Artificial stone is a facing material used to decorate walls, plinths, porches, garden paths, fountains and other objects. He found his application in the interior: they are decorated with fireplaces, bar counters, doorways. And, of course, artificial stone for the facade is a worthy alternative to natural minerals such as granite, marble, sandstone and others.
The popularity of the material is easily explained. With plausible imitation natural stone, its artificial counterpart is much cheaper. It can be purchased in the form of easy-to-mount panels and tiles.
Types of stone
Artificial stone is produced in several types. The difference between them lies in the materials used and the method of manufacture.
Clinker
Clinker stone is made from slate clay that has been fired. Before this, the material is formed using special matrices. The output is a tile that is flat on one side and imitates chipped natural stone on the other.
The material is strong, durable, successfully copes with temperature extremes and high humidity. After installing the tiles, it seems that the house is lined with sandstone.
artificial concrete
The basis of the stone is a concrete mixture. The solution is poured into molds, kept on a vibrating table, then left to solidify.
The finished tile can imitate any natural stone, depending on the additives used in the production. More often this is how marble or granite tiles are created. The technical characteristics of the material are comparable to high-quality cement plaster.
Ceramic
The stone is made from a fired mixture of refractory clay with sand, dyes and mineral additives. Forming is carried out in the same way as in the case of clinker tiles.
The surface of the material can be smooth, glazed or slightly embossed. Ceramic stone is not often used for cladding external walls, as it is sensitive to temperature changes and can crack.
Gummy
The raw materials for the manufacture are acrylic resins. The hardening of the composition occurs in special ideally smooth forms. The stone is produced in the form of rectangular or square tiles, has a flat surface and imitates processed natural minerals: granite, quartz, marble and others.
Due to the presence of synthetic resins, the material has increased strength. It practically does not absorb moisture, has low thermal conductivity and is easy to clean.
Sand-polymer
Such a stone is made from mineral chips and a polymer binder. The finished material resembles brickwork and is often produced in calm, natural colors: brown, dark gray, sand.
Sand-polymer stone is resistant to moisture, high and low temperatures. The material is light weight and easy to install. It is produced not only in the form of individual elements, but also in large plates.
Composition of artificial stone
Each manufacturer develops a unique composition formula for the manufacture of artificial stone.
It is based on a basic combination of components, including:
- The binder is cement, clay, polymer resins.
- Filler - stone chips, granules.
- Dyes are pigments of various origins that are responsible for the color of the stone.
- Additives - reinforcing mixtures, plasticizers and other substances that improve specifications products.
Protective compounds can be additionally applied to the finished artificial facing stone. This increases the moisture resistance of the material.
DIY manufacturing
Most buyers prefer to purchase ready-made goods. But, when a little stone is required, for example, for decoration separate parts facade, you can make it yourself.
The easiest way to do this at home is to take concrete as the basis for making facade tiles. Clay can also be used, but in this case, stone firing at a temperature of 1300 ° C will be required. It is difficult and unprofitable to produce decent quality tiles with other types of binder at home without special equipment.
Consider the most popular method of making artificial stone from concrete mix. You will need:
- white or gray cement;
- filler (sand, expanded clay, perlite, small gravel, fiberglass);
- coloring pigment;
- forms;
- vibrating table, if any;
- electronic balance;
- drill with a nozzle for stirring the solution and a suitable container.
The first step is to measure and weigh all the components to maintain the desired proportions. In the standard version, sand and cement are taken in a ratio of 1: 3, the filler is placed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Water is added until a mass of sufficient density is obtained, a drill with a nozzle is used with stirring.
Coloring pigments should be about 2-3% of the total mass of the solution. They are introduced into the composition, previously dissolved in a small amount of water. If you want to get an uneven color, you can apply dyes directly to the matrix. To find the optimal shade, it is worth experimenting with different options on a small amount of solution.
The finished mass is laid out in the molds in layers, shaking them after adding each portion of the solution. This will help the mixture to be evenly distributed if you do not have a vibrating table, on which the stone should be placed according to the technology.
After pouring, level the surface of the future tile and remove excess mortar from the edges of the mold with a spatula. After 3-4 hours, when the top layer has set, draw a few grooves on the back surface of the stone. This will improve adhesion to the wall during installation.
Complete solidification occurs, as a rule, within 2 weeks, after which the stone can be removed. During drying, the molds with the solution should be on a flat surface in a place protected from the sun.
Forms
Forms for artificial stone can be bought or made by yourself. Matrices are produced for any kind of natural mineral. With their help, you can independently make an imitation of slate, sandstone, cobblestones, brick, torn stone. You just need to choose the right pattern.
For matrices, a flexible material is usually selected - polyurethane or silicone. It is convenient to get finished products from such forms. The only negative of the finished matrix is the price. One form for 4-6 stones will cost 3-6 thousand rubles. Therefore, some owners master the independent production of not only tiles, but also matrices for it. From one package of silicone, costing about 3 thousand rubles, you can make 2-3 forms.
Savings are obvious, but it should be borne in mind that silicone matrices are suitable for use no more than 20-30 times.
If this is not enough for the planned scope of work, it is better to choose a more expensive material for the manufacture of molds - polyurethane. The resource of such a matrix is more than 200 castings.
Silicone and polyurethane of different colors are available on the market - gray, red, yellow. The color of the matrix does not affect the quality of the tile, so any color will do.
For self-manufacturing forms, you will need stones that serve as a model, and a suitable box that replaces the formwork. The samples are coated with a thick layer of grease and placed at the bottom of the box. The selected material is poured over the stones so that they are covered by 3-4 cm.
The surface is leveled with a paint brush and a spatula dipped in dishwashing detergent. The material hardens for about 2-3 weeks, then the formwork is removed and the sample stones are separated from the matrix. If there are minor defects in the forms, they can be eliminated by covering them with silicone. Considering that the facade artificial stone hardens for a long time, it is better to make several matrices at once.
Cladding technology
The technology of facade cladding with artificial stone consists of several stages. Let's consider each separately.
Preparatory stage
Preparation for work begins with an inspection of the base. The wall material can be any, but before laying facade tiles or stone, you need to make sure that their surface is even, without noticeable height differences (no more than 3-5 mm). If the irregularities are significant, the facade is leveled with putty or.
Then the surface of the walls is checked by tapping. If peeling areas of the coating are found, they are cleaned and smeared with a solution. Also come with existing cracks and gaps. Small protrusions are squeezed to smoothness.
If the walls are wooden, knots, nails and other irregularities are removed from them. Places damaged by mold or fungus are cleaned and treated with an antiseptic, minor repairs are made and unstable elements are strengthened.
If the resulting surface is even, it is treated with waterproofing compounds, covered with a reinforcing mesh and a stone is placed on top of it. But more often, the laying of the material is not carried out on wooden walls, but on top of a ventilated facade. This method simultaneously solves the problem of warming the house and leveling the surface for tile installation.
Checking working materials
To work, you will need an artificial stone, glue for it and tools. Usually for laying artificial stone use:
- notched trowel;
- building level, square;
- grinder with a nozzle for cutting stone;
- drill with mixer nozzle;
- brushes metal and with soft bristles;
- containers for water and adhesive solution;
- paint brushes;
- rubber mallet.
Sort out defective and damaged stone before starting work. If you purchased material from several batches and the color of the products is different, it is better to mix them. The flat part of the stones, on which the adhesive will be applied, should be cleaned with a wire brush.
Properly selected glue is half the success. Therefore, make sure that it contains plasticizers, cement, sand, organic solvents and mineral inclusions, and moisture and frost resistance are high. It is better to give preference to compositions with a hardening period of at least 1 hour, with them you will have half an hour to correct minor masonry flaws.
Installation of artificial stone
The walls of the house are moistened with water or covered with a primer 20-30 minutes before the start of work. Installation is more convenient to start from the bottom up. First, the material is laid in the corners, around window and door openings, then in the rest of the area. If you are using even stones, make sure the rows are horizontal.
The glue is applied with a spatula, both on the walls and on the surface of the material, the optimal thickness of the adhesive composition is 5-10 mm. Having attached a stone to the wall, it is pressed down and gently tapped with a rubber mallet. Adhesive that has fallen on the front of the tile is removed immediately.
Stones from different batches that differ in shade must be selected so that there are no areas with a sharp transition of colors. With seamless masonry, the material is placed close to each other, and the remnants of the emerging adhesive are removed. If the stones are of different sizes and jointing is planned, it is performed with a special solution after the adhesive has hardened.
Artificial facing stone for the facade, with skillful handling, can easily replace natural. Its installation does not cause any particular difficulties, and the value for money will please budget owners.
Useful video: facade cladding with artificial stone
- reliably protect the house from negative natural influences;
- increase the life of the house at times;
- will give the house a serious, monumental appearance.
Composition of artificial stone
Externally, the artificial stone used for the exterior cladding of the facade of the building resembles ceramic tiles. The fact is that one face of an artificial stone must be made flat - this is necessary for high-quality adhesion of the stone to the surface of the facade. However, this is where the similarities between artificial stone and ceramic tiles end, because the production and chemical composition these products differ significantly.
The basis of artificial stone are the following components:
- cement brand M 400-500;
- quartz sand;
- a special filler, due to which the mass of artificial stone is significantly reduced (most often - expanded clay, less often - ceramic chips, pumice or perlite);
- special additives that increase the moisture resistance and strength of the product;
- water.
Due to the inclusion of expanded clay or its analogues (ceramic chips, natural pumice or expanded perlite) in the composition of the product, the mass of the product is reduced by two thirds compared to concrete. The type of filler that reduces the weight of the product has a significant impact on the final cost of the product.
How is the production of artificial stone
The production of artificial stone for facade cladding is carried out by vibrocasting. A liquid mixture is poured into special molds made of rubber and compacted by vibration. Forms are obtained by taking impressions from samples natural stone, thanks to which a perfect surface imitation is achieved.
Making artificial stone with your own hands
The vibration process ensures that the most weighty and durable particles sink to the bottom of the rubber mold. This creates a concentration of the maximum strength of the stone exactly at its front surface, and the wrong side of the product is made perfectly flat.
The final color of the product is achieved two methods:
- the introduction of color directly into the composition of the mixture before pouring into molds;
- painting the surface of the product after the mixture has completely dried.
The first option is more durable, but the second method allows you to create the most believable imitation of the natural color of the stone.
Forms of artificial stone
- Imitation of the natural formation of stone (products of natural or chipped form): pebbles, boulders, fragments, cobblestones, etc.
- A stone of standard sizes, having the shape of a regular parallelepiped, only 1 face of which imitates the natural surface of a natural stone;
- Imitation of antique or aged ceramic bricks.
Properties of artificial stone
The most important qualities of artificial stone are its strength characteristics, frost resistance, ability to absorb moisture and density. It is these characteristics that should be borne in mind when choosing an artificial stone.
The basic element that is part of any artificial stone is cement.. The strength characteristics of the finished product directly depend on its quality. Increased strength is needed not only for the stone that serves as a protection for the facade, this quality is also required to maintain the integrity of the product during transportation. When choosing, be sure to take an interest in the strength characteristics of the product: the quality and brand of the cement underlying it and the presence of additives that increase the strength of the artificial stone.
Frost resistance is also an important characteristic of artificial stone. As a rule, it is about 100 - 150 freeze-thaw cycles. Some manufacturers claim that their products can withstand more cycles. It is also worth paying attention to this factor when choosing, but one should not forget that the indicator of 150 cycles is a building norm.
The ability of an artificial stone to absorb moisture has a significant impact on the strength and frost resistance of the product. Low rates of water absorption testify in favor of high rates of strength and frost resistance. According to the current building codes, this indicator should not exceed 9 percent.
The last, but by no means the least important characteristic of an artificial stone, is its density. Lighter stone is less expensive to transport and easier to install. Yes, and it will cost a little cheaper than its more heavy counterpart.
Facade cladding technology with artificial stone
Anyone can decorate their home with artificial stone on their own. As for the choice of technology, according to which the laying will be carried out, it all depends on the characteristics of the base on which the cladding will be laid.
If the base is a flat, solid surface (concrete wall, plastered wall), no preliminary preparation is required before installing the stone. In other cases, it cannot be avoided.
Read on and find answers to your questions.
If the surface of the facade is made of wood, a plaster mesh should be laid on the entire surface of the wall, and then a special adhesive mortar should be laid on top of it. Also, any metal parts of the exterior (mounts, mortgages, etc.) are covered with a mesh.
This review will show you what kind of artificial stone is for the facade, how to choose such a material for facing the exterior walls of the house, what are the technologies for the production of "stone" facade materials.
Market situation building materials now is such that each owner has the opportunity and is not like the others. For example, with the help of artificial facing stone for the facade, and this is an excellent alternative to expensive and heavy natural stone.
Thanks to innovative production technologies, unique recipes and mixtures, artificial stone for facade cladding has become an affordable material for building decoration, while not inferior in strength to natural stone.
This material can be called artificial only conditionally, assuming only that the stone was created by man, and not by nature, otherwise, its components are of natural origin: sand, industrial cement, expanded clay and stone chips. Also, as part of mixtures for creating artificial stone for the facade, there can be dyes and various fillers.
If we talk about the appointment of exterior finishes, then the most important functions that facing materials should perform are the following:
- protection of the facade from the impact of an aggressive environment;
- decorative function.
Both with that, and with another task the artificial stone for a facade copes successfully. Due to the fact that natural is very reliable, and also due to the presence of a large selection of materials, it becomes available to almost everyone to achieve a unique appearance of the facade, the walls of the building.
Paying attention to the properties of the cladding to protect the building, then at this moment decorative rock deserves praise, overtaking natural stone in some performance properties. Modern facing materials have such characteristics as resistance to moisture and resistance to the development of microorganisms (bacteria, fungus, mold).
Artificial facade stone is not subject to decay, and is also resistant to temperatures and mechanical influences. It is not surprising that sometimes, even having the opportunity to pay for external decoration with natural stone, people choose artificial facing stone for the facade.
About the types of artificial stone
A person has been trying to create an imitation of natural stone for a long time and, quite naturally, attempts to “create” expensive stones turned out to be the most frequent. The most popular types of artificial stone today can be considered three types:
- casting stone (agglomerates or conglomerates);
- concrete products.
Porcelain stoneware
Ceramic granite is created from sand, clay, and feldspar using dyes and additives to give the material the desired performance characteristics and properties. Additives also ensure the uniformity of the color of the artificial stone for the facade - the photo of the site's catalog demonstrates this well. This material is produced by pressing followed by thermal firing.
If we talk about the properties of the material, then its strength is in the foreground. So, ceramic granite, very reminiscent of ceramics or glass, is able to withstand the effects of acids (except only hydrofluoric).
casting stone
Cast stone, polymer concrete, industrial marble are produced using polyester resins as a base with the addition of natural components such as sand, stone chips, fragments. , which are introduced into the mixture, give the widest palette of choice of material, not only in color, but also in texture.
A feature of this type of artificial stone for the facade is that it is particularly resistant to ultraviolet radiation and temperature extremes, and it also demonstrates its resistance to bending and compression.
concrete products
Concrete-based products are created using cement, sand, plasticizers, pigments and reinforcing additives. The material can be dyed both during the creation of the mixture and superficially. A special composition is also applied to the finished product, which ensures the moisture resistance of the artificial stone for the facade, its practicality in operation and durability.
The shape of the decorative stone is of the following types:
- chipped-shaped stone (or natural), which perfectly imitates natural material, such as pebbles, cobblestones, boulders, shards, etc.;
- sawn stone, having the correct shape of a parallelepiped, one face of which imitates a chipped natural stone;
- a brick that imitates an aged brick or its strange origin.
How to choose the material for the plinth
As you know, the basement (part of the facade from the ground to the first floor) has the strongest load in terms of the destructive influence of the external environment, especially the effects of moisture. It is under the condition of proper protection that it will protect the entire house from moisture. Today, in the exterior decoration of the basement, reliable artificial stone for the facade is increasingly being chosen (photo different types presented in the catalog of the site) precisely because this material has the necessary three characteristics.
- Density
- Low water absorption
- High frost resistance.
If we talk about the very type of artificial stone for the basement of the house, then it can be either rubble stone or tile - it depends on the preferences of the owner of the building. Artificial stone for the basement of the house is represented by the following types:
- Polymer sand tiles. This material imitates the laying of natural stone or brick, has all the characteristics that are needed for the outer lining of the rear.
- Clinker tiles. This type of cladding is chosen to simulate the paving of clinker bricks. The production uses a special grade of clay, which is sintered at high temperature to a shard. For facing the basement, this type of artificial stone for the facade is preferred because, in addition to beauty and aesthetic appeal, clinker tiles practically do not absorb moisture. On the one hand, the tile is flat, and its dimensions repeat the dimensions of the brick.
- Resin tiles. The thickness of the tile is 3 mm, it also imitates or clinker bricks. It bends well, glue it on concrete, plastered surface or thermal insulation.
- An artificial stone for a facade on a concrete basis. The material, thanks to various additives, has excellent performance properties, including frost resistance.
Wall covering
In the external cladding of the building, artificial stone for walls is also subject to serious requirements, but here the choice of material will already be slightly wider than for the basement. Artificial stone for facade walls can be laid on any surface, such as brick, concrete, metal,. Based on this, the preliminary work that precedes the cladding with artificial stone directly may differ.
For example, newly built houses should shrink, so the cladding will be undesirable for the first six months.
When choosing a material for facing the walls of the facade, you should additionally pay attention to the thermal insulation qualities and energy-saving properties of artificial stone for walls.
Very often used for facing the walls of the facade or porcelain stoneware. The choice of material for cladding will be affected, including the weight load on the foundation of the building.
The aesthetic component encourages, using an artificial stone for the facade, to combine its different color shades, both to create a picture of "naturalness" and to create something completely unusual and not existing in nature.
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This finishing material is suitable for those buyers who:
- have a limited budget allocated for facade cladding or interior walls;
- do not plan another repair in the next 15-20 years;
- want to imitate an elite level finish at an economy price;
- they try for sure to choose the decoration of the walls for the chosen style of interior design or everything country house(apartments) in general;
- they choose the best price / quality ratio, because the facade artificial stone has much more positive properties than the "originals" (stone, granite, etc.), but it looks exactly the same.
To date, stone for facades is represented by several dozen various collections. Their main difference is their appearance (color scheme, texture, size, etc.), country of origin, cost, and many other factors. As a rule, the appearance is chosen in accordance with the style of the rest of the interior. Here it is necessary to guess not only with shades, but also with the geometry of the lines. For the classics, bends are possible, hi-tech - only straight lines, modern - various asymmetrical shapes. Among the countries whose stone is in demand on the Russian market are Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, China and some others. They differ, of course, in pricing policy, and in some aspects of production.
How can stone be used for the facade?
The considered finishing material is divided into internal and external. The artificial stone is intended for facing of external walls of buildings. Such material should also be subject to increased requirements, which include frost resistance, moisture resistance, impact resistance, acid resistance, and some others. Each of these properties is present in the facade stone, which is achieved by the peculiarities of production. The absence of pores on the surface and inside the structure, increased density, as well as a treated surface are a guarantee that such a lining will last you at least 15 years.
Facade stone cost
The prices offered are very affordable. As a rule, the average cost of such a stone is from 1000 rubles per square meter, which will save a lot of money even in the most immodest country house compared to using natural stone. The flexible pricing policy practiced by us allows us to hold various promotions for some new and previous collections. The price set by us is the most acceptable on the market for the simple reason that, firstly, we are manufacturers, and, secondly, all cost savings fall on the shoulders of our customers in the form of very pleasant prices. By the way, the price for our stone is promotional in almost every second case - this is the way we try to make more of our customers able to make the cladding of the most expensive style.
In order to wisely use all the qualities of such a finishing material as an artificial stone facade, it must be properly laid. For ignorant people, the whole cladding technology may seem like a whole science, but it is not. Remember the basic rules: laying should be done at positive temperatures; it is produced, as a rule, on various adhesive masses (although it is possible, by analogy with porcelain stoneware, on metal holders); The surface must be prepared - even and dry.
Facade stone is an absolutely environmentally friendly finishing material. Firstly, these are the ingredients from which it is made. Secondly, at high air temperatures, it does not emit any gases hazardous to health. Thirdly, it has an ideal fire resistance. Artificial stone for facade cladding has a texture similar to untreated natural stone. It is in this way that we, the manufacturer of this material, try to create the most ideal imitation properties of natural facing components.
You can buy our products right now. All it takes is three simple steps:
1) choose on the site the option that suits you, while paying attention to the fact that the price of the facade stone is significantly reduced in cases where the volume of the order increases;
2) call us by phone;
3) provide your data and answer a number of questions from our employees.
2. Finishing of facades
Currently, all finishing materials are subject to high requirements. But, not all of them are able to respond to requests. So, relatively recently, in all countries of Western Europe, they began to use artificial stone as the most suitable way of facing buildings and interior decoration. Finishing with artificial stone is a modern trend in architectural fashion. Gradually this latest technology reached the CIS countries.
By appearance such material can hardly be distinguished from natural. Considering this and the fact that the price for it is several times lower, as well as the variety of its textures, shades and colors - for modern builders and decorators open wide opportunities arrangement of facades both during the construction of buildings and during their reconstruction. Do not miss the moment that the weight of the stone is quite small, which is a definite plus when working with it.
3. Application for interior work
The main characteristic features are lightness, ease of installation and further maintenance, surface protection from external aggressive factors, excellent aesthetic properties, low cost. Moreover, this material perfectly provides sound insulation and thermal protection, and also has high wear resistance. With it, you can easily imitate the interior decoration of porcelain stoneware, laminate boards, tiles, facing brick or natural stone. The three-dimensional view of the surface created from non-natural material looks especially unusual.
Due to its undeniable advantages, artificial stone is often used in the reconstruction of ancient architecture, facade cladding, as well as in landscape design and for interior decoration. Artificial stone for interior decoration dominates in creating the image and stylistic features of the room.
4. Buy cheap artificial stone
The company Master-stone ™ is engaged in the production of high-quality artificial stone. Our goal is to offer a professional product at an affordable price. Our clients are both private developers and large construction organizations operating in the market of Moscow and the Moscow region. For each category of clients, we are ready to offer conditions, taking into account the characteristics of specific tasks. As a result, the consumer can buy an artificial stone and partially save on shipping. Quite often, promotions are held for certain types of products, so that the price of artificial stone remains at an acceptable level.
Prices for building finishing materials vary quite a lot throughout the year. The period of active construction and renovation outdoors for the central part of Russia is about seven to eight months a year. Thus, in the winter months, there is a decline in construction activity and, as a result, a decrease in the production of artificial stone. For the consumer, this primarily means the possibility of purchasing products at significant discounts. The amount of discounts, as a rule, is set depending on the volume of the order, the terms of export, delivery conditions, etc. The price of artificial stone can be reduced by up to 20-30% depending on the manufacturer and the range of products.
5. Facing with artificial stone
Artificial stone can be used to decorate bases that are completely different in their physical and mechanical properties. These are both concrete and brick surfaces, as well as plasterboard and wood. Obviously, depending on the properties of the surface, adhesive materials will differ, as well as laying methods.
Facing with artificial stone, if we are talking about work on the street, as a rule, should be carried out in warm time years at positive temperatures. However, there are times when such work must be carried out in late autumn or early spring. For such cases, it should be carried out using special materials. Preparing the facade for facing with artificial stone.
You can purchase our products in any quantity from a few meters to a large batch of stone, different in texture and color. Come to the shops and see for yourself high quality products. Call us and we will answer all the current questions about the characteristics, properties of the material, help you choose the type of stone and suggest how it is more convenient to work with it.
