Natural stone finishes: options and applications

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Natural stone is used for walls and facades

The interior and exterior decoration of the building is currently carried out using modern materials that are quite simple to install. The decoration of buildings with natural stone began to be very popular.
There is a large selection of agglomerates that are used to decorate the room.

Types of natural stones that are most often used in decoration

Natural stone is increasingly used in modern repairs, as a decorative element inside and out.
Natural stone for interior decoration can be made:

• Granite.
• With marble.
• Sandstone.
• Dagestan stone.
• Limestone.

Note. Each natural agglomerate has its own properties and characteristics.

Granite in the decoration of the room and its properties

Granite is one of the most sustainable materials.

This type of natural stone is very strong and durable. Has a crystalline structure.
For this reason, it is quite difficult to work with him. Cut it with a tile cutter, if the thickness of the granite plate allows such actions.
There are two types of this material:

• The first is used to floor finishes.
• The second is applied on walls and other home decoration.

Characteristics:

• The thickest is granite for the floor. It has different sizes. For walls, granite slabs are used, the thickness of which can reach 1 cm.
• This stone is moisture resistant and its surface does not absorb dirt. The surface is cleaned with ordinary rags dipped in water.

Tip. Do not clean the surface of granite with abrasive cleaners, as they can damage it.

• Granite is also resistant to temperature changes and it is often used in rooms with high humidity.

Important! This stone has excellent characteristics, but it can only be used in interior decoration if the seller has certain documentation on it that confirms that the agglomerate does not emit radiation. In most cases, this type of stone emits radioactive radiation.

Surface mounted granite

Before you begin installation work, you must purchase the necessary tools and related materials.
For such actions it will be necessary to have:

• ​Cement mortar.
• Granite slabs themselves.
• Level.
• Ruler.
• Tile cutter.

Stages of work:

• The surface is initially well prepared and cleaned. It should be flat. Otherwise, the quality of the finish will not be at a high level.
• Cement mortar is applied to the surface. Since granite slabs are very heavy, an assistant may be needed in the process. After that, the material is attached to the surface.

Tip. To give surface strength to the installation of granite, it is worth initially using a reinforcing wire mesh on it, which is attached to the plaster layer.

The distance between each plate should be no more than 1 cm. Seams subsequently are masked with decorative putties.
And you can immediately add a pigment of the desired shade to the cement mortar.

Marble slabs for decoration

Finishing work with marble

Marble has long been used in finishing work on any surface. The only thing to consider is its price is very high, and not everyone can allow this method of decoration.
Characteristics:

• This natural agglomerate is absolutely harmless to human health. It is durable and reliable.
• Able to withstand heavy loads. Also, the material does not absorb moisture and any contaminants.
  Its surface is cleaned similarly to granite. Here, too, do not use abrasive products.

Tip. It is not recommended to use marble in the kitchen area near the place of cooking. Clearing body fat from the surface will be quite difficult.

• Marble is able to withstand a variety of temperature differences and at the same time not be deformed. It is easier to work with this natural agglomerate than with granite, since it is easily cut with a tile cutter for ceramic tiles.
• The material has different sizes and thickness. Sometimes marble is given a black or green hue during the manufacturing process. This only positively affects the range of products of this type.

As a rule, marble is the only a natural stone, the color scheme of which has about 200-250 colors and design.

Surface mounted marble

Marble is often used to decorate fireplaces, portals, columns, steps, surfaces of furniture items and so on. It is mounted on any surface.
For this you need:

• ​Cement mortar or special glue.
• Spatula.
• Primer
• Building level.

Installation steps:

• Similar to the installation of granite, the surface for fastening marble must be smooth and reinforced with a reinforcing mesh of wire, which is plastered on the surface.
• The solution is applied on the surface with a not too large layer to avoid a large amount of waste. On the inner side of the material, you can not apply the solution, since it can only increase its weight and make it possible not to fix the marble on the surface too tightly.

Tip. Each element of marble tile must be checked and set according to the level before final fixing on the surface. This will allow you to finish efficiently and quickly.

Sandstone in the finishing work and its properties

Material in the interior

Stone finish natural, in which sandstone is used, is considered the most affordable and practical way to design a room. This natural agglomerate has a variety of shades.
At the moment, with the use of coloring pigments, the color range of sandstone has expanded significantly.
It has any size and thickness, also:

• Durable and practical.
• Moisture-resistant, and is not exposed to temperature changes.
• It is very easy to mount on the surface.
• It is used in both exterior and interior applications.

Sandstone window sills, fireplaces, columns and other structures are very often finished with sandstone. You can find the use of sandstone on the wall surface.
Only they decorate not completely the entire surface, but only some part of it.

Surface mounted sandstone

The surface for the installation of sandstone should be smooth, as the finish otherwise may be poor-quality and uneven. For leveling, plaster and drywall are used.

Tip. Since this natural agglomerate does not have a lot of weight, it can be mounted on the surface without additional reinforcement.

As a rule, for installation you will need:

• Special glue or cement mortar with lime.
• Tile cutter.
• Building level.
• Spatula.

Note. Glue for mounting sandstone is sold dry and in order to bring it to the desired consistency, a certain amount of water is added to it.

There is a special instruction for this:

• Lubricate with a glue solution and the inner side of the stone and the surface itself. To do this, use a spatula or natural brush.

Tip. To give strength to the finish, it is necessary to pre-treat the surface several times with a primer.

• Sandstone can be laid on the surface close to each other or at a certain distance.

The uniformity of this distance is ensured by cross-shaped beacons, which are used for laying ceramic tiles.

Dagestan stone in decoration

The use of Dagestan stone in the interior

Decorating a house with Dagestan stone has become very popular relatively recently. All this is due to the noble type of natural agglomerate and its technical properties and characteristics.
This stone has a wide variety of types and design, look at the photo interior.
Stone has several advantages:

• Moisture resistant.
• Practical.
• Attractive appearance.
• Wear resistant.
• Easy to install.

The latter is more dependent on the type of Dagestan stone, which may be:

• The sandstone.
• Shell rock.

Its surface is:

• Smooth.
• Porous.
• Embossed.
• Torn and so on.

Features:

• A wide selection of such material gives it versatility. As a result of this, the decoration of houses with Dagestani stone can be both internal and external.

Tip. Before acquiring such an agglomerate, it is worth asking whether it emits radioactive radiation, since in some cases such phenomena can occur.

• It is possible to clean the surface of Dagestan stone only with a normal detergent if it is too dirty or with a damp rag. Do not use abrasive products that can leave damage on a glossy or ragged surface.
• Dagestan stone is able to withstand quite large loads and not be deformed.

Mounting Dagestan stone to the surface

It is possible to carry out the installation of such a natural agglomerate with your own hands, since the stone itself is very light and easy to install.
For such work you will need:

• Cement or adhesive solution.
• Building level.
• Tile cutter for cutting stone;
• Spatula.

Finishing methods:

• It is worth considering that the installation of such a stone can only be carried out on a flat surface. For such actions plasterboard and plaster are more often used.
• The first method using drywall will make it possible to very quickly and accurately level the surface.
• Applying plaster will take much more time and require skills in work.
• The surface must be primed with a special solution.
• Glue solution is applied on the inside of the stone and on the surface in a small layer.
• Excess mortar is removed with a spatula.
• Each element of decoration is set strictly according to the level and only after that it is fixed to the surface.

Tip. To mask the seams of masonry of natural stone, you can use decorative putties of a certain shade.

You can put the stone close to each other, or you can use the cross-shaped beacons of the right size. In the video showing the process of laying stone on the surface.