Facing stone: manufacturing, laying

The facade, faced with a stone, looks very presentable. However, this material can be purchased not everywhere, but if it is a natural option, the cost can be very impressive. If you make a facade stone yourself, and then make a facade without the help of specialists, then the work can be very affordable.

Making of stone using cement

The stone facade can be made for decorating a private or suburban house. It should be guided by an instruction that involves mixing cement with fine sand. It is necessary to adhere to the ratio of one to three. To the ingredients, you need to add a dye, and then mix the whole mass well. The amount and color of the pigment can be selected by experience. After this, water is added to the composition, the solution can be mixed with a concrete mixer or a conventional shovel.

In order to make the stone facade the most durable, it is good to compact the mixture after putting it into shape. This eliminates the formation of bubbles. If the material demands high strength, then it is possible to lay a synthetic or steel reinforcing mesh in the mold. On the frozen solution with the help of a pointed object it is recommended to form shallow grooves, which can improve the adhesion of the stone to the surface of the facade. After a day, the solution can be removed from the mold and placed for two weeks to completely freeze and set strength. After use, the mold should be well cleaned with soap or any other liquid detergent.

Self-made stone using gypsum

The stone facade can be made on the basis of gypsum. The technology is the same as that used for making a stone from cement, but the technique in this case will have some differences. For example, gypsum is not so resistant to mechanical influences. To ensure that the artificial stone does not pour, before filling the mixture, the mold should be greased with lithol, solidol or spindle. Any other oil can be used.

It is worth remembering that gypsum hardening takes place not in a day, but in just a few tens of minutes. After 24 hours we can assume that the stone is completely ready for use.

If you decide to make a facade stone based on gypsum, you will probably want the mixture to grasp more slowly. To do this, when making the solution, add a little citric acid to the ingredients. It is worth remembering that gypsum artificial stone is afraid of moisture, which distinguishes it from cement. That's why gypsum is most common when performing interior tasks.

If you want to use gypsum stone for the facade, it is best to use it under a canopy. As an alternative, the protection of the surface of walls from water with the help of a durable varnish, which is not able to pass water.

For reference

If necessary, an artificial facade stone can be covered with a composition of an arbitrary color. Preliminary surface is primed, which will help reduce paint consumption. If you want to know what costs are expected by you, then it's worth to get acquainted with the cost of the artificial stone. The price per square meter of this material, which you make yourself, can vary from 50 to 100 rubles, which will depend on the thickness and choice of pigment.

Laying stone on the facade

On brick and concrete, natural or artificial stone should be stacked according to the same technology that is used when working with facing facade ceramic granite tiles. Nuances in carrying out these works are not so many, to a greater extent they are associated with the wrong shape of the material for the cladding.

It is necessary to start work from door and window openings or from corners. When selecting the elements that will be used in the stowage, you need to choose the position so that the width of the seams is not more than 2.5 centimeters.

After the completion of the cladding work, the seams must be rubbed. In advance, the stone is laid out on a flat surface, which allows you to choose the most advantageous arrangement of elements. If you will be decorated with a facade stone, then you should remember that when working with wooden walls or laying a stone over the insulation of the first one, a reinforcing mesh should be laid . Its fixation is done using dowel umbrellas. After the grid is plastered. On its surface it will be possible to lay a facing stone.

Preparatory work

Before you start laying the facade facing stone, you should prepare. It is important to remember: no matter what material is the basis of the wall, it must have low humidity, no differences, high strength and not be subject to shrinkage or deformation. If you intend to ennoble a gypsum-containing or wooden base, it is important to check the surface moisture before starting work. In the cases listed, it should not exceed 0.5%. The humidity level can be higher and make up 4.5%, this is relevant only for cement bases.

The walls before the start of manipulation must be carefully inspected to see if they have swings, protrusions and chips, as well as other irregularities. As an acceptable level of the drop, there are 2 centimeters per square meter. It is important to remove the surface from the traces of the old finish, remove oil stains, the remains of the old paint, as well as the insulation or outer skin.

What to look for

The facade decorative stone is most easily laid on a concrete foundation. This material almost does not require the preparation, except for excessively porous surfaces, which must first be treated with a primer. There are no problems in that on the wall there could be layers of plaster or putty. However, it is important to check how firmly the composition is held on the wall. Preparation will be minimal, for this it will only be necessary to clean the unevenness and apply a primer to the surface.

Improving the quality of adhesion

A facade stone, the manufacture of which you can carry out independently, must be laid on a surface that has excellent adhesion qualities. If the wall is smooth, it should be cut before facing. After the completion of this operation, the brick wall should be treated with concrete contact, which copes with the increase of adhesion. If you have to work on the old brickwork, then it must first be cleaned from the salt spots, and then treated with a primer. If the state of the masonry leaves much to be desired, then the surface can be covered with plaster.

The subtleties of work

Laying the facade stone may involve the need for pruning the elements, for this the angle grinder is most convenient. The disk should be selected special, designed to work with a stone, and diamond is also perfect. After that, you can prepare the adhesive. Depending on what material will be used, you can apply a special glue or mortar based on cement.

The application of the mixture must be made on the reverse surface of the part intended for facing. It is important to distribute the solution over the surface, and then press against the wall, pressing down the element so that the solution comes from all sides. It's worth it to get rid of its surplus before the mixture thickens, since after its hardening it will be extremely difficult and the masonry will turn out to be unattractive.