Stone window sill: montage by own hands

The implementation of some design solutions for interior decoration of the house requires the installation of stone windowsills. In this situation, the owner of the house faces a rather difficult problem: what kind of window sill is better to choose - from natural or artificial stone. In order not to be mistaken in choosing, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of each material, since the installation of stone windowsills is a very laborious task, and dismantling them without damaging the decoration of the room will be very problematic.

Sills made of artificial stone

Artificial stone is a relatively inexpensive material, which in its properties is very similar to natural stone. Window sills of this material have become quite widespread due to their excellent durability, high strength and availability, but before you install them in your home, you should get a more detailed picture of all the properties of the artificial stone.

Composition and production

Stone window sill of artificial stone is made by casting and consists of three components:

• Mineral filler;
• A pigment acting as a dye;
• Acrylic resin, which is the link for the filler.

After complete hardening of the product, it is ground to give a perfectly smooth shape and as close as possible to the natural stone.

Advantages of acrylic windowsills

Products made of artificial stone have an affordable value and a fairly impressive number of benefits, among which the most important are:

• High strength and durability;
• Resistance to sunlight and negative environmental factors;
• Light weight;
• Excellent thermal conductivity - a stone window sill of acrylic very quickly heats up and retains heat for a very long time, therefore acts as a passive source of heating in the room;
• Due to the properties of the material in case of causing mechanical damage to the product of artificial stone, any defect is very easy to eliminate;
• Unpretentiousness in care and maintenance.

Another important advantage of window sills made of artificial stone is that the manufacturing technology and the use of pigments allow the creation of products of absolutely any shape and color. The only drawback that a stone acrylic window sill has is that it does not tolerate too high temperatures, so it is not recommended to install it near heating equipment.

Window sills made of natural stone: general information

Natural stone is a material with excellent strength and durability. However, for high performance, you have to pay a fairly high price, so before you buy a stone window sill, which you can not install with your own hands, you need to weigh the pros and cons thoroughly, and take into account their advantages and disadvantages, which will be discussed later.

Window sills made of natural stone: pros and cons

Stone window sills can give any room a more noble and elegant look. In addition, the stone is not affected by any negative factors, so it is an eternal material that will serve more than one generation. Nevertheless, they also have certain drawbacks, namely, very high weight, as well as high sensitivity to mechanical damage.

All the stone windowsills, whose photos look just fine, are made of marble or travertine. Both materials are very fragile and can crack even from a small height. In addition, natural stone absorbs dirt very easily, so it is very difficult to take care of it.

A few words about the size

If you decide to install a window sill made of natural stone in your house, you should immediately think about what size it should be, since the subsequent installation depends on it. When ordering a finished product to the dimensions of the window opening, add 4 cm - two on each side, which are necessary in order to be able to cut the window sill into the wall.

The optimal solution for most modern houses and apartments will be a stone window sill, made of solid stone slabs of great length, which in some cases can reach 3.5 meters. It is not recommended to buy a window sill, connected from two parts, because in this case it loses all its attractive appearance and will spoil the aesthetics of the interior. As for the thickness, it can be from two to four centimeters. In this case, do not forget that with increasing the thickness of the product, its value also increases in direct proportion.

Installation of a window sill made of natural stone: general advice and recommendations

Mounting a stone window sill is a busy, laborious task, and also requiring certain knowledge and experience. In order not to spoil the appearance of the product, its installation is best to begin only after the interior decoration of the room is completed. In addition, if you want to place under the window sill radiators, then their installation is better done before the suspension of the windowsill.

If all the small nuances are solved, then you can proceed directly to the process of installing a window sill made of natural stone. This is done in a certain sequence:

1. On the sides of the window are made two grooves approximately 4 centimeters. In this case, it is recommended to provide a small clearance, so that you can later level the window sill by level without any unnecessary problems.
2. If any defects are found after the installation, they will need to be cleaned.
3. If there are very curved walls in your house and align them there is no possibility, so that the stone window-sill in the interior looked exactly, you must use a pre-prepared template.
4. If you need to cut it to mount a window sill, it's best to do it at the factory, since it will be impossible to cut at home without a special saw.
5. Before installing a stone window sill, the landing site must be cleaned of dust and foreign objects, and also degreased. If during the installation you found that the plate is crooked, then it must be leveled with cement mortar.
6. All joints must be properly sealed to prevent drafts.
7. To fix stone windowsills use a special construction glue, designed for marble, which is evenly applied in a thin layer, both on the window sill itself and on the window aperture.

It is worth noting that if you do not have any building experience, then when installing window sills made of natural stone, it is recommended to seek professional help to avoid damage.

Conclusion

Window sills made of natural and artificial stone allow us to realize any design projects and create a truly original interior, which gives the room a high price and nobility. However, no matter how expensive the stone product, its installation should be given very great attention, since it depends not only on the aesthetics, but also on the stability, reliability and durability of the window sill.