Stone cladding indoors. Decorative stone in the interior: finishes, colors, design, types of imitation, combinations

The interior of the hallway should be given no less attention than the rest of the premises, because this is the first thing that guests see. A very stylish look is given by artificial stone, which is used as the main material or as an additional accent. You can create an original design yourself, since decorating the hallway with decorative stone has a fairly simple technology.

Types of coverage

Before starting work, it is necessary to choose the right finishing material. made on the basis of concrete and gypsum with the addition of dyes. Both types have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it is better to study their characteristics first.

The advantages of concrete products include:

Walls finished with such a stone can be easily cleaned of any dirt, and a worn surface can be quickly restored with paint. If you accidentally touch the finish with something hard, it will not leave marks and cracks will not appear.

Flaws:

big weight;
high price;
the complexity of processing.

In order to cut individual fragments when laying, you will need a grinder and a diamond wheel, as well as certain efforts.

Advantages of gypsum coating:

Such a stone is chosen for finishing plasterboard walls, which cannot be subjected to heavy loads. If you can’t find the right color, there are unpainted products on sale that you can paint at your discretion.

Flaws:

When dirty, such a finish should not be wetted and rubbed hard so as not to damage the surface. Treating the stone with special impregnation or acrylic-based varnish will help to avoid such damage. There is also a gypsum stone with a polymer coating on sale - it is a little more expensive than usual, but it is not at all afraid of moisture.

If you wish, you can do it yourself: for this you will need a plastic or silicone mold, a dry gypsum mixture, coloring pigments. Buying all this is not a problem, every hardware store has a large selection of mixtures and shapes. Self-production of finishing material takes more time, but it saves money on repairs.

Facing stone prices

Facing stone

Finishing preparation

First you need to calculate the amount of material. If the stone will cover the entire area of the walls in the hallway, you should subtract the area of \u200b\u200bthe openings and add 10%. If the decor will be located around openings, niches, in separate fragments on open walls, draw an approximate sketch of the finish and take measurements of each section. Then the area is summed up and 10-15% is added for trimming. When buying a material, it should be remembered that the amount of an angular stone is considered in linear meters, and the correct shape is considered in square meters.

Additionally you will need:

You can fix an artificial stone on liquid nails, cement-based or gypsum-based glue. The consumption of glue must be indicated on the packaging, so when buying, you should know the exact area of \u200b\u200bfinishing and take it with a small margin.

If gypsum stone is used, a special miter box with high sides will be required for cutting.

When everything you need is acquired, you should start preparing the surface.

Step 1. Dismantling the coating

If the stone covers the walls of the hallway completely, the old coating is removed completely to the base. If separate sections are intended for decoration, the coating must be dismantled very carefully. On the wallpaper, the borders of the finish are marked with a pencil and carefully cut with a clerical knife, leaving a margin for stones 1-2 cm wide. The glue from the wallpaper is soaked with water and removed with a spatula, the walls are thoroughly washed. Also remove the paint, if it is peeling or cracked, clean off the loose plaster.

Step 2. Aligning the walls

Stone laying should be carried out on a flat, smooth surface - this will facilitate the workflow and increase the strength of the decorative coating. Therefore, all small cracks, gaps, recesses are overwritten, and if there are differences of more than 5 mm, the entire area is better. Particular attention should be paid to doorways: deep cracks can form along the perimeter of the box, for which it is recommended to use a cement mortar to seal them.

Prices for mixtures for leveling walls and ceilings

Mixtures for leveling walls and ceilings

Step 3. Priming

Dry walls should be lightly sanded to smooth out the irregularities of the puttied areas, and then wiped with a rag to remove dust. After that, the surface is treated 1-2 times with an acrylic primer. If wallpaper is located around the perimeter of the treated areas, the primer should be applied in such a way as to capture an edge 1 cm wide - what will be hidden under the lining.

stone laying

Decorative stone has uneven edges and consists of different sizes. Laying must be done in such a way that tiles of the same size are necessarily interspersed with larger or smaller fragments, and the seams do not match either horizontally or vertically. So the coating will look most natural and attractive. To understand how best to join the stone, you need to lay out the tiles on the floor, picking up the fragments in a certain order.

Step 1. Glue preparation

Pour dry glue into a container with water and stir well. The ratio of water and glue is indicated on the package, so there is no need to mix “by eye”. Failure to comply with the proportions reduces the strength of the connection or increases the consumption of glue. It is best to knead with a construction mixer, then there are no lumps left in the mixture. The finished glue should be homogeneous and resemble a thick paste in consistency.

Step 2. Laying the first row

You need to lay out tiles from the corner of the wall, and this can be done both from above and from below. When laying from top to bottom, the stone is less dirty with glue, and the coating is more accurate. If only the area around the opening is lined, start from the corner of the doors. For convenience, the wall can be marked by level with horizontal lines every 10-15 cm.

Now you can start styling:

Between the fragments, you can leave seams from 5 to 8 mm, especially if the stone is large.

After facing, the joints are filled with putty and embroidered, which makes the masonry more attractive. Small tiles can be fixed closely, the main thing is that the joints do not match.

Step 3: Finishing the Corners

For facing internal and external corners, you can purchase special corner tiles, which are more expensive than usual, but greatly simplify the workflow. If the budget is limited, you will have to adjust the stone yourself with a grinder or a hacksaw. There are 2 options here - lay the stone with an overlap or grind the edges at an angle of 45 degrees. When using the first option for external corners, open ends must be filed and tinted, otherwise they will stand out too much. In the inner corners, both ends are closed, so processing is not needed. The second option is more suitable for gypsum products, which are conveniently cut with a miter box.

So, first, the required number of fragments is determined, they are cut from a certain side, and the sections are processed with a file. Next, the stones are smeared with glue and alternately attached to the walls on both sides of the corner, carefully combining the joints. When the vertical of the corner is laid out, you can expand the masonry on the walls.

Step 4. Making the edges of the masonry

The edges of the masonry will look more attractive if the tiles are beautifully cut. The surface of the decorative stone has a clear texture, which makes it easier to trim the extreme fragments. Sawing with a hacksaw should be straight along the contour lines so that the cuts are the most natural. All cuts must be sanded with sandpaper.

Step 5. Seal the joints

Gypsum putty is diluted and carefully applied to the joints, in the corners, along the perimeter of openings and switches. For convenience, you can use a tight package, for example, from milk. One edge of the bag is cut completely, and on the other side a small incision is made. Fill the bag with a putty mixture and squeeze it into the seams with an even thin strip. If the solution is applied with a spatula, immediately wipe off the excess from the surface of the stone to avoid drying. After filling the joints, the putty is rubbed with a damp foam rubber sponge and left to dry.

Step 6. Finishing

The dried putty is white, and therefore the treated areas will stand out against the background of the stone. Paint will help get rid of light spots: in a small container, the pigment is diluted to match the color of the main coating and the patched areas are painted with a small brush. When the paint dries, the stone is covered with acrylic varnish. In places where the walls are constantly touched, it is better to apply the varnish in 2-3 layers.

To make the coating more voluminous, you can highlight the edges of the masonry with a golden or bronze dye. There is another option: a coating of the same color, but more saturated in tone, is applied to an artificial stone at an oblique angle. In addition, you can use lighting: light directed from above or from the side makes the masonry much more textured and clearer.

Calculation of decorative stone	Formulas	Explanations
Calculate the surface area intended for facing with artificial stone	S (wall) =AхB	A - wall length, B - wall height
Calculate the surface area that the corner elements of the decorative stone will occupy	S (corners) \u003d Lx0.2	L - angle length (linear meters), 0.2 - coefficient
Find the total area occupied by all corner elements	S (corners total) = S (corner 1) + S (corner 2)	-
Calculate the area of window and door openings	S=AxB	A - window / door width, B - window / door height
Calculate the surface area intended for facing decorative stone, taking into account the area that is occupied by corner elements, window and door openings	S (stone) = S (walls) - S (corners) - S (windows/doors)	Increase the resulting area by 10%
How to calculate the required number of corner stone elements.	Measure and add up the height of the corners to be lined with decorative stone. L (total corners) = L (corner 1) + L (corner 2) etc. Increase the resulting length by 10%	L - length of corners (linear meters)

Video - Decorating the hallway with decorative stone

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 9 minutes

Decorative stone is a facing material for exterior and interior decoration, which is rapidly gaining popularity. Finishing with stone gives the room an original and presentable look and well complements the interior of different styles. Decorative stone is resistant to wear, practical and easy to clean. The only thing that can confuse you is the high cost of the material. But if you consider that it is not necessary to stone all the walls in the room, then the costs will not be so great. In addition, today artificial types of decorative stone are actively used, which are much cheaper than natural rocks.

Decorative stone in the interior

Most often, this decorative facing material can be found in living rooms, spacious kitchens, dining rooms and hallways. Making doorways, niches and entire walls with stone allows you to achieve the effect of monumentality, and in combination with living plants brings natural naturalness to the room.

Decorating the hallway with decorative stone is practicality and convenience. A large amount of dirt accumulates in the hallway and corridor, which is brought into the apartment from the street. An artificial material that imitates masonry perfectly tolerates wet cleaning with detergents and has dirt-repellent properties. In addition, this design will be very durable and will not lose its attractive appearance from frequent touches.

Complete decoration of the hallway with decorative stone can have a “pressing” effect, so the best solution would be a fragmentary finish with the allocation of certain zones:

doorways and arches;
viewed angles;
areas around furniture and separately located decor elements (lamps, paintings, mirrors);
contact zones (hangers, racks, shelves, wall sections above the plinth);
ledges and niches.

Tip: Decorative masonry is able to fully express itself only with good. In low light, wall decoration with decorative dark stone will look gloomy. If it is impossible to provide suitable lighting in the corridor, it is necessary to give preference to light-colored material and reduce the size of the cladding area, limiting, for example, the doorway.

The following types of this natural material are used in decorative finishing:

sandstone;
limestone;
slate;
marble;
granite;
cobblestone.

Depending on the appearance, the following types of decorative stone are distinguished:

rubble - imitates natural pebbles or boulders;

chipped - has the appearance of raw rock;

sawn - combines an unpolished front surface with a clear geometry;

mosaic - the elements form a certain geometric or color composition;

tiled - has a polished front surface, is an imitation of natural polished marble or granite.

Working with decorative stone

When choosing a decorative stone in the form of a facing material, first of all, you will have the following questions:

Is it possible to finish without the participation of a specialist?
What tools will be needed during work?
How to lay decorative stone?
What composition can be used to glue the facing material on the wall?
How to decorate the arch with a decorative stone?

Let's find out the answers to these questions and consider each in detail.

DIY decorative stone trim

Decorating with decorative stone on your own is a very real task. Works with different types of this facing material have a different level of complexity, but in general, any novice master can handle laying stone.

Required Tools

To work with decorative finishing material, you will need the following set of tools:

trowel or spatula for applying glue;
rubber mallet;
grinder with a disc for concrete;
container for mixing the solution;
ruler-triangle;
cords for horizontal beacons;
plumb lines;
metal brush;
roulette;
level.

Composition for gluing

The cladding material can be glued to the wall using tile or silicone adhesive, liquid nails, stone adhesive. In some cases, it is permissible to use a cement-sand mortar with plasticizers or polyvinyl chloride construction adhesive.

The best choice is tile adhesive or a specialized composition for decorative stone.

Important Points

When working with a stone, you need to take into account several nuances, the observance of which will ensure a high-quality result.

It is possible to glue decorative facing material only on and carefully the wall. It is acceptable to use for alignment or .
When choosing a natural facing material that has a lot of weight, you need to fix it on the wall.
When sheathing walls with drywall, the sheets must have a thickness of at least 12.5 mm and be fixed in length along at least three transverse lines.
Maintaining relatively even rows improves the appearance of the finished surface.

Sketch development and markup

Before you start gluing masonry elements, it is necessary to determine the size of the area to be covered, select the type of seams, make a sketch and mark on the walls. The sketch is necessary for the reason that it is desirable to lay a solid stone on the wall, and you should try to place it so that you do not have to cut and prick it, since these actions can damage it.

To form the seams, you can use wedges, lay pieces of drywall between the rows for wide seams or scraps of cardboard for narrow ones. After the adhesive has dried, the auxiliary materials must be removed.

Wood, stone, brick, clay are traditional materials for the construction of residential buildings. Having migrated from the exterior to the interior, they are also used for interior decoration. Thanks to the development of technological processes that create all kinds of shades, sizes and textures for decor, artificial stone in the interior has become a favorite technique for interior designers, and various masonry - strong accents that make the living space individual. The use of an artificial analogue of natural stone allows you to maintain the interior of the house in a wide variety of styles from Empire, as an imitation of ancient Greek, to any variation of modern minimalism.

Artificial stone in the interior

Fireplace and chimney trimmed with black artificial stone

Benefits

Unlike natural stone, its artificial version has significant advantages:

It weighs less, which means that it can be attached to lighter structures;
Requires low consumption of glue;
A wide range of sizes and a tint palette are presented, which makes it easier to choose options for the intended interior.

When finishing surfaces with artificial stone material, grouting becomes an important element that has an additional decorative function. According to the color ratio, it can:

maintain the main tone;
be lighter than the main tone;
be darker than the main tone.

The width of the joint filled with grout is determined according to the dimensions of the stone fragments and varies from 3 to 15 mm.

The first option is used when it is necessary to make masonry the background of the interior. The second - if a decorative panel is assembled from fragments of artificial stone, which is the center of the room.

The third option is depressed seams that limit protruding fragments with their depth. It is used when using the material under the "wild" stone, to highlight the masonry, to emphasize the complex stone texture.

Stone decor in the interior

Types and color options of artificial stone find their application inside different rooms of the house. Concrete decorative stone in the interior of the living room is used for wall decoration, large vertical surfaces. The larger the masonry space, the larger the stone fragments, the more advantageous the final result looks.

Fireplace portals and chimneys of cottages-chalets, decorated with imitation of buta, leaving through the second light to the ceiling beams, look like a finished work of the master. And rare inclusions of strips of stone on the central wall of the living room are the work of an amateur.

The fashion for openings trimmed with small pieces of brick is a thing of the past. Today, following the style means using large arrays of artificial stone.

Decorative stone in the interior, which organically absorbed the rustic style, is found when finishing small vertical surfaces: columns, the base of the bar counter, kitchen island. The classical masonry looks impressive, the decoration of the arches with a wide beam-like masonry, the reproduction of the naturally chaotic arrangement of wild stone.

However, do not forget that even chaos is subject to the laws of harmony. Therefore, before performing the work, it is necessary to make a sketch, lay out the stone on a horizontal surface and accurately transfer it to the object being decorated.

If you design the interior of an apartment in the loft style, then you should remember that the loft is the factory workshops of old factories converted into housing. Brick unplastered walls are the legacy of manufacturers who saved on interior decoration, which became the “calling card” of this style. The loft requires dark red "aged" brick or its imitation of artificial stone on all walls of a large open space.

Hallway: "cave age" or modernity

Inside this room, it is worth using decorative stone in the interior when decorating walls, laying out one or more surfaces with it, or, decorating a large space of the entrance area, place free-standing boulders, cobblestones that ideally support ethno or minimalism style.

Also an interesting, but time-consuming method of decorating the hallway is the device at the base of the floor of shallow channels with built-in lamps. These channels are filled with artificial "pebbles", or laid out with decorative stone like a cobblestone or pavement.

Flush with the fine finish of the floor, the channels are covered with tempered glass, which is also used in the construction of steps of glass stairs, and a transparent “window” is framed with a metal frame. The light coming from the floor of the hallway makes it unusual, brings a touch of mystery.

White bedroom in stone: peace, comfort and healthy sleep

The ideal tone of the stone in the interior of the bedroom is white, milky, echoing with a light textile design, forged details, painted with light colors, patina.

Decorating the bedroom with artificial bricks in soothing colors will provide psychological comfort. Dark, rich colors can create an intriguing atmosphere, especially if the stay in this space is short, but for a good rest, a bright, neutrally decorated room is needed.

On one of the walls of a rustic or Scandinavian-style bedroom, you can arrange a false portal for a fireplace by mounting a drywall niche of a suitable size and decorating it with decorative stone masonry.

It is easy to decorate the interior space of a niche with overall candles, matched to match or in contrast to the overall finish, install an electric analogue of the hearth or a biofireplace there. Having conceived a similar element of decor for the interior of the sleeping area, you will provide yourself with cozy evenings and the safe warm light of a live fire.

Stone decor in extreme conditions: kitchen and bathroom

The use of artificial stone to decorate the walls of rooms with high humidity or sharp fluctuations in temperature (bathroom and kitchen) requires a special approach and some precautions.

Although artificial stone has higher strength and performance characteristics compared to natural types of granite or marble, it is still subject to the damaging effects of water, high temperatures, and hot steam.

Kitchen with stone

Therefore, if the desire to have an artificial brick wall in the kitchen is great, then it is better not to place it next to the stove so as not to waste time removing grease stains, or treat it with special protective compounds (varnishes, water repellents).

If you use stone in the interior of the bathroom, then its use implies the presence of volumetric space, since a small room lined with stone fragments will seem even smaller and cramped.

If the dimensions of the bathroom allow, then using masonry, large-format slabs for styles that embody the 20th and 21st centuries, or columns with capitals, relief inserts, and sculptures that turn the room into antique baths is quite justified.

Small forms using decorative stone

Flowing water adds a special zest to the interior of the relaxation space: light murmuring sounds soothe, set in a creative way, harmonize the inner state of mind of a person, and the smallest water vapor humidifies the dry air. Therefore, the device of a home fountain can not only decorate the room, but also improve the health of the inhabitants.

When decorating a wall with an artificial stone fountain, it is necessary to supplement the structure with a glass vertical surface along which streams of water will flow.

A visually transparent barrier is not visible, but it is easier to keep it clean, because from long contact with water, lime streaks form on the stone surface. Glass will protect the masonry from moisture, prevent the destruction of the structure, but the general appearance will not suffer - the house will have a real, not an artificial waterfall.

Decorative stone for interior decoration is considered one of the most sought-after materials at present.

Varieties of artificial stone

The stone for wall decoration in the apartment, which is used today, is divided into several types:

based on concrete;
acrylic option;
porcelain stoneware;
quartz;
plaster material.

There are significant differences between the technical characteristics, but they are all used for interior wall decoration.

The photo shows a finishing option that is ideal for decorating interior spaces in a country house or in a city apartment.

Advice! In order for the facing material to give the surface to be decorated an aesthetic appearance, it is necessary to carry out certain preparatory work. Otherwise, you can make a mistake with the amount of material, as well as with color characteristics.

The choice of materials for interior decoration

Currently, the construction market presents a huge variety of finishing and decorative materials. If you wish, you can purchase inexpensive plastic panels to make changes to the appearance of your apartment or house.

Decided to choose natural material for the walls? Keep in mind that its cost will be quite impressive, and therefore this luxury is not available to everyone.

Plastic products attract with their affordable price and ease of installation, they are even able to imitate natural stone.

Porcelain stoneware is suitable for decorating the exterior walls of the house. It not only gives the house a resemblance to a medieval castle, but also has excellent performance characteristics.

Tiles are often bought for such areas of the apartment as a bathroom and kitchen. This material has long confirmed its technical characteristics, excellent aesthetic parameters. Among the disadvantages of using ceramic tiles in the design, we highlight the difficulty of installing this finishing material.

Attention! If you do not have the skills to work with ceramic tiles, entrust this work to a professional finisher.

Manufacturers of ceramic tiles offer customers options to imitate natural stone, parquet.

Even the most fastidious buyers will be able to find in the variety that exists today the option that will be optimal for the interior being created.

The times when only wood or concrete was used for exterior and interior work are long gone. In modern design, you can choose a combination of several decorative materials to get an aesthetic and practical facade from the outside, a solid beautiful structure inside a house or apartment.

Natural stone is an expensive pleasure, so not all Russian residents can afford such a finish. Interesting and useful tips regarding the use of stone as a facing material are presented in the video clip:

Decorative or natural stone to choose for decoration

Those who have never encountered such a material as stone, need to decide what requirements they place on the material for decoration. Let's analyze the main advantages and disadvantages of decorative and natural stone used for interior design of residential premises.

If you have chosen natural stone, then its main advantage is its beautiful appearance. The disadvantage is that a marble floor or ceiling will cost a pretty penny. In addition, not everyone is able to lay natural stone. Tiles can have significant differences in color, you have to work hard to achieve the perfect visual effect.

Advice! When laying natural marble, use the services of professional masters.

In order to make high-quality interior decoration with natural stone, you will have to spend a lot of time, effort, and money. As a worthy alternative to natural stone, you can consider a decorative stone created specifically for interior decoration.

In appearance, it does not differ from natural material, but has a much lower cost. In addition, you can easily match its color to the overall style of the apartment. The stone has a huge number of shapes, the material is easy to install. Without any problems, this material can be used even by the owner of the apartment, who does not have special building skills.

Advice! If your plans include a quick and economical option for wall cladding, purchase artificial stone.

Currently, many manufacturers of finishing materials offer customers different colors, sizes, shapes of artificial stone tiles at quite affordable prices.

Demanded materials

In this variety, there are three categories of artificial stone, recognized by professionals as the most popular samples: agglomerates, ceramic granite, concrete tiles. A concrete-based material designed for interior decoration of residential premises. It has increased strength, since metal oxides act as dyes. In addition, these materials contain river sand, cement, clay. A similar composition gives this type of artificial stone attractive environmental characteristics.

Agglomerates are chosen by people who are attracted by a luxurious interior. The use of innovative technologies in the production of agglomerates makes it possible to achieve an ideal similarity of the material with natural stone. The composition of the material contains resin, marble chips, which gives manufacturers the opportunity to create a variety of structures and patterns. The resulting marble is warm to the touch, so it is quite comfortable to sit on such a floor. Among the advantages of this material, we highlight its increased resistance to abrasion, a long operational period.

Bulk marble is considered by professional finishers to be an excellent material that is suitable for decorating the interior walls of a home.

Do you want your wall to look like raw brickwork? In this case, you can pick up brick-like tiles that can imitate an unfinished brick wall.

Bulk marble allows you to create a luxurious atmosphere in the apartment, emphasize the excellent taste of the owner of the apartment. Choosing a decorative brick, you have a chance to stay in trend.

stone finishing rules

Having decided to use decorative stone in the interior, you must follow certain rules. Consider the option of additional lighting for the surface that you plan to decorate with artificial stone. For example, you can fix small lamps on the wall, carefully matching them to the overall interior of the room.

It is on the quality of lighting that the perception of the structure of the stone, overflows, and the play of light depend.

Advice! Invite a designer so that with the help of additional illumination of a decorated wall (floor), you can get a unique effect.

If the light falls on the surface of the stone, then visually it will be possible to better see the structure of the artificial material.

There is one more rule that you need to know for those homeowners who decide to use artificial material to decorate the walls in their homes. Do not forget that this finishing material goes well with green plants. Place beautiful potted flowers near the stone wall. The decoration with decorative stone, made in a flower greenhouse, has an amazing view.

When facing the walls of the hallway, think over the lighting so that it is on both sides at once. In this case, you can advantageously highlight the wall. When installing a fireplace in the living room, it can also be tiled with artificial tiles so that it harmoniously fits into the image created in the room.

Conclusion

In order to perform high-quality interior decoration of the premises, it is not necessary to spend huge financial resources buying natural material. It is quite possible to choose a budget option - an artificial facing stone, which, according to aesthetic characteristics, will not be inferior to its natural counterpart.

Do not forget that any repair involves serious time and material costs. If you opt for plastic panels, then after a short period of time they will lose their original aesthetic appearance, and therefore the interior will need to be updated, additional material resources will be required.

Giving your preference to artificial or natural stone, you get a coating that will not change its original aesthetic characteristics over a long period of time.

Do not forget that stone castles built in the Middle Ages still attract admiring glances. Having adopted the advice of professionals, you can create a real fairy-tale castle from your house or city apartment, which will be a reliable protection for its inhabitants from any life problems and misfortunes.

Natural or artificial material, correctly selected in color, shape, size, harmoniously complementing the interior style chosen for the entire room, will help make the room being decorated a pride of its owner. Particular attention should be paid to the environmental safety of this material, because natural materials are used in the manufacture of artificial stone.

In the design of a house and apartment, I want to use natural materials, but this is not always justified. For example, the use of natural stone for interior decoration. It is expensive, difficult, and requires high qualifications. There is a very similar to natural artificial stone. It is also made from natural ingredients, but it weighs several times less and costs much less. Moreover, decorating the hallway with decorative stone can be done by hand - its installation does not require special qualifications.

One of the options for decorating the hallway

Types of decorative finishing stone

Today, there are three types of decorative artificial stone used for interior decoration:

based on cement;
based on gypsum;
agglomerate.

In appearance, these products are very similar to natural stone, only they weigh much less (from 14 kg / m 2 to 50 kg / m 2). The cost is also much lower (compared to natural), especially if the manufacturer is Russian or Belarusian. The pluses include easier installation - only the front part is textured, the other three are more like tiles or bricks.

Actually, there is another type of decorative artificial stone - clinker tiles that imitate various types of brickwork. It is made from clay almost according to brick technology - it is fired in a kiln and glazed. The difference in thickness is 1-3 cm. This type of finish is good in many - from high-tech to.

Gypsum based

Gypsum finishing stone is the most inexpensive of this type of material. Its second plus is that it is the lightest. It is he who is used when mounting on drywall, since he simply cannot withstand heavy loads. Cons - it is rather fragile, hygroscopic, and can collapse when wet. Finishing the hallway with a decorative stone based on gypsum is possible only if, after laying, it is treated with a special protective impregnation or acrylic-based varnish.

The format of gypsum tiles can be any - a very plastic solution allows you to get any surface and shape Light shades in the hallways do not "press" and do not add heaviness Heterogeneous color gives additional volume and charm Gypsum decorative stone in combination with a gypsum panel in the corridor - oriental style

Based on cement

A strong and durable finishing stone is obtained from a gypsum-sand mixture. It can be washed, even with a brush using liquid detergents. Its disadvantages:

Hard to cut. You will need a grinder with a diamond disc so that there is less dust, you can moisten the tile.
Big weight. This is when compared with a gypsum counterpart, and compared to natural weight is more than two times lower.
higher price. In the manufacture of cement decorative stone, high-quality cement is used, but it costs decently. In addition, the production technology affects the price - cement takes longer to gain the required strength (28 days), and the molded tiles must be stored somewhere until this moment, and under certain conditions (at a temperature of about 20 ° C and sufficient humidity of 40-50%). This means that significant areas are needed for storage facilities, and these are additional costs.

All these shortcomings are compensated by durability and ease of care, so this is one of the most common decorative stones for interior and exterior decoration.

You can completely lay out the walls in the hallway with decorative cobblestones. Light gray - the most for a small hallway

Artificial stone from agglomerate

This type of finishing decorative stone has appeared recently. It consists of natural rocks crushed to crumbs - marble, granite, quartzite - to which polymer resins or cement are added. To obtain bright colors, a coloring pigment is added. Such a decorative stone looks great - interspersed with natural fragments, reflections on the edges of the crumbs ... It really looks good, suitable for finishing work in rooms.

Coloring methods

When choosing a collection of gypsum or cement, pay attention to the method of staining. The pigment can be added to the solution, and then the whole tile will be of the same color. Shading tones are then applied to its front surface, which give the surface a more natural look. With this technology, even with a chip, the difference will be imperceptible, since the shades are close.

In another embodiment, the pigment is applied only to the surface. Then, if it is chipped or cut, the color will be very different.

Do-it-yourself artificial stone laying

Before starting work, you need to determine the quantity. It's not as easy as it seems. If you look at the collections, you will see that they mostly consist of fragments of several sizes and shapes. The exception is ceramic stone and collections imitating brickwork. Knowing the size of the fragments, you can figure out how you want to arrange them.

Outline the proposed borders of the finish on the walls. Now you can more or less accurately calculate how many "squares" of decorative stone you need. Add about 10-15% to the resulting figure - for trimming and possible changes in the process. This will be the required amount for finishing.

Pre-layout

Masters who have experience working with decorative stone first “figure out” where to place which fragments, how to turn them. You can make the layout on the floor, you can - in design programs (if you know how to work with them), you can try to draw a plan on a graph paper or a piece of paper in a box. The main condition: it is necessary to observe the proportions and do not forget about the seam. It can be quite small - this type of installation is called seamless or continuous, or it can have a thickness of up to 1 cm or even a little more.

Many people skip this stage when decorating walls with decorative stone on their own, hoping that everything will become clear in the process of work. It is possible, of course, and so, but keep in mind that the glue seizes very quickly and there is very, very little time for rework. The plan will make things easier.

Surface preparation

You can finish with artificial stone walls from any material, but they all require preliminary preparation. If the walls were previously finished with something, the entire finish is removed, a bare wall with plaster should remain. Gluing a decorative stone on old wallpaper is a waste of time and money: the finish will simply fall off. Some very light collections can be glued onto wallpaper, but these can only be fragments - a few tiles. And then, no one will guarantee that the wallpaper will not tear and everything will not collapse.

The easiest process for preparing walls is if they are plastered. Just cover them with primer. Its type is selected depending on the material (gypsum or cement). Then you can proceed to the actual finishing.

If the walls are made of bricks, building blocks, or any other similar material, they are first primed, then plastered with a suitable plaster. Drywall is also allowed. But at the same time, you greatly limit yourself in choosing a finishing stone - you will need to choose from the lightest collections in terms of weight, and this is mainly a decorative stone made of gypsum.

If the walls are wooden, they are first coated with waterproofing impregnation, after drying they are treated with a primer. Then a paint grid is nailed to the surface and only then plastered. When choosing a plaster, it is advisable to choose from those that "breathe" and will not interfere with the wood to regulate moisture. With glued tiles, this will be problematic, but the decoration of the hallway with decorative stone is usually fragmentary - the tiles are glued only in some places, and the rest of the surface will remain vapor-permeable.

What to glue

Most manufacturers of decorative stone advise using special adhesives designed specifically for working with this material. They are of three types:

for lightweight finishing stone weighing up to 30 kg/m 2 ;
for heavy from 30 30 kg / m 2 and above;
for low temperatures (below +5°C).

It is necessary to dilute the glue in small portions, strictly following the recommendations of the manufacturers. It is better to stir with a drill with an appropriate nozzle - it is easier to achieve uniformity.

You can also glue on good quality tile adhesive, only it must be really good - you will have to keep a decent mass. The third option is for liquid nails. This method works great on drywall, with plastered surfaces it is better to use an adhesive solution.

Sticking technology

Plastered or plasterboard-leveled walls are coated with a primer. While it dries, dilute a portion of the glue. When laying, it is important that the rows of finishing stone are laid horizontally. To achieve this, markings can be applied to the wall. This can be done with a paint cord, or you can draw with a pencil using a bubble or.

Laying decorative stone in the hallway starts from one of the corners. Some collections have special corner tiles that are easier to work with. If there are no such fragments, you will have to decorate the edges with “end” fragments. They are in some collections - their edges are also painted. The same elements are used last in a row where it is necessary that the ends have a decorative look.

Before laying, the back of the decorative stone tile must be inspected. There may be remnants of cement milk - this is a thin, foamy coating of light color. It must be removed. This can be done with a stiff brush.

If the air temperature is high or the humidity is low, the back of the stone is moistened with water. Then, a layer of glue is applied with an ordinary spatula, leveled, and the residues are removed with a toothed one (with a tooth of 4-5 mm).

The fragment is pressed against the primed surface, moving it slightly from side to side, making close contact with the wall, and placing the fragment in the desired position. You can knock on the surface with a rubber mallet for better adhesion.

This option of laying the finishing stone on the walls requires a significant amount of time. It is used when it is required to lay only a few tiles or along the edges of a large fragment. If you need to lay a significant amount, it is easier to apply glue to the wall, and also remove the excess with a notched trowel. And press the tile moistened with water to the glue on the wall.

Otherwise, the entire sequence of actions does not change.

If the masonry is seamless, the next element is installed closely. If a seam is needed, the distance between the tiles is fixed with plastic, wooden wedges of the same size, pieces of drywall are also suitable. If the seam is small, you can use plastic crosses.

When working, glue can be squeezed out from under the tile. If it gets on the front surface, it must be removed immediately. Concrete finishing stone can be used with a damp cloth, gypsum - only dry. The glue sets very quickly, and then it is almost impossible to remove it without damaging the surface.

According to this principle, the planned volume of finishing is laid out. When the glue sets (indicated on the package), you can start filling the seams.

Grouting

A special compound is used to fill the seams. In color, it can imitate masonry mortar or be in contrast to the color of the finish.

The composition is diluted with water to a pasty state (the proportions are indicated on the package), put into a special syringe or a tight bag with a cut off corner. The paste is squeezed out between the seams. Depending on the type of finish, the seam is filled almost completely or only halfway (up to 5 mm can remain to the edge of the tile). The result is either relief masonry, or more even.