The artificial stone is excellent alternative to natural stone. It can be used for interior finish of rooms and also for various external works – facings of facades of houses, fountains, paths, etc. This material in various variations is provided in hardware stores, but if desired it can be made independently.
Advantages of artificial stone before natural
On mechanical firmness, color gamma and variety of surface textures the artificial stone does not concede to natural at all, exceeding it on simplicity of processing and convenience of finishing.
Key advantages of artificial stone:
- unlike natural material, the artificial stone can be made thin tiles that also the cost of products allows to lose weight, keeping at the same time necessary durability;
- even in house conditions such stone can be made the necessary form for the specific place of imposing without additional adjustment;
- artificial stones can be made ideally smooth without such expensive procedures as sawing up, grinding and polishing at once;
- lack of need of transportation of material as it is possible to produce it directly on site applications.
Types of artificial stone
One of the main advantages of such material is opportunity to make it with the surface and the invoice imitating any natural stone.
In form the artificial stones happen:
- chipped – with uneven surface and edges;
- sawn – with smooth smooth edges;
- rubble, similar to normal boulders;
- any, embodying any imaginations of the master;
Depending on the application purpose, the artificial stone can be made of several types of materials. For interior finish of the room use plaster and acrylic. For external works as the most suitable material cement which is resistant to moisture and temperature differences is considered.
At the prime cost of the most expensive – stone from acrylic, further there are plaster products, and the most economic material is cement. To make stone stronger and to save the main raw materials, for filling add sand, small crushed stone, marble crumb to mix or fibrovolokno, the warning cracking of finished products.
Softeners help to improve physical characteristics of stone. These substances reduce water volume in mix and increase its density.
Depending on initial material and ways of its processing, in house conditions it is possible to make the following types of artificial stone:
- plaster shaped – because of low frost resistance is suitable only for internal works, and indoor temperature by its production has to be not less +18os;
- concrete (cement and sand) shaped – is frost-resistant, by production indoor temperature can be +12os above;
- concrete reinforced any form – it is usually produced shtuchno directly on site uses (artificial boulders, cobble-stones or plates).
Forms for production of stone
The form and molding mix will be necessary for production of artificial stone in house conditions. The form can both be bought ready, and to make it with own hands.
Ready matrixes are polyurethane and silicone. Complete with them usually there are already softeners, pigments and fibrovolokno. Such forms are issued for production of decorative material of various size and thickness with imitation of any natural or artificial stone – slate, brick, cobble-stone, sandstone or the rock.
The choice of form depends on the area of the object and the available budget. Polyurethane matrixes cost much and are calculated on production of several hundred high-quality molds. Silicone mold more budgetary, but with its help it is possible to make no more than 20-30 products.
Production of form the hands
First of all, the timbering is necessary. It is the best of all to make this design of boards or plywood. It is necessary to connect frame so that there is no slot left. The timbering has to be 3 cm higher and 1 cm is wider than initial sample of stone.
On bottom and walls of frame it is abundant apply any greasing substance, for example, solid oil. After that in timbering put stone sample which it is also abundant becomes covered with lubricant. This procedure is necessary in order that the ready form with ease has departed from initial stone and frame.
In house conditions the form is made of silicone sealant. At the same time silicone it is possible to use the most budgetary. Squeeze out it in timbering on spiral, beginning from the center and moving to walls before its filling.
That there were no bubbles, silicone should be smoothed with wide paint brush accurately. The brush is previously dipped in means solution for washing of ware. Normal soap solution will not approach as because of the alkaline environment it can change properties of acid silicone.
After filling of timbering with silicone the surface of future form is recommended to be smoothed with the palette, the wetted in the same cleaning agent.
Dry form at the room temperature in well aired room. Drying time – 15 days. After the expiration of this time design it is possible to sort and get from it stone sample.
At the exit convenient silicone molds which are ideal for production of artificial stone in house conditions turn out. If on form face there are cracks or other roughnesses, accurately fill in them with silicone.
How to paint artificial stone
To give to stone right color, add coloring pigment to solution at its mixing. For these purposes the pigment (iron oxide inorganic dye), but not color is necessary for paints.
Colors of pigment can be mixed with each other, creating the necessary shade. The quantity of pigment is defined in practice. To learn what color will turn out at the exit, it will be possible only after full drying of stone.
Dye can be applied directly on silicone mold before mix filling. It is better to paint over form not entirely, and fragments. It will give to molds the individual drawing and will help to create better imitation of natural stone.
Creation of artificial stone from plaster
Most often artificial stones in house conditions do of plaster. For this technology you will need the following materials:
- white plaster;
- bank sand;
- warm water;
- plastic capacity of the big size;
- pallet;
- ready form;
- ribbed glass;
- water-based dyes.
Besides, it is necessary to prepare workplace. For production of artificial stone from plaster the big area is not necessary. Will be only several square meters enough. At the same time it is important that near at hand there were all necessary racks and regiments.
Instruction:
- Prepare the necessary volume of solution equal to number of forms. Plaster quickly stiffens therefore it will not turn out to leave it before the following procedure of filling.
- Add water to plastic capacity and fill plaster there. Solution has to turn out dense. To increase material density, it is possible to add to mix sand in proportion 1 to 10.
- Grease bottom and walls of form with wax and turpentine. This measure will facilitate extraction of the stiffened stone from form.
- Fill in cement of plaster in form. By means of the palette accurately level surface of future stone.
- For the most uniform laying recommend to cover forms with long ribbed glass and to subject preparations of easy two-minute vibration.
- Plaster stiffens approximately in 20 minutes. After that glass it is possible to remove and get molds from forms. The received products finally dry on the dug-out air.
- When stones completely dry out, they need to be painted. Do not forget to remove previously from surface dust and other garbage. After that brush evenly distribute dye on surface of stones.
Artificial stone from cement
Artificial stones for external works usually make of cement. This material is much cheaper than plaster, but at the same time durability of products from it turns out 10 times more.
The following materials and tools will be necessary for house production of stones from cement:
- cement;
- warm water;
- palette;
- capacity for solution mixing;
- the fine sifted sand;
- structure for division;
- ready forms;
- armoring lattice;
- coloring pigments and brushes.
Manufacturing techniques:
- Mix cement with sand in proportion 3 to 1. Add to them the coloring pigment necessary for creation of the necessary shade.
- In the received mix slowly pour in water until solution does not gain consistence of dense sour cream.
- Fill with form mix to half then properly stir up them for cement consolidation.
- To increase durability of future products, put from above armoring lattice and fill forms with solution to the very top.
- After completion of the procedure of filling draw from above several lines stack or nail that superficial grooves were formed. Such measure will help to improve coupling of future stones with the surface of imposing.
- Stones are taken from forms in 12 hours after filling and dried within two weeks. After extraction of molds do not forget to wash out carefully forms from residues of cement.
If the painting components have not been added to mix before its filling in forms, coloring of stones can be executed also after their full drying. Before painting it is necessary to clean surface of molds from dust and garbage. Evenly apply paint on surface stones, having created the necessary drawing, and let's product dry out.