realistic.
The work process is carried out as follows:
- Preparing the work surface.
- Priming.
- Preparing the adhesive solution according to the instructions.
- Wetting the back side of the artificial stone and applying a layer of masonry mortar to itabout 4 millimeters.
- The plate is pressed down well and adheres for several seconds. Excess solution is removed.
- When the facade cladding is completed, grouting will begin.
That's actually the whole process of exterior wall decoration of residential buildings. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in it, so you can handle everything on your own without involving professionals. Clearly follow the instructions described in this article, and you will certainly succeed.
