Decorative or artificial stone has been used by man for several hundred years. After all, the frozen mortar limestone or brick is also an artificial stone. Today, this material is considered to be the best for interior decoration and design of design projects for summer cottages. In addition, you can easily make it yourself at home. This will be discussed in this article.

Content

• 1 What is a decorative stone?
• 2 Advantages of decorative stone
• 3 Varieties of decorative stone
• 4 How to make a decorative stone своими руками?

What is a decorative stone?

Decorative rock используется in various fields construction. With the help of such a building material, walls are veneered, internal and external finishing works are carried out. In addition, tabletops, kitchen sinks, furniture and interior elements are made of decorative stone. And specially trained people can make figurines and other trinkets out of artificial stone. There are technologies by which masters can even create imitations of expensive natural stones, for example, cat, snake or tiger's eyes. Also in the building stores you can find an analogue of the pink orlets, serpentinite and even labradorite.

Advantages of decorative stone

Natural natural stone is very expensive. It is difficult to call him unpretentious, with him very hard work Such a stone is difficult to transport, plus its strength and durability are directly dependent on the climate where it is used. By contrast, decorative stone is much better. tolerates temperature differences moisture and mechanical stress. However, its cost is also high. But there is a solution - to make a decorative stone by yourself. Moreover, the advantages of such building materials abound:

• such a stone can be made very thin, this will not affect on its strength, but only facilitate its weight;
• it can be made on site, eliminating shipping costs and the possibility of breakage during delivery;
• homemade decorative stone can be made smooth and brilliant immediately, without spending on grinding, sawing or polishing;
• it can be done absolutely any color and textures, the richness of colors helps to achieve the desired effect;
• this building material may be of non-standard form;
• decorative stone can imitate the natural;
• With the help of polymeric binders, the effect of thermoplasticity can be achieved, that is, such a stone can be bent and connected to other parts without seams.

Varieties of decorative stone

There are many different modifications of artificial stone. By type of material used and method of manufacture, it is divided into:

• molded concrete (or sand-cement);
• ceramic;
• gypsum;
• liquid;
• cast acrylic;
• monumental (or free-form concrete);
• polyester hot cured.

Acrylic stone is actively used in the kitchen and in the bathrooms. It has no pores, so it can be washed with various detergents. In addition, he has low thermal conductivity which gives the sensation of warmth. But it is fragile and requires careful handling.

Gypsum stone is used at home for interior decoration. Concrete is suitable for building houses and buildings, and stone free molding do by the piece, as a rule, they are stones and boulders.

Quartz artificial stone refers to the category of liquid stones hot curing. It is the most durable of all and has a high resistance to temperature extremes.

The cost of artificial stone depends on the complexity and method of manufacture, as well as on the manufacturer. On average, prices for models of decorative stone range from 900 to 1400 rubles per 1 sq. M. m. Antique brick, Provence, Orleans, Clinker bricks can be bought for 950 rubles / sq.m. Karelian Plateau or Linear Relief - the most expensive species their cost is equal to 1700 rub. / sq.m. The cheapest decorative stone - Russian manor. Its price is 350 rubles per square meter.

How to make a decorative stone своими руками?

At home, you can make a decorative stone any type except liquid and stone free form. For manufacturing, you will need a vibrating table, ready-made forms, release agent, pigments, casting mixtures and a thermogun.

Vibrotable or shaker can also be made yourself. It is needed for hardening stone. Forms for the stone is better to buy in the store. If desired, they can also be made independently of clay or silicone.

The important point of the production of this material is creating a casting mixture. For a different type of stone mixture of its own. For the manufacture of gypsum stone need:

• water (1 liter plus 0.5 for the bulk);
• gypsum;
• citric acid (0.3% by weight of gypsum);
• pigment (2−6% by weight of gypsum).

Mixture poured into molds and hold a few minutes. Concrete stone is made from sand-cement mixture in a ratio of 1: 3 and pigment. To create a cast acrylic stone, you need to mix resin (20%) with hardener (5%), and pigment (4%) with filler (71%). A day later, the stone can be used for its intended purpose.

There are pigments different consistency. It is usually injected into the solution before mixing is completed through a syringe.

The separation composition is individual, for a different type of stone - it is your own. For plaster decorative stone use gypsum solution in turpentine, for acrylic - stearin in styrene, for concrete - consistent.

Heat gun needed for welding of finished parts thanks to a jet of hot air, the stone sets faster.

The casting process itself takes place in several stages. First cook starting mixture it is applied to the form with a brush. After the mixture is set, the base layer is added. When the surface begins to dry, make small grooves for cladding. Before casting the shaker is turned off. Some finished stones after excavation are treated with special means for greater strength and durability for example, plaster stone smeared with vegetable oil.