Flexible stone (photo) - decoration and professional reviews
Contents ✓
FINISHING - FLEXIBLE STONE - PLUSES AND MINUSES. INSTALLATION
TECHNOLOGY OF FLEXIBLE CREATION
Flexible stone is the basis of a non-woven fabric covered with an adhesive with fiberglass on which a thin layer of fine crumb of natural stone is applied: marble, granite, quartz, sandstone, etc.
The material was invented by the German designer Gernot Erlich in the middle of the 90-ies of the XX century during the repair of the stone countertop.
Currently, there are two ways of making a flexible stone. The first use in quarries. First, choose stone blocks of sandstone, having a beautiful interesting pattern. Their surface is treated in a certain way, after which it is laid on the basis of a non-woven fabric impregnated with glue. After drying, the canvas is carefully cut.
The second way to produce in workshops and small workshops. In this case, it is no longer a quarry stone, but quartz sand of various shades, and the pattern has to be created independently. The work is not too complicated, but it requires some skill.
Quartz sand or small marble chips are applied to the fiberglass. At this stage it is important to form an unusual texture, similar to the pattern of this sandstone. Next, apply high-quality acrylic adhesive along with special additives. It acts as an impregnation linking individual grains of sand. If the surface is bumpy, it is leveled. Then spread to dry on wooden racks or pallets.
Council
Pay attention to the drawing of one lot: for companies that work directly with the manufacturer, the pattern on all sheets will be almost identical. This is due to the fact that a very thin layer is removed from the stone (from 1 to 6 mm), accordingly, the pattern does not change radically.
The material is made in the form of rolls ("stone wallpaper") with a sheet size of 2840 x 1420 mm and a thickness of up to 3 mm, and also in the form of slabs from 2,5 to 6 mm.
Reference by topic: "Ancient" stone for decoration of walls with own hands
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FLEXIBLE STONE
Due to the flexibility of the stone covering, any form can be faced: round, stepped, curved. Another advantage - a wide selection of colors and textures: it is possible to choose a pattern for any style of the interior. In addition, the flexible stone is not subject to ignition and does not absorb moisture.
The material is made of safe and environmentally friendly components, has good air permeability and does not emit any harmful substances. This allows you to use it in the premises where children are constantly.
Convenience of installation is also a big plus, since sticking a stone canvas is not more difficult than pasting wallpaper. And for its processing, you do not need a professional tool: a flexible stone can be cut with ordinary scissors. A small weight of sheets (from 3 to 5 kg / m2) is the decisive factor in the case when the weight of the liner should not exceed a certain value.
It is worth mentioning about the shortcomings, which are very few.
The most significant is the price. Flexible stone - not cheap pleasure: the cost per square meter starts from 900 rubles. However, one or two "squares" you, most likely, will not be sold: you will need to buy a roll or packaging.
The downside is that there are a lot of fakes on the market. In their manufacture, cheaper components are used (in particular, glue).
Because of this, the stone crumb eventually starts to crack and crumble.
How to distinguish the fake stone
First thing PAY ATTENTION TO THE PRICE: too tempting cost should alert you.
Do any, even a well-known manufacturer, REQUIRE PRODUCT QUALITY CERTIFICATES. Conscientious sellers will show it without problems, "handicraftsmen" will say that they have good material and do not need a certificate. Specify, in what way is the stone obtained: mined in a quarry or created in a workshop? Ask for a photo of the production. Quality material usually has marks and markings on the reverse side.
SCREAM SAMPLE PIPE: good quality material does not crack and does not crumble (before coating with protective compound, the coefficient of shedding does not exceed 3,5%).
After returning the sheet to its original position, there should be no creases on the surface. Ask to make a small cut: if in the process of cutting the wallpaper adhere to the cutter or chipped pieces - the products are clearly fake.
SCOPE OF FLEXIBLE STONE APPLICATION
Flexible stone - a truly universal material. It can be used for interior and exterior decoration. Frost-resistance (from -45 ° С) allows to use such facing for facades of private and public buildings even in northern regions.
Due to its ability to withstand high temperatures (up to + 650 ° C), it is also advisable to use stone wallpaper for finishing stoves and fireplaces.
Since the flexible stone is not afraid of water, does not lose its properties and appearance even with regular exposure to moisture, they are often lined with moist rooms: kitchens, saunas, baths, bathrooms and, of course, swimming pools.
An interesting property of the material is its translucency. Laminated lamps or light panels look very impressive and fill the room with soft, diffused light.
FEATURES OF FLEXIBLE STONE INSTALLATION
First of all, it is necessary to prepare the surface: carefully level and zashpatlevat.
Then comes the turn of a special primer of deep penetration, which is designed to increase adhesion. Do not hurry - you should wait until it dries completely.
Then the cloths are glued to the base. Be careful: glue is applied to the surface to be bonded, not to the coating sheet! Adhesive composition should be distributed on the basis of a thin layer. To do this, a spatula with a tooth height of 2 mm is useful. Optimum consumption of adhesive - 0,5 kg per m2.
See also: Decorative gypsum stone with your own hands - beauty for a penny
HOW TO Glue A FLEXIBLE STONE WITHOUT SEAMS - VIDEO
ATTENTION!
When buying, do not forget to make sure that the thickness of the sheets on all sides is the same. Otherwise, the thickness differences will be noticeable at the joints.
Since the glue does not grasp instantly, you will have time to remove air bubbles from under the surface with a rubber roller. The sheets are glued butt-end, carefully smoothing the edges, or - more rarely - overlap. In the second case, the excess material is removed by the cutter.
To finish corners, columns, complex curvilinear shape of the edges of stone sheets, it is recommended to preheat with a construction hair dryer.
After the end of the gluing the surface is treated with finishing impregnation, which additionally protects and strengthens the lining.
COUNCIL
If there are tears or too obvious joints during installation, they can be eliminated at the finishing stage. Impregnating composition covers the surface of the stone and it is applied to the remaining pieces of material after work. These scraps are filled with seams or places of ruptures until they merge with the surface, become invisible. After the composition has dried, the remaining grains of sand can be brushed off.
The technology of installation on the facades of buildings is similar. It should only be taken into account that the air temperature should not be lower than 12 ° C, and the finish coat should be applied not in one but in two layers.
See also: Art stone with your hands - photo
INSTALLING A FLEXIBLE STONE OWN HANDS - VIDEO
© Text: M.Kunaeva
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