How to make a decorative stone. Artificial boulder from old fabric

Specialists engaged in the development and search for new forms and materials for decorating building facades, landscape design seek to find cheaper and at the same time more attractive textures of stone cladding. Instead of a heavy and capricious natural grant, quartzite, sandstone, synthetic or cast stone is massively used, production is much cheaper, and in terms of decorative possibilities the material is practically not inferior to natural. Moreover, the recipe allows you to make many types of artificial stones with my own hands, almost at home.

Does it make sense to make an artificial stone

At all times, it was believed that a natural product is better than an artificial one, but, nevertheless, the demand for artificial stone is growing at an impressive pace, there are two reasons for this situation:

• Quality natural stone it costs much more than artificial imitation, it is scarce in free sale, and only specialists can work with it. The material is very fragile and capricious, it has a lot of hidden defects. The slightest chip or crack can negate all the work of laying expensive cladding;
• Artificial stone is easy to use, produced on an industrial scale, you can make your own hands the required color and surface texture without unnecessary costs.

For your information! Using modern technologies, it is possible to make an artificial stone so realistic that only a specialist can distinguish it.

The only significant drawback of artificial stone is its low durability. Natural stone will stand on the facade of a building for several hundred years, while artificial material can withstand 30-40 years with proper care and maintenance of the surface.

What is artificial stone

How does artificial stone differ from ordinary concrete casting, alabaster, lime block, polymer concrete and foamed clay? Nothing. The only difference is that the artificially formed, painted and hardened stone mass in a special way is preliminarily given the required shape and surface relief, tinted and saturated with special additives.

The artificial stone has a remarkable quality that distinguishes it favorably from natural material, - the stone mass can be cast either directly into a mold, or by a more complex slip method. If the technology is followed, it is possible to make very complex, beautiful and at the same time durable structures from artificial stone, for example, a stone sculpture or details of the portico of a porch group, a balcony, a window opening.

Approximately 80-90% of artificial stone is produced for interior cladding and building facades. Imitation of shell rock, sandstone, natural quartzite, granite and even marble makes it possible to make the building box almost indistinguishable from a building made of natural material.

Types of decorative artificial stone

All existing decorative materials based on artificial stone are divided into five main types:

• Cement-sand artificial cobblestones, massive blocks of semi-dry molding in molds and conventional concrete casting. In addition to imitating natural boulders, artificial sandstone can be made from a cement-sand mixture - slab, stone paving stones imitating basalt, or whole blocks with a polished polymer coating for gabro;
• Fired and dry pressed ceramic artificial stones. The most energy-intensive type of artificial stone. It is widely used to simulate white limestone;
• Polymer artificial stones made by vacuum casting, impregnation or vibrocompression using stone dust and chips;
• Cast artificial stones based on plaster and alabaster. Thanks to the high casting qualities, it is possible to make blocks with an exceptionally high quality of relief;
• Composite artificial stones based on mineral gels.

Gypsum and polymer artificial stones are produced in the form of facing tiles for interior decoration, porch groups, wall decoration under stylized masonry with a torn surface texture. Polymer stone based on polyester resin is used for the manufacture of stone countertops, interior items and elements of the exterior decoration of the facade of the building.

Relatively the new kind An artificial stone made of baked white clay with a high void content has only recently begun to be used for decorating bedrooms and living rooms. In addition to the nice texture that imitates shell rock, the porous stone retains heat well, and most importantly, it provides a very high soundproofing of the room.

What is artificial stone made of?

The properties and durability of artificial stone largely depend on the material and manufacturing technology. Modern ways the production of artificial stone is based on several basic technologies:

• Sintering of a lime-clay mixture at a high temperature;
• Curing of the stone mix using cements, gypsum and alabaster;
• Saturation of stone chips or powder with polymer resins.

All three methods can be mastered to make artificial stone, even at home. Naturally, you will need to make small equipment for forming ready-made plates or blocks, firing or curing the mixture.

For your information! In addition, you will need to make a whole series of molds and injection dies to diversify the texture of the surface of the artificial stone.

A wall made of natural stone, such as flat sandstone, differs from a cladding made of artificial material primarily in its individuality. To make a cladding made of artificial stone as similar as possible to a natural material, up to a dozen casting molds with different surface patterns are used for the manufacture of sandstone tiles.

Firing materials

Raw materials for the production of artificial stone are bentonite white clays with small amount lime and blowing agent. After careful pressing on a hand press, it turns out smooth, like a brick, stone.

After firing, most of the lime decomposes with the formation of carbon dioxide, and the smooth surface of the artificial stone turns into a spongy surface, dotted with pores, like the crumb of bread.

You can even make shell rock in a charcoal oven, but more often than not, craftsmen prefer to lay out the firing oven cabinets separately. This allows us to improve the quality of the production process of artificial ceramics.

Foundry blended artificial stones

Making an imitation of natural stone from cement-sand mixtures is considered the simplest and most affordable for home production. To work, you will need to buy a vibrating table and make casting molds with your own hands.

After the mixture has cured, the finished block is removed from the mold, dried, the pattern is trimmed, painted and laid out to complete the shrinkage processes for at least 5-10 days. This type of artificial stone is often called stone casting.

Making an artificial stone based on gypsum is somewhat different from stone casting. The formulation of gypsum-based stone mix can differ in the addition of set retarders and the use of additives in the form of granite dust and fiberglass.

One of the most popular recipes involves the use of white cement as an additive. In practice, two-component systems turn out to be very brittle and prickly, since gypsum quickly binds water, and the cement part does not have time to react to the end.

It is quite easy to make an artificial stone based on polymer resins, for example, epoxy ED5M, modified gelcoat, Estromal A200 polyester mass or Cristic 412COS thixotropic resin, specially developed for the production of polymer concretes.

For your information! Artificial stones, which are not inferior in appearance and strength to granite or hyper-pressed tiles, were made in the 19th century, without any presses, ovens, polymer resins.

Artificial stone for all time

In the late 19th - early 20th centuries, a concrete substitute, more precisely, an artificial stone based on a mineral gel, was widely used. A distinctive feature of artificial material is that you can do it yourself in an ordinary bucket or trough, without vibrating machines or a kiln.

The following set of components was used for the manufacture:

• Liquid glass - sodium silicate;
• Calcium chloride;
• Sand;
• Water.

In order to make an artificial stone, it was required to make a wooden collapsible form, inner surface covered with facing material, such as granite gravel, or tiled. Next, you need to mix the components without adding water. To make the mixture more plastic, the sand was slightly moistened with a soap solution.

After the initial components have been thoroughly mixed, you need to lay the material in the mold with spraying with water. Each layer was carefully compacted as it was laid. After the form was filled out, it was submerged in water. A day later, the mold was disassembled to make a new batch.

The strength of the stone mass, according to modern standards, corresponded to concrete made of cement grade M800.

How to make a pouring mold

The quality of the surface and the strength of the artificial stone depend on how correctly the design and material of the form are selected. It is quite easy to make the right choice if you take into account the properties of the material from which the fill will be made.

Most often, the following are used to form the casting:

All three types of forms are used as equipment for small-scale and mass production of artificial stone for finishing needs. For one-off production, wax-paraffin forms are used, for example, if you need to make a polymer-granite countertop with your own hands or an imitation of a stone array for arranging a window sill.

If it is necessary to make an artificial facing stone with a thin mesh pattern or interspersed with precious metal, metal casting dies are used. This design allows you to reproduce graphics of almost any complexity on a polished stone, up to inscriptions or brand names.

Tiles made of polymer granite with an imprint of the brand are widely used for cladding bathrooms and baths to emphasize the quality of the materials used.

Form requirements

Making a mold for the manufacture of high-quality facing stone is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. The casting matrix, into which the mixture will be poured, must have a certain rigidity and not deform under load. Most silicone or styrene-butylene dies and molds will only withstand the pressure of relatively thin tiles. In this case, the form should be in a horizontal position. If you pour an artificial stone into a vertically standing form, the so-called duplex, then deformations of the material pattern will inevitably appear. Even a frame or a sand cushion does not help.

In addition, the mold material must not absorb water, binder or react with additives such as alkalis or citric acid. If a vibrating table is used in the production of artificial stone tiles, then the form must be made collapsible, in other cases a monolithic silicone matrix is ​​best suited.

It is recommended to make a mold for casting an artificial stone with an intermediate varnishing of the surface, this somewhat complicates the separation, but ensures an almost glossy quality of the facing tile. For a torn texture, silicone or polyurethane, on the contrary, is grained with sand to emphasize the fracture of the stone.

Wooden forms

Casting boxes and molds made of thick plywood are most often used for two types of artificial stone castings:

• If you need to make a volumetric casting;
• In the manufacture of countertops, stone shelves and window sills with the most flat and even stone surface.

For your information! Waterproof bakelite plywood with a laminated surface is better suited. Flat and box structures are also used for stacking full-size volumetric forms.

For example, in the manufacture of details of stucco or bas-relief, small figurines, elements of monuments made of artificial marble, a detachable silicone model or a wax mold with a clay coating is used. The mold is placed in a wooden box and covered with sand, after which the wax is melted, and the space is filled with a stone mixture.

If you find a few fragments from foam insulation boards at hand, then it is quite possible to make a wooden form for casting an artificial stone without any silicone or other polymer resins. To form the broken texture of the chipped stone, the edges are cut off and folded in a bag so that the foam matrix does not fall apart, the set is pierced along the edges with nails.

The resulting workpiece is coated with acrylic varnish and dried, then a casting box must be made from a wooden board or plank according to the size of the foam matrix. The imprint is installed instead of the bottom of the box and covered with several strips. The finished form is painted with waterproof paint and poured with a mixture.

In the simplest version, you can make a form - a stamp for casting facing tiles made of artificial stone with wood-like embossing from several wooden planks selected according to the texture and pattern.

Silicone forms

If you need to finish the corner of the basement of the house with a small tape of artificial stone tiles, then there is no point in acquiring an expensive polyurethane form, it is easier and faster to make a casting matrix for several dozen tiles with your own hands.

To form a matrix, you need to make a box of OSB, plywood or even cardboard glued with tape. The height of the box is 60-65 mm, the dimensions are usually limited to 60x70 cm. This is enough to cast 4-5 artificial stone tiles. The larger the mold, the more silicone and time it takes to make it.

The original model of the future stone surface is placed on the bottom of the box. It can be broken polystyrene, wood, brick, ceramic tiles or a very beautiful and effective multi-layer impression "Leon",

This texture can be made from several layers of plastic or plywood folded in a bag. Any version of the matrix, regardless of what material it was made of, is coated with oil or alkyd varnish and dried thoroughly. If the base is made of polystyrene, then drying oil or heat-treated "boiled" oil varnish is used as a protective coating.

The mold material is a one-component, low polymerization acrylate silicone. Sold in tubes, polymer sausages and plastic buckets, it looks like an old thickened CMC glue. It is easily recognizable by its vinegar smell. It does not conduct water, but it passes water vapor very well. This is its most important characteristic.

You can, of course, make a mold for a concrete artificial stone from a denser and harder two-component silicone, in the hope that the silicone matrix will be enough for a couple of hundred castings instead of the required three dozen. But a problem arises, if you pour a cement-sand mixture into dense silicone, then it will harden for at least 4 days before the form can be removed.

The matrix and walls are lubricated with technical petroleum jelly, after which the space is squeezed out or covered with a silicone mass. To make a shape, a dense silicone mass is pressed into the matrix with a spatula moistened with soapy water.

If it is necessary to make a silicone mold for an artificial stone based on polymer resin, then the silicone is heated and, if possible, dried. In industrial and laboratory conditions, the silicone mass under an artificial stone is subjected to evacuation, as in the video

Polyurethane molds

The silicone mold is enough for 30-40 artificial stone castings. In practice, even small works on finishing the facade require at least one and a half to two hundred tiles only for the basement adjacent to the entrance group of the building.

If you need to make a mold for the manufacture of artificial stone for sale, then it is best to use cast polyurethane resin with chemical curing to form the matrix. Silagerm No. 5035, specially designed for the production of impressions, dies and injection molds, is now available on our market.

Before pouring, the surface of the matrix is ​​covered with a separating layer of silicone or more viscous Tiprom 90. After mixing with the hardener, it is necessary to fill it with polyurethane resin within an hour, the final form is ready after 24 hours.

For especially complex shapes for pouring artificial stone mass, you can use Poly 74-29 molding polymer, made in Germany. A fairly expensive material has a very low viscosity, so the shape can be made for a matrix with the most complex surface. True, the cracks and joints will first have to be sealed with mastic or covered with plasticine.

After mixing with a hardener, the polyurethane mass acquires yellow and the consistency of very runny sour cream. The mixture is allowed to stand for 10-15 minutes to remove air and is poured into the mold in a thin stream.

The material of the polyurethane compound will need to be smoothed with a spatula or sharp object for 10-15 minutes in order to facilitate the removal of air bubbles. After a day, the poured form can be carefully removed from the matrix.

How to remove the mold

In order to remove the manufactured form of polyurethane, you need to carefully open the locks or remove the fasteners holding the walls of the wooden box. If the sides are made of paper, you can simply cut them off with a sharp knife.

It will be difficult to separate the sidewalls from the polyurethane foam mold, even if their surface has been previously covered with a release layer. The developers of the Poly 74-29 injection molding compound propose to spray the walls and bottom of the mold several times with a special silicone liquid in aerosol form Pol-Ease2300. The oil penetrates into the smallest pores and facilitates the separation of the polyurethane from the matrix.

The silicone mold for artificial stone can be removed from the matrix only by a twist, as in the photo.

A shallow cut with a thread or a sharp knife should be made along one of the edges of the soft silicone pad. An aluminum strip is inserted into the cut, the edge is pressed with fingers, and the mold for the artificial stone tile is removed from the matrix, like an orange peel.

Artificial stone making

It is not difficult to make a beautiful and at the same time durable artificial stone, provided that the technology and formulation of the mixture are observed. An exception may be the preparation of an artificial polyester stone; it is extremely difficult to make it at home. To work with polyester resin, at least special equipment is required, preferably thermostatted, and a vacuum chamber.

Artificial cement stone

The simplest recipe for a dry mix for the preparation of artificial stone on a cement-sand bond is as follows:

• Cement grade 400, only fresh, not older than a month from the date of issue - 30%. It is best to knead with Turkish white cement, this will eliminate the problems with color loss after the vibrating table;
• Sand, sifted, washed, fraction 0.1mm -50%. The sand should be round, river sand. According to the original recipe, the sand mass is slightly acidified with hydrochloric acid;
• Glass or silicon dust with granite screening - 18%. If you put ground silicon in the batch, then the artificial mass will turn out to be very similar to natural granite;
• Dry laundry soap - 1%.

Advice! If it is not possible to use white cement, you can knead with ordinary gray, but the surface of the mold is rubbed with titanium white before pouring the working mass.

You can additionally calculate the water consumption, but in practice, water is injected in very small doses, about 80% of what is required to make a concrete screed. The ingredients are initially mixed and interrupted for 15-20 minutes on dry basis, and only then water and dye are added. The mixture is kneaded by hand, as soon as the viscosity begins to grow rapidly, the batch is laid out in a mold and placed on a vibrating table.

If you need to make facing tiles, a mesh or plastic grate is laid on the back of the poured artificial stone a couple of minutes before turning off the vibrator.

Often, attempts are made to strengthen the strength of artificial stone tiles using polypropylene fiber or gravel screening. In practice, it is known that it is best not to make reinforcement or to be limited to asbestos fiber. The same applies to gravel screening, the more homogeneous and monolithic the mass, the stronger the artificial stone texture is.

Artificial gypsum stone

The preparation of gypsum artificial stone is much easier, if only because gypsum does not shrink and discard the dye as the alkaline medium of a cement-sand mixture.

In order to fill one silicone mold, the following materials are required:

• High-strength gypsum GVVS16 - 5 kg;
• Pure water - 1.6 liters;
• Sand with grains of granite, crushed silicon or glass - 1.8-2kg;
• Deoxidizer, water 200 ml + 0.3% dry lemon;
• Acid colourants - 200 ml, yellow - 40 g, black - 40-45 g.

Important! Information on the content of the mineral dye is given as an approximate and requires practical verification.

According to the recipe, water is poured into the container, dyes are added in small portions, after which you need to take a break for 5 minutes to dissolve the chemicals for coloring the artificial stone. In the second stage, then gypsum and sand are added, as the ingredients are thrown into the water, the mixture must be constantly kneaded with an electric mixer. You can do it differently, pre-mix gypsum with filler, and only then pour water.

Next, a dry pigment is applied to the surface of the silicone mold with a narrow paint brush and the mold of the artificial stone is poured with a plaster mass. This must be done no later than 5 minutes after pouring the last portion of gypsum. After a day, the material is carefully peeled off the mold and sent to the surface for painting.

Opalescent artificial stone can be made from alabaster, glass powder, titanium white and PVA. Glass filler can be made from any colorless shards, you need about 30% of the weight of alabaster. The mixture hardens quickly, so you need to make a deoxidizer from citric acid.

According to the same recipe, artificial marble can be made, only instead of glass powder, marble powder with titanium white is added to the mixture. After hardening, the surface of the artificial stone is sanded and polished.

Artificial acrylic stone

For casting artificial stone, you will need a two-component acrylic compound, resin and hardener. In a clean, dry container, mix the resin with a hardener and add dry mineral dye in small portions, it is better to use the proprietary color of Bayer or any other well-known company. Good toner is half the solution.

For your information! It is better to knead the resin by hand, if you fill and stir the acrylic mass with a mixing nozzle, you get a large number of air bubbles, which, after pouring and curing the artificial stone, will turn into caverns on the surface of the casting.

Next, a small filler is poured into the polymer matrix, the large filler is put directly into the mold, and you can make the first pouring with acrylic. After 5-7 minutes after the shaker, you need to make the final fill of the material, and then send it for curing for at least a day.

Quartz Artificial Stone

Exists separate category artificial stone, which can be done on epoxy resin or ship varnish gelcoat. If you make a stone mass based on ground quartz or marble, you can get a beautiful translucent material, very similar to natural jade or chalcedony.

Most often, ground quartz for artificial stone is purchased ready-made, while pouring can be done without any preparation. Homemade ground stone or coarse sea sand is thoroughly washed using water with the addition of "Whiteness" or an alcohol-acetone mixture. If this is not done, the quartz stone will turn out to be weak, it will crack and crumble.

Vibration stand

A simple and at the same time effective device, it is practically impossible to make an artificial stone durable without a vibration stand, without cavities and bubbles. All cement-sand and polymer artificial stone masses are compacted on a vibrating table.

Making a shaker is not a big problem. A round tabletop made of plywood 20-30 mm thick is taken as a basis, which is laid on polyurethane pillows, even on a regular locksmith's workbench. A couple of electric motors with eccentrics are placed along the edges. The engine is placed vertically to make the stand vibrations predominantly in the horizontal plane.

How to paint artificial stone

The coloring of the artificial stone is carried out depending on the material used. For most artificial stone formulations, the material can be tinted in three ways:

• Staining with branded mineral dyes when forming a batch;
• Painting with silicone or polyurethane paint before filling with stone mass;
• Application of toner to the finished surface of the artificial stone mass.

For cement-sand castings, in order to remove the gray concrete tone, the mold is rubbed with titanium white before pouring the mass. After removing the artificial stone from the mold, the surface is painted with liquid toners based on iron, nickel and chromium salts.

Laying artificial stone with your own hands

The process of laying ceramic, gypsum and cement-sand artificial stone is carried out in the same way as gluing conventional facing tiles. Concrete and cement-sand stones from the back are treated with a deep penetration primer. The backing of quartz and acrylic tiles is rubbed on coarse emery to roughen the surface.

Preparing the walls

The surface for laying artificial stone may not be particularly leveled; you can make a thin rough sublayer of cement plaster based on M400 with anti-shrink additives. After 2-3 hours, you need to make risks on the wall with a roller to increase the adhesion of the stone to the base.

If the tiles from the artificial stone mass came out very heavy, then the fastening is carried out using dowels or pieces of chopped wire with a diameter of 3-4 mm.

Gluing technology

Tiles made of artificial quartz stone, any materials based on gypsum and a polymer matrix are best glued using a tile mass with the addition of acrylic glue. For epoxy and acrylic artificial stone, adhesive masses are used based on the same resins that were used to fill the molds.

To lay heavy artificial stones filled with granite or basalt, you first need to make a row of several staples. For this, corks are drilled along the marked line and hammered into the wall, wire staples are inserted and the edges are rubbed with alabaster. You can make a whole row on the entire wall so that the heavy tiles do not fly off until the glue hardens.

Grouting

For sealing the joints, use the same material as for gluing stone tiles. Part of the glue mass is hermetically sealed and placed in a cold place, maybe even in a refrigerator. After 5-7 hours, the seams are sealed with tape, cut with a knife, and the joints are filled with a syringe gun. After the glue hardens, the adhesive tape is removed, and the surface of the artificial mass is brushed with a brush.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to make high-quality cast material with your own hands the first time. You have to experiment before you can make the front surface completely covered with granite or marble filler. Only in this case it is possible to make the cladding beautiful and at the same time durable. To provide protection for concrete and gypsum tiles, the surface must be coated with stone varnish every 4-5 years or impregnated with silicone-based water-repellent mixtures.

Many of us consider artificial stone to be a new material, however, it has been known to people since time immemorial. Common clay brick, cement, gypsum and lime mortar are varieties of artificial stone.

The popularity of this material began to grow after new polymer compositions and forms appeared, allowing it to be used for interior decoration and landscape design.

In particular, tiles for wall and floor cladding, steps and other elements of stairs can be made of artificial stone.

It is used to make countertops, decorative stucco and sculptural compositions, curbs and paving slabs.

In terms of strength and durability, some types of artificial stone are not inferior to natural, surpassing it in ease of processing and ease of finishing. This material can be made with very thin tiles, which reduces its weight and costs. This thickness is unattainable for natural stone due to its high fragility.

Not yielding to natural material in colors and a variety of surface textures, artificial stone is more profitable to use for several reasons:

• it can be made immediately perfectly smooth, which eliminates expensive sawing, grinding and polishing operations;
• it is not necessary to transport it, since this material can be made by hand at the place of application;
• the amount of waste is minimal, since there are no losses for transportation and processing;
• except rectangular it can be made curly or shaped, which allows you to finish surfaces exactly in place without additional adjustment.

Types of artificial stone

Considering the question of what artificial stone is made of, it is not difficult to choose a technology that is acceptable for use at home.

Depending on the raw material and the methods of its processing, artificial stone is divided into the following types:

- Ceramic (tiles) - the manufacturing process requires the creation of a high temperature for firing the raw material and transforming it into a monolithic conglomerate.

- Plaster (cast). It can be made at home. The costs of raw materials and production are minimal, however, such a stone is suitable only for interior decoration, since it is not resistant to frost.

- Concrete molded. The cost of production is more expensive than gypsum, since the resource of molds for casting concrete is less. Suitable for self-production. Frost resistant.

- Concrete reinforced freeforming. This artificial stone is made piece by piece, as a rule, at the place of use (artificial cobblestones, boulders, slabs).

- Hot curing polyester. In terms of its mechanical and decorative characteristics, it surpasses some types of natural stone, but the hardening of a synthetic compound takes place only in a vacuum at an elevated temperature. It is not suitable for home production.

- Cast acrylic stone of cold hardening. Suitable for home making. In the temperature range from +175 to 210 it is thermoplastic, therefore, after casting, it allows additional molding.

How to make an artificial stone with your own hands?

This requires two basic components: mold and molding mixture. Home technology for the manufacture of artificial stone can be implemented both on a factory-made polyurethane mold, and on a home-made silicone mold. It all depends on the total area of ​​finishing and the budget allocated for this work.

The polyurethane matrix is ​​quite expensive, but it allows you to make several hundred high-quality casts. The silicone mold is more suitable for small-scale stone production and home sculptural crafts. Its resource usually does not exceed 20-30 castings.

For DIY silicone molds a set of natural stone or tiles is laid out on a horizontal, stable and even surface, having previously covered it with polyethylene. After that, a frame made of wooden slats or plastic is placed on it. The height of its sides should be 1-2 centimeters higher than the height of the copied material.

The surface of the tiles and the inside of the sides are coated with solid oil or cyatim. You can take the cheapest silicone - acidic. From the tube, it is squeezed into the form in a spiral, starting from the center to the sides until filling.

To exclude the formation of bubbles, the silicone is smoothed with a wide flute brush. It needs to be dipped in a solution. detergent for dishes. Soap solution is not suitable here, as it is alkaline and can ruin acidic silicone. After filling, the surface of the future form is smoothed with a spatula, also moistened with detergent.

Dried molds for the manufacture of artificial stone at room temperature in a ventilated area. The drying rate of the silicone composition is approximately 2 mm per day.

Casting mixtures

Gypsum artificial stone

A mixture for gypsum stone is prepared from gypsum grades G5 - G7. It is made in small portions, counting on the simultaneous pouring of no more than two forms, since the setting time of this binder does not exceed 10 minutes.

The composition of the mixture: gypsum, lemon acid to slow down the hardening (0.3% of the weight of the gypsum), water - 60-70% of the volume of the gypsum. The pigment is taken at the rate of 2 to 6% of the weight of the gypsum. The dosage of the coloring matter is selected on test samples of castings.

Concrete stone

You can make an inexpensive and high-quality artificial stone with your own hands from concrete.In contrast to construction, here the original composition of the components is somewhat different: for 1 part of sand, 3 parts of cement are taken. The proportions of the pigment (you must use resistant to alkaline media!) Are the same as for gypsum stone.

The addition of polymer additives reduces the brittleness of this material and increases its abrasion resistance.

Cold Curing Acrylic Stone

This material is made on the basis of acrylic resin and a hardener. The recommended volume of mineral filler for acrylic is 3: 1. The amount of pigment is taken depending on the total weight of the filler (on average from 2 to 6%).

As an inexpensive filler, you can take gravel, stone chips or granite screenings. Before preparing the mixture, the filler is washed with dish gel, then ignited over a fire and rinsed with clean water.

The preparation process consists of three stages: first, the pigment is mixed with a filler. Then the acrylic resin is mixed with a hardener and a pigmented filler is added to it.

The time during which the acrylic mixture must be poured into the mold (from the moment the hardener is introduced into the resin) is no more than 20 minutes. The setting time of the mixture lasts from 30 to 40 minutes. It takes 24 hours for the product to cure completely.

If you are interested then the best materials for their manufacture is concrete or acrylic. The concrete product turns out to be heavier and does not allow you to create surfaces as varied in pattern as when using acrylic resin. However, the low cost of raw materials and the simplicity of the casting process partially compensate for this disadvantage.

Separators

For different types of artificial stone, different compositions are used to separate the form from the product.

For gypsum stone, a solution consisting of artificial or natural wax in turpentine in a ratio of 1: 7 is optimal. To do this, in a turpentine heated in a water bath to +50 - +60 C, in small portions, stirring, add wax shavings.

For concrete stone, conventional greases are used (lithol, emulsol, cyatim). Before pouring the acrylic composition, the mold is lubricated with a solution of stearin in styrene (proportion 1 to 10) or cyatim.

When using a homemade silicone matrix, it must be protected from deformation that occurs when the hardening gypsum stone and acrylic resin are heated. To do this, before pouring the working mixture, it must be placed in a pallet with fine dry sand so that the thickness of its layer is from 2/3 to 3/4 of the height of the mold.

Useful video

Natural stones have been used for interior decoration and building facades for a long time. The use of stone in interior decoration allows you to achieve the most unexpected results. With its help, you can decorate the design of your house and garden in the style of a knight's castle, columns decorated with stone look elegant, and a fireplace framed with slate is attractive. It should be noted that natural stone is a very heavy material, so not every wall can withstand such a load. The large weight of the material also increases the cost of transportation. Besides, natural stone is quite expensive.

But there is a way out. In order to be possible application stone in interior decoration, house facade cladding, garden design and overcome all the shortcomings, a technology for the manufacture of artificial stone was developed. Artificial stone can be made by hand, and it will practically not differ from the natural one. The price of a home-made material will be much lower than that of a natural one. Outwardly, they almost do not differ from each other, while an artificial stone is devoid of all the disadvantages of a natural one. Next, how to make an artificial stone at home.

Artificial stone can be made to imitate any type of natural rock, repeating its texture. It can have the following types of surface: chipped with an uneven surface and edges, sawn with smooth even edges, rubble (looking like ordinary natural boulders) and arbitrary. For certain design tasks, different types of surfaces may be required. When making a stone with your own hands, you can get a material suitable for finishing a specific room. The most popular type of artificial stone is slate.

What is artificial stone made of at home?

For the manufacture of this material with their own hands, several different technologies are used. One technology involves making it from cement, fine sand and water, the other from gypsum or alabaster. There is also such an option for making a stone with your own hands, in which polymers are used to bind all the components. Therefore, the composition of the mixture for the manufacture of this building material at home is determined based on the available ingredients and capabilities.

The manufacturing procedure for this material is simple, it can be done by hand, with careful adherence to technology.

DIY stone making process

In any case, making an artificial stone with your own hands must begin with the selection of an initial sample and creating a form with which the products will be cast. Having several of these forms, you can quickly make the required number of products. As a model, you can purchase in a store a sample that is suitable in size and shape, or ready-made silicone molds, which are ready-made kits for the manufacture of this building material.

In order to make an artificial stone at home, you will need the following materials and tools:

alabaster;

paint brush;

dyes;

dishwashing liquid.

Form making

Making an artificial stone begins with making a mold. For this, a sample is selected, in the role of which is a stone, of a suitable size and shape. Silicone is used to make the mold. Then you need to make a box of a suitable size, which should be slightly larger than the sample. She will serve as a formwork. The box and sample must be thickly coated with grease or some other lubricant. The stone is placed on the bottom of the box, after which silicone is poured into the formwork. It must be tamped down with a brush dipped in soapy water, for which you can use a regular dishwashing detergent. After pouring the silicone, the surface must be leveled with a spatula moistened with soapy water.

The poured forms must dry for 2-3 weeks, after which the formwork is disassembled, a sample is removed and ready-made forms for the manufacture of artificial stone are obtained. Small defects on the surface are sealed with silicone.

Manufacturing from cement

With this method, work is performed in several stages. First, you need to mix the sand and cement for the first layer in a ratio of 1: 3, mixing the components until one mixture is formed. The desired color is obtained by adding a dye, the amount of which is established empirically. After that, water is added to the mixture and everything is stirred until sour cream is thick.

The resulting mass should be laid out in a mold for about half of its volume and everything should be compacted, shaking and tapping for about a minute. A metal mesh is placed on top of the mortar to give the stone additional strength and a second layer of mortar is poured. The dye need not be added to the second part of the solution.

On the top layer of concrete, after pouring it, you need to make small grooves with a nail, for better adhesion to the surface during installation. Judging by the description, this technology is quite simple, it is possible to produce material in this way without the use of special equipment. After 12 hours, the finished product is removed from the mold and left to dry for 2 weeks. After that, the form must be washed, doing this after each pouring.

Making from plaster

Making an artificial stone from plaster with your own hands is done in the same sequence as from cement. However, it should be remembered that gypsum hardens faster, so it needs to be done as much as is required to make one product, after which a new portion is diluted. Citric acid can be added to the gypsum to retard hardening.

Since the gypsum hardens very quickly, the holding time of the products is reduced to several tens of minutes. Before pouring the gypsum solution into the mold, it must be greased with vegetable oil. This will help you easily remove the finished block from the mold. The finishing material made using this technology can be used both for interior decoration and for facing the facades of buildings.

The dye can be added during the manufacturing process of the material to the composition of the solution. You can also paint a finished product with paint. This will require special paint and a brush of any shape. The painting process is carried out as follows: the surface of the stone is cleaned of sand, dust and cement with a clean cloth, after which a uniform layer of paint is applied to the surface. After it dries, you can apply a second and third layer to give the desired shade.

As you can see from the above, when making an artificial stone with your own hands, you can do without expensive materials and tools. In addition, this material does not require any additional maintenance. To protect it, you need to protect the wall from excessive moisture. This can be done with the help of special compounds, which, after application, impart water-repellent properties to the stone.

Artificial stone is a good opportunity to make an impressive interior decoration, facade cladding or landscape design garden with your own hands without significant costs.

Artificial stone for facades: finishing features

Even the most ordinary building at first glance can be completely transformed, thanks to the exquisite cladding made with modern materials. Artificial facade stone is just such a material.

Facing with natural stone can cost the owner a fortune, while facade artificial stone is not only many times more affordable, but also has many other advantages, in particular, a much simpler installation method.

Facade decoration with artificial stone

Facade decoration with artificial stone

Facade cladding can be performed in almost all cases, regardless of what material the building itself is built from.

The protective properties of artificial stone are so high that the service life of the building can increase several times.

When choosing an artificial stone, you should ask where it was produced. Domestic products are more adapted to Russian climatic conditions.

Option for finishing the facade of the house with stone

What is the artificial stone made of?

Technically, an artificial stone for facade cladding can be considered a tile, since one of its edges is necessarily flat.

It is with her help that the stone is attached to the base. But this is where the similarity to ceramic tiles ends, since stone and ceramics are produced in completely different ways.

Artificial stone for the facade consists of:

1. Portland cement M400-500;
2. quartz sand;
3. filler that lightens the mass of the stone;
4. additives that increase strength and moisture resistance;
5. water.

The lightening component is often ordinary expanded clay.

Due to its introduction into the composition of an artificial stone, its mass is reduced by 2/3 in comparison with concrete.

Expanded clay is not the only type of filler, in addition to it, they are also used:

• expanded perlite,
• ceramic chips,
• natural pumice.

You can buy an artificial stone for the facade with any type of filler, of course, while the price for each of them will differ very significantly.

How artificial stone is made

An artificial decorative facade stone is made by the method of vibration casting, according to which a mixture is poured into rubber molds, which is compacted using vibration.

In the process of vibration, heavy and durable particles of the mixture sink to the bottom of the mold, thereby creating an uneven strength of the stone, maximum at its outer surface.

At the same time, the back side remains perfectly flat. Molds are obtained from casts of natural stone samples.

Artificial stone type

Stone coloring can be done in two ways:

1. the introduction of a dye into the mixture;
2. coloring the stone on the surface during the manufacturing process.

The dye introduced into the mixture will remain in it forever.

It will not fade in the sun or wash off with rain. Coloring on the surface is inferior in durability, since chips will reveal the internal texture of the facade stone. but this method makes it possible to obtain more believable copies of natural materials.

For facade cladding, it is better to choose an artificial stone with a dye introduced into its composition, since precipitation and the sun will do their dirty work, and the stone painted on the surface will still lose its appearance.

Varieties of artificial stone

• a stone of a natural or chipped shape imitates naturally formed stones - fragments, boulders, pebbles, cobblestones and so on;
• sawn stone with standard dimensions and a regular parallelepiped shape, only one of the faces of which has a texture imitating a chipped natural stone;
• brick - an artificial stone imitating old or aged ceramic bricks.

Varieties of artificial stone

Its properties

The main characteristics of artificial stone are:

• strength;
• frost resistance;
• water absorption;
• average density.

It is on them that you should pay attention to when choosing.

Artificial stone for facade decoration contains cement. The quality of the cement directly affects the strength of the finished stone.

Strength is necessary not only during operation, but when transporting stone from warehouse to warehouse, right up to the buyer.

Strength can be increased by introducing special additives, which is an additional criterion for selection.

Frost resistance for artificial stone is usually 100-150 cycles.

Artificial stone making.

If the manufacturer claims a higher frost resistance, you can pay attention to this, but it should be borne in mind that 150 cycles correspond to the current building codes.

Water absorption affects the first two indicators.

The less moisture the artificial stone is able to absorb, the facade will have greater frost resistance and strength. Normally, this figure should not exceed 9%.

No matter how low the water absorption rate is, it can be made even lower with the help of hydrophobizing compounds, with which it is recommended to treat the cladding immediately after its completion.

The average density primarily affects the value of the stone.

Lightweight facing facade stone is cheaper to transport and install, which means it will be cheaper for the buyer.

Beautiful facade and durable

Facade cladding

You can do the cladding of the facade of your house with artificial stone with your own hands.

The technology directly depends on the base on which the artificial stone will be attached.

You can do without preliminary preparation in cases where the base is a solid, flat surface - concrete, plastered. In other cases, preliminary preparation will be required.

Installing the cladding on your own is not difficult

Preparation of a wooden surface involves fixing a plaster mesh, on top of which an adhesive solution will be laid.

The same mesh is applied in all places where there are metal embedded parts, fasteners.

The stone is mounted in two ways:

With jointing, this means that there will be a free space between the stones, filled with an adhesive solution. Seamlessly, which means that all tiles are closely adjacent to each other. The adhesive solution is prepared from cement or a special dry mixture. When laying with jointing, the space between the tiles of artificial stone can be additionally painted to create a solid cladding image.

The next stage for the installation of artificial stone

Conclusion

Understanding exactly how the artificial stone is laid will help detailed instructions, in which there is a photo of each stage, or, taken specially in order to clarify all the stages of the installation of an artificial stone.

> Can it be considered a substitute for natural stone - artificial

Is artificial stone a substitute for natural stone?

On the one hand, artificial stone does not have a natural origin, while it is pliable, more plastic, warmer to the touch.

However, at the same time, a stone of artificial origin has a number of undoubted advantages over a natural stone: a wide scope due to the flexibility of the composition and color, a favorable price, and a variety of types allows the use of artificial stone not only for finishing work (for example, such as veneer - facing), small architectural forms, but also when creating furniture and architectural decorative elements.

Natural stone is a very beautiful natural material. However, the color scheme, pattern and texture of each pebble are unique; it can be quite difficult to choose elements for decoration with a more or less similar pattern.

Remember the marble panels in the subway or in expensive reception rooms, as well as in the halls of various palaces.

Artificial stone: types, making at home, materials, equipment, techniques

Another thing is artificial material. During its production, it is possible to create the required number of the same type of elements, but at the same time, the abundance of forms used gives the feeling that each pebble is unique.

Molds for casting allow you to simulate any texture in such a way that the resulting stone may look completely indistinguishable from natural. And the possibilities of color solutions are truly endless - special mineral dyes give the material the necessary shade of the required degree of intensity.

Artificial stone is a composite consisting of a fire-resistant mineral filler, pigments and acrylic resin.

As a rule, it contains only environmentally friendly components. The additives used in the manufacture of the material can be different, depending on which properties need to be enhanced. For example, some manufacturers add fiberglass to the stone, which increases its resistance to fracture, keeps it from splitting and makes possible cracks invisible. In addition to cement, as astringent base often used are acrylic and urea resins, polymer concrete and other polymer components that improve the performance of the material.

Modern artificial stone is made mainly by vibrocompression or vibrocasting. In curly plastic, plaster, polyurethane or wood forms, which can be the most different sizes and configurations, the pre-prepared mass is poured or pressed in. After it hardens and dries, the product is ready.

One of the most common types of artificial stone is Corian. Corian is distinguished by its strength, similar to the strength of natural stone, at the same time, it can be processed very well under strong heating, which makes it possible to make from it both decorative products and pieces of furniture - window sills, bar counters, countertops, sinks, shelves, reception desks (reception) and many other products. For example, a Corian countertop is not only stylish and beautiful, but also reliable and profitable.

Unlike natural material, damaged areas of artificial stone surfaces can be easily restored without the need to replace the entire product.

Along with "Corian", Montelli is often used - a kind of artificial stone, which is slightly inferior in characteristics to the aforementioned artificial analogue. At the same time, the cost of Montelli is somewhat lower, which makes it possible to actively use it when finishing surfaces with a large area.

Especially often this artificial stone is used in institutions where hygiene is in the first place, since caring for an artificial stone is very simple, this material does not absorb pollution, is practically not subject to the harmful influence of external factors, in general, it is unpretentious. Also, in any institution or furniture store, you may find a countertop made of this artificial stone, a reception, sinks and even whole pieces of furniture.

In turn, the artificially created Zodiaq stone has increased strength, and the well-known Staron is plastic and is actively used in the manufacture of window sills and other products.

Due to the fact that artificial stone is much lighter than natural stone, when facing surfaces with them, they do not require additional reinforcement. The installation itself is much easier, since this material is produced in the form of flat tiles or hollow forms.

It also facilitates the work that in the production of decorative stone, special corner and rounded elements, fragments for facing window and door openings are produced, and there is no need to cut the stone, trying to give it the required shape.

There are also various attachments and additional fastening elements.

In fact, there are about a hundred varieties of artificial stone from different manufacturers, and they all have individual characteristics, which allows the most competent approach to the issue of their use.

As for design solutions, the vast majority of varieties of artificial stone imitate various natural materials.

You can make sure that you have a "marble" or "granite" stone countertop in your house, mark a stylish reception made of artificial stone in your office, order a bar counter or purchase a beautiful, reliable and durable rack that is in no way inferior in style and beauty from a natural analogue.

Also, artificial stone imitate brickwork, tiles and other materials that are used in the external cladding of the walls of buildings (stone veneer or stone veneer) and their roofs. At first glance, an artificial stone is no different from a natural one; a special coating and vibration shaping protects it from moisture and damage as a result of temperature changes, including mechanical ones. Thanks to its amazing properties, the artificial stone lays down smoothly, leaving no visible joints and seams, and if, for some reason, cracks or other damage have formed in it, then you can quickly and easily restore the surface to an ideal state.

So, which one should give preference to, natural or artificial material? Let's weigh again all the pros and cons of both. Natural stone is prestigious, reliable, environmentally friendly, beautiful, but at the same time very expensive, its processing is very laborious and requires expensive equipment (cutting, grinding, processing) and professional skills.

Well, the artificial stone, possessing excellent strength characteristics and excellent decorative properties, is devoid of all the disadvantages of the first - much cheaper, easily attached to flat surfaces.

In addition, it is safe, as well as natural, since it contains only natural ingredients.

As we can see, everything speaks in favor of an artificial stone, which allows you to achieve the desired result with much less financial, time and physical costs. Of course, today many companies, both in Russia and in other countries, are engaged in the production of this finishing material, and their products differ in price, quality, and appearance, so it is absurd to say that an artificial stone of any manufacturer is better. than natural.

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Home " Useful information»The composition of the initial mixture for the production of artificial stone

The composition of the initial mixture for the production of artificial stone

Wallstone © Artificial decorative stone.

(Photo gallery "Our technologies" on the page of the same name)

What is part of an artificial facing stone produced on flexible elastic injection molds. In essence, the decorative facing stone that we are talking about is a typical sand concrete based on Portland cement, made by vibration casting into special flexible elastic matrices - shapes and painted in a special way.

Consider the main components of the concrete mixtures for the production of artificial facing stone by vibration casting:

Astringent.

Astringent is the basis of any artificial facing stone.

In this case, it is M-400 or M-500 Portland cement. To ensure that the quality of concrete always remains consistently high, we recommend using only "fresh" cement (as you know, it quickly loses its properties over time and from improper storage) from the same manufacturer with a good reputation.

For the production of decorative facing stone, both conventional gray cement and white cement are used. In nature, there are a number of colors and shades that can only be reproduced on white cement. In other cases, gray Portland is used (for reasons of economic feasibility).
Many domestic manufacturers of artificial facing stone have recently been actively using gypsum as a binder.

At the same time, they claim that their products are expanded clay concrete. And, as a rule, expanded clay concrete is really presented at the stands of companies. But there is one moment that determines the behavior of manufacturers of artificial facing stone. The cost of flexible elastic injection molds, which allows you to exactly repeat the texture of the stone, is very high. And if the technology is observed, the turnover rate of injection molds, that is, the time from the moment of pouring concrete to the moment of stripping the product, is 10-12 hours, versus 30 minutes on plaster.

This is what pushes companies to use gypsum as a binder. And the price of gypsum is at least five times lower than the price of white cement.
All this provides companies with super-profits.

But the issue price for the end user is very high! The extremely low frost resistance and durability of such products will not allow you to enjoy the view of the facades for a long time.

The photographs shown show a plaster product one year after installation. Multiple cracks and fractures are clearly visible.
Therefore, the use of this material on an industrial scale is difficult. Based on our tasks, we prefer to make artificial facing stone - a material close to natural stone in terms of hardness and abrasion properties, suitable for both external and internal facing, and not fragile and capricious to the effects of water decorations.

Filler.

Depending on the type of fillers used, cement-based artificial facing stone can be “heavy” (2-2.4 g / cm3) or “light” (about 1.6 g / cm3).

Ideally, heavy concrete is used for the production of paving stones, decorative paving slabs, curbs, basement frames, and interior stone. For the production of artificial facing stone used for exterior decoration, lightweight concrete is used.

This is roughly what manufacturers using American technology do. In the regions, unfortunately, heavy concrete is mainly used.

Of course, making a decorative stone on sand is much easier, but a lightweight stone will always be preferable for the consumer. It's just a matter of choice.
For the production of heavy artificial facing stone, coarse quartz sand with a fraction of 0.63-1.5 mm is used (the use of fine sand impairs the strength characteristics of concrete) and, when appropriate, fine crushed stone, for example, marble, fractions of 5-10 mm.

"Light" facing stone is made using expanded clay sand.
But in the production of artificial facing stone on expanded clay, the following factor should be taken into account. In July 2001, we received information from buyers about the appearance of “shots” on the surface of products (lightweight concrete) (point swelling of a white material).
As a result of consultation with experts, it was found that "shots" appear as a result of the decay of lime inclusions in expanded clay.

When free calcium interacts with moisture (water or its vapors), a chemical reaction occurs, accompanied by an increase in the volume of free calcium grains, as a result of which the effect of the so-called "shot" is created.
CaO + H2O = Ca (OH) 2 + CO2 = CaCO3
The peculiarity of this chemical reaction is that it takes a very long time - up to 6 months.
Expanded clay producers produce products in accordance with GOST, which allows the presence of lime grains up to 3% of the total mass.

The effect of "shots" reduces the consumer properties of the product, so the task was set to find a new filler for the production of lightweight concrete. It has been observed that the reaction of limescale decomposition causes destruction of the surface of the products ONLY in the interior decoration of premises. When using products for finishing plinths and facades of buildings, there is no visible destruction of the finishing material. According to the statement of the NIIZhB employee, lime decay is leveled when using products for exterior decoration of buildings.

In connection with the identification of this pattern, since August 2001

How to make a decorative stone with your own hands. Instructions

products for interior work are produced not on expanded clay, but on another (heavier) aggregate.
To switch to a single filler, we propose the following solutions to this problem:
1. Use crushed expanded clay with a fraction of at least 2 cm as a filler.
2. Create dumps of expanded clay with aging in the open area for at least 6-9 months.
3. Creation of a heterogeneous filler from quartz sand and a lighter artificial filler.
4. The use of slag pumice, but the bulk density finished product will increase to 1800-2000 kg / m3.
Lightweight aggregate must meet the following requirements:

• bulk density about 600 kg / m3.
• sand of fraction 0-0.5 cm or 0-1 cm (presence of fine fraction 15% of the volume).
• compressive strength 18 kg / cm (expanded clay indicator)
• water absorption up to 25% (expanded clay indicator).

In the production of artificial facing stone, decorative paving slabs, small architectural products on flexible elastic injection molds, the following fillers can be used:
Slag pumice, Granulated slag, Crushed stone and slag sand, Foam glass, Expanded perlite sand, Hard expanded perlite, Expanded vermoculite, Expanded polystyrene, Enriched quartz sand, Marble chips, Building sand (white), Molding sand, Pumice stone.

Pigments and dyes.

The most important component of decorative facing stone is the pigments (dyes) used.

Skillful or inept use of dyes directly affects the appearance of the final product. In experienced hands, ordinary concrete turns into something completely indistinguishable from natural "wild" stone right before our eyes. How can this be achieved?
For coloring cement, mineral inorganic pigments (oxides of titanium, iron, chromium) and special light-, weather-resistant dyes are used.

Experienced manufacturers usually choose dyes from companies such as Bayer, Du Pont, Kemira and others, no less reputable. This is due not only to the consistently high quality of their products, but also to a wide range of products. So, Bayer offers several dozen iron-acid pigments.

By combining them with each other, you can pick up almost any desired shade of color.
So, Portland cement, expanded clay sand and pigments are the main composition of artificial facing stone. Many manufacturers of architectural concrete products are limited to this, despite the fact that there is a huge amount of all kinds of additives to cements to improve certain characteristics.

In any large city, you can find suppliers of domestic and imported concrete additives. These are various superplasticizers that improve workability and increase the strength of concrete; polymer-latex additives that have a beneficial effect on the durability of concrete; concrete hardening accelerators and air-entraining additives; volumetric water repellents, which significantly reduce water absorption (useful for facade, basement and sidewalk stones); chemical fibers for dispersed reinforcement, which sharply increases crack resistance and much more.

Whether or not to use any of these additives is up to you, we just want to recommend the use of protective impregnating compounds for processing the surface of decorative facing stone. A properly selected water repellent for concrete will achieve the following results:

• will increase the aesthetics of perception of the stone and eliminate "dustiness" - a characteristic feature of any cement concrete;
• will increase the service life of the facade stone (the point here is that the process of destruction of decorative concrete primarily affects the color saturation long before the first signs of destruction appear, the reason for which is the exposure of aggregate particles on the front surface of the stone);
• will drastically reduce the risk of efflorescence on the surface of the stone, which is a real disaster for cement decorative concrete, which is why they should be given the utmost attention.

What is artificial stone made of?

You can appreciate the beauty and variety of artificial stone decors using the example of Ecostone products.

Externally, artificial materials can reliably and accurately reproduce the texture and pattern of natural stone rocks.

Let's take a closer look at how artificial stone is made.

Technological process

There are various methods for producing quality and durable stone slabs.

For finishing work, materials on a concrete basis are often used.

They include cement and fillers.

Manufacturers can use various materials as fillers, the choice of which determines the final performance properties finished product. For example, technologists often make an artificial stone based on expanded clay, which has a low density.

In this case, the admitted stone slabs are quite light.

It is worth considering that expanded clay can also be different. For example, the fine-grained varieties provide the artificial stone with good strength and resistance to physical stress.

On the other hand, slabs mixed with cheap coarse-grained expanded clay are subject to rapid destruction and spalling.

Making artificial stone and forms with your own hands

The best filler that provides corrosion resistance to the product is perlite. It is devoid of the main disadvantages of expanded clay. The color of the produced artificial stone is imparted by introducing pigments into the composition.

Dyeing in bulk is more practical than surface drawing.

In this case, the material retains its natural appearance when the top layer is abraded.

The final stage is the application of a special protective coating to the surface of the finished slab, which ensures the resistance of the stone to external influences.

Correct production technology involves drying the material at a given temperature and humidity.

2012 © All rights reserved

Every home needs a quality finish. The plinth, facade and walls (both inside and outside) are often faced with stone. But natural is not so popular because of the complications that arise with its high weight. Therefore, many people make an artificial stone with their own hands.

It visually resembles natural in many ways. Its advantages are low weight and simplified installation. Cheaper than a real stone, which makes repairs more economical.

You can make artificial stones yourself. To do this, you need to prepare all the necessary ingredients for the solution and the shape with relief. They do not take much time, but they require knowledge and considerable effort.

This article is about artificial stone. It covers:

• the advantages of such material,
• its types and properties;
• instructions for the manufacture of casting molds;
• technique for creating artificial stones;
• recommendations of the masters.

What is it needed for?

The most common artificial stone is made from plaster. In the production of materials for exterior decoration, cement mortar with various additives is used.

In order for the result to have the color desired by the master, dry dyes or other diluted pigments are mixed into the composition. If there are several of them, then you need to ensure that they are well combined with each other.

Walls are also faced with artificial stone indoors. It looks good in different interiors. Significant advantages such building material:

1. It is environmentally friendly. Therefore, it is completely safe for health.
2. Well tolerates ultraviolet radiation, temperature changes and high humidity.

There are many types of artificial stone in building materials stores. However, not all of them can be used for internal work, because they often contain aggressive components. Therefore, many craftsmen refused to buy such a finish and switched to making it on their own.

How to make a pouring mold: instructions

In hardware stores, they sell ready-made kits for pouring artificial stone. But everyone can make them himself. This is the only way to create unconventional stone tile designs.

As the basis for the template, choose ordinary stone with an interesting pattern. Sometimes it can be replaced with tiles or even old wood with intricacies. At the same time, defects on it will only play into the hands: the more there are, the more textured the artificial stone will turn out.

The form can be complex and single. Singles are easy to manufacture, because they do not require large supplies of silicone. At the same time, work will go faster if the matrix for it is complex. Indeed, in the end, the master will receive two or three details at once.

The basis of the formwork is a purchased or made plywood (cardboard) box. It should be 2-3 centimeters higher and 1-1.5 centimeters wider than the original used to make the part. For small sources, you can even take a juice box. Then you need to move with consideration.

Silicone

The base is a silicone sealant supplied in buckets or tubes. Material consumption is determined taking into account the dimensions of the mold.

The instruction looks like this:

• When the formwork is ready, a greasy lubricant like grease is smeared on its inner parts.
• A sample (stone, wood, tile) is placed on the bottom.
• The object in the formwork is abundantly lubricated with a greasy compound to easily remove the hardened silicone.
• After that, a soapy solution is prepared, which is needed for dipping a brush and a spatula used to distribute and apply silicone.
• If silicone is used from the tube, then it must be squeezed out completely. Then, sticking the brush into the soap, distribute it inside the workpiece. The material should fit tightly, without forming air gaps. For this purpose, it is recommended to smooth and tamp the composition.
• After filling the formwork, the silicone is leveled with a spatula soaked in soap.
• When everything is ready, the formwork is left to solidify.

Wooden

You can also prepare a form made of wood. It is characterized by a longer service life, which is convenient for repeated pouring.

They work according to the following scheme:

1. We prepare flat slats with a smooth surface.
2. Cut out templates from the planks. The thickness of the workpiece should be within ten millimeters.
3. On the templates we glue pieces of embossed wallpaper or other elements to simulate a hill.
4. We fix the walls of the box for pouring the mold with self-tapping screws, fix the gaps with glue or one-sided tape.
5. On the inside of the wall, draw a horizontal line at a height of about one and a half centimeters from the template.
6. We prepare polyurethane according to the instructions.
7. We expose the box horizontally and fill it with polyurethane. Then we knock on the edges of the box with a heavy object, trying not to damage the work.
8. We leave the form for polymerization.

What is a homemade artificial stone?

The master receives a wide field for creativity, creating a unique imitation. According to their intended purpose, stones are for external and internal work.

In the production of materials for interior decoration, safe elements are used that will not harm health. To create a facade stone, more durable materials are needed that will withstand the influence of the external environment.

Gypsum

The imitation of the stone with plaster attracts with its simplicity in execution and the speed of setting the workpiece. Gypsum is positioned as a hygroscopic material. It contains additives that increase the resistance to defrosting and freezing.

Builders advise using plaster for interior rather than exterior work. On the street, it quickly folds, which means that very little time will be left for making a decorative composition from plaster and applying it to the wall.

Acrylic

Acrylic artificial stone is designed for interior decorative wall decoration. Kitchen countertops, sinks, sinks, window sills and even showers are made from it.

It is a durable, resistant material. Withstands the influence of a humid environment and high temperatures. It is environmentally friendly and not easily soiled, it is easy to clean it by wiping it with a soft cloth. The only drawback is the high price, but it is justified by the mass of the qualities of this material.

Natural gravel

This facing material is mixed from fragments of real gravel and several other components to enhance the technical. Resistant to external factors, it is characterized by a long service time.

It is used for all types of work. However, more often they are cladding outside buildings.

Cement-based with sand

According to their technical specifications positioned as a versatile material. It surpasses natural stone in strength. It is used mainly for the arrangement of external coatings.

Its disadvantage is long freezing, which takes about two days. The master needs to either stock up on several forms, or devote about a week to work. The second drawback of the material is its heavy weight.

Artificial stone with your own hands from gypsum

Instructions on how to make an artificial stone with your own hands are extensive, but simple and straightforward. The main thing is that all items for work are next to the master.

Making a decorative stone from plaster is within the power of everyone. A detailed algorithm of work will determine the correct sequence of actions.

Manufacturing technology with video

To make a decorative stone with your own hands, we recommend stocking up on materials:

• durable gypsum - about 5 kilograms;
• clean water - a little more than one and a half liters;
• sand with an admixture of granite, crushed silicon or glass - 2 kilograms;
• water deoxidizer;
• acid compositions for correlation.

This is an approximate amount, therefore it is allowed to differ the portions of materials in the list from their actual consumption. To determine the exact consumption of all elements, think in advance how many products you will make.

Step-by-step algorithm of work:

1. It is necessary to pour water into the container and gradually add dyes to it.
2. Then let the coloring chemicals brew for 5 minutes.
3. Add sand and gypsum to the water. In parallel with this, we knead the composition with a mixer.
4. Using a small paint brush, apply dry pigment to a silicone or wooden mold and fill the mold with plaster.

How to extract from the form?

To remove the polyurethane mold, you need to carefully open the locks or remove the fasteners that connect the walls of the wooden box. If the sides are paper, they are simply cut off with sharp knives.

If the mold is made of polyurethane foam, it will be more difficult to remove it, even with a release layer. It is most convenient to spray the walls and bottom with silicone liquid. The oil will penetrate the pores and facilitate the separation process.

Removal of the silicone mold is done by the twisting method. A small incision is made along one edge of the mold with a sharp knife. An aluminum strip is inserted there, the edge is pressed with fingers, and the mold for artificial stone tiles is removed from the matrix, like an orange peel.

What and how to paint an artificial stone?

Imitation stone made of plaster and other materials can be painted with proprietary silicone, acrylic or water-based silicate dyes. The material is painted both before and after laying on the wall. It is also possible to paint the mold before placing the pouring stone into it.

Before painting, the masonry must be cleaned of all dust particles and debris. We advise you to varnish it so that the paint will take better. Paint application is carried out with a brush or airbrush. But we recommend that you abandon the brush, because streaks and smudges cannot be avoided. Only a spray gun will paint evenly, without obvious defects. However, keep it at the same distance from the finish, otherwise the same color will differ in different places of the masonry.

From the first time, not everyone will be able to make an artificial stone with their own hands. But don't be upset - just try again.

When you “fill your hand”, its production will not be difficult. Details about artificial masonry can be viewed in the video tutorial:

Nowadays, many people pay enough attention to decorating the facades of private houses, as well as buildings for various purposes. Especially for this there is a huge range of materials, both natural and artificial.

The latter are made specifically for decorative purposes. They characterized by increased strength and resistance to the effects of various negative environmental factors.

That is why they are excellent n suitable for use in almost any environment... One of these materials is artificial stone, which, in addition to excellent quality properties, attracts attention with its beautiful appearance.

What is Artificial Stone?

Definition "fake diamond" is a generalized name for a number of varieties of industrial products, the appearance of which is practically indistinguishable from natural stone.

With the help of such a material, which is of a sufficiently high quality, it is possible to simulate the cut of an artificial stone during the masonry process without much effort. It is considered excellent option, which the suitable for replacing sandstone or natural limestone.

In addition, they can perfectly replace coral rock or granite, travertine and slate. Modern artificial stone is also suitable for imitating other types of natural stones.

Scope of application

Today, artificial stones are widely used in the construction industry.

Numerous manufacturing firms offer their customers a huge range of this material, thanks to which you can easily choose the most suitable option for each individual case.

Large range of colors, attractive texture and original structure artificial stones allows them to be used for external cladding of buildings for one purpose or another. They are also often used when decorating landscapes of parks, personal plots and many other territories.

With this material, you can create very beautiful shapes, imitating natural stone. In addition, recently they have often preferred for interior wall cladding houses.

The artificial stone has another purpose:

• partial coating of furniture surfaces;
• the formation of window sills;
• manufacturing of various sanitary ware;
• sculptures;
• a variety of decorative elements.

To paint a stone like a brick, you can pick up a paint of an orange-brown shade and apply it to the front surface of the base.

It is much more difficult to obtain a marbled coloration. For this it is necessary to use paints of several shades to achieve the most natural look. Emery paper can be used to create lightly rough spots.

House facade cladding

Artificial stone is suitable for cladding surfaces from almost any material.

Pre-necessary in the right way prepare the work surface- the wall of the building. To do this, using a brush or rag, it is cleaned of traces of dirt and dust.

In cases where the facade is built from a wooden bar, then first it the surface is thoroughly impregnated with an antiseptic composition... Then you need to take care of additional moisture insulation, as well as install a metal crate, which is pre-adjusted to the size of the wall

The wall surface is leveled using putty or cement mixture, as shown in the photo. It is applied with a spatula to the surface of the facade, and then carefully leveled. Care must be taken to ensure that the putty dries well and does not form roughness, cracks or unevenness on it.

For fixing artificial stones need to pick up glue or glue or cement mortar. It is recommended to give preference to more expensive products of proven manufacturing companies that are responsible for the quality of their goods.

Stones are laid out on the floor to it was possible to lay out a "picture" from this material... So, it is much easier to choose stones that will fit well in size and shape.

On a flat surface of artificial stone an even layer of glue is applied or an adhesive solution.

The stone is applied to the wall with the side that is covered with glue, and then it it is necessary to press strongly to ensure maximum grip.

The installation of stones can be carried out both without seams and with seams. In the first case, stones of an even geometric shape are used so that they fit snugly together and without them there were no gaps.

In the second case, you can pick up curly stones. However, they should be laid in such a way that the width of the gaps between them does not exceed 2.5 cm.

Smooth stones you need lay starting with corner pieces, as well as surfaces near window and door openings are processed. Further, the rest of the space is filled with stones, which should be glued in horizontal rows.

You can also lay them out in a different order, however, first of all, the corners are necessarily revetted.

The surface is left alone until completely dry in order to provide more reliable fastening and a long service life.

Gaps that have formed between the artificial stone densely filled with so-called grout... For a more aesthetic appearance, the seams can be rubbed with sandpaper.

As you can see, the decoration with artificial stone is quite simple and does not require special skills and knowledge.

Artificial stone is alternative natural materials ... Some of its types are characterized by improved properties compared to the originals. They can be bought or made at home.