Facing the arch with artificial stone. Decorating the arch with decorative stone is a good solution

An arch, as one of the design methods, is usually installed in the transition between the hallway and the living room.

This is essentially the first element of decor that can surprise visiting guests.

Nowadays arched structures are very popular, they have a variety of shapes, sizes and designs.

Arch finishing decorative stone is the most popular way to make it more functional, sophisticated and trendy.

Decorating an arch, what to choose?

You can design an arch in several ways: plastic panels, wooden opening.

But all of them are no longer relevant: they are not environmentally friendly, since they do not allow air to pass through, plaster is very susceptible to mechanical stress, and wood does not always meet the high demands of trendy design.

Today, the most popular way to decorate arches is to decorate them. artificial stone, which has a lot of advantages compared to natural ones.

In addition to everything, it has a high wear resistance of the surface and is able to preserve its original appearance for a long time. appearance.

Artificial is better than natural!

Perhaps such a statement may be confusing, since there is a general opinion that natural is always better than artificial, but not in this case.

Firstly, the artificial (decorative) material is one hundred percent natural and consists of expanded clay, pumice, cement and other natural fillers, and is only obtained industrially, artificially.

It is strong, durable and no less beautiful.

Secondly, there are several advantages of decorative stone over natural stone:

• It is almost three times lighter than its natural counterpart, which allows it to be used artificial material on arched structures of different strengths;
• Available for purchase on the construction market and costs several times cheaper than natural ones;
• The shape, texture, color can exactly repeat the popular types of natural stones used in decoration;
• Easy to care for decorated surfaces;
• Even an amateur can decorate an arched space with such material; the product is malleable when cutting and grinding sharp corners.

Thirdly, the material is resistant to high humidity, temperature changes, fungus, corrosion and rotting.

This certainly makes it a leader among similar ones when choosing a product for room decor.

Main stages of work: where to start?

When designing an arched space artificial decor There are three main stages:

• Preparation of the working surface of the wall and working equipment;
• Basic work on finishing the internal and external surfaces of the arch;
• Surface decoration.

The first stage includes preparing the base for laying artificial stone and the necessary working equipment.

In the first case, no special care is required, the main thing is that the surface is cleaned of dust and primed.

For better bonding of the glue, wall and decor, before laying the layer, notches are applied to the base of the wall.

To work you will need the following tools and materials:

• Primer composition;
• Mortar or construction adhesive;
• Grout for joints;
• Auxiliary tools (pencil, ruler, sandpaper, plastic spatula, construction syringe).

It should be taken into account that the cement mortar (glue), its composition and proportions, must correspond to the selected type of material.

The second stage is finishing the arch with decorative stone, in a word, laying it on the prepared surface.

The first row of material is formed at the junction of the arch and the wall according to the “bottom-up” principle, the second according to the same principle, but in a checkerboard pattern.

The complexity of the second stage lies in applying decorative elements to the arched shape of the arch with the designation of additional markings of the required radius.

As well as trimming the product according to the intended pattern, followed by polishing the cut edges.

The time for the adhesive layer to dry depends on the type of solution chosen, most often it is about two days.

Artificial stone can be laid in two ways: without seams and with jointing.

In the case of using the second method, after the glue has completely dried, the gaps between the tiles are rubbed using a construction syringe or a plastic spatula with a special compound.

The third stage of finishing work is decorating the surface, that is, giving it a finished look.

It is important to remember that the applied adhesive must be completely dry, otherwise, when processing the seams, the carefully laid out checkerboard pattern may be disrupted.

Decoration includes: primary treatment of seams with a composition for filling gaps between products, giving the finished surface the required shade using an airbrush.

Also, cleaning the masonry from excess glue and grout, treating the surface with polishing and water-repellent agents.

Artificial stone can be laid using special construction adhesive, a mortar of cement and sand, or liquid nails; the adhesive base is selected depending on the type of wall surface and the type of decorative product.

When preparing the adhesive solution yourself, you must use it in small portions, otherwise it may dry out and partially lose its properties.

You shouldn’t lay artificial stone right away; first you need to mix it together from several different packages.

There are many options on how to make the interior original and attractive. One solution is to create a beautiful arch from the doorway. But such a design by itself may not be enough. In some cases, you can’t do without a spectacular finish. And for this, artificial stone is very often used.

Beautiful arch decoration

About arches

An arch is an architectural element that plays the role of an opening in the interior. It is known that there are references to the first arches from the times of the Ancient East.

Arch in the apartment

Given such a long history, it is not possible to know the reasons for the creation of arched structures. For a very long time the structure was erected from stone and brick. Nowadays, plasterboard, wood, plywood, as well as OSB, chipboard or fiberboard have been added to this list.

About decorative stone

This material is not just in a wonderful way interior decoration, it perfectly performs a protective function. That's why designers loved him so much. Of course, if artificial stone is used indoors, then its protective functions are limited to resisting only accidental mechanical damage. And this material is used in the interior in a targeted manner; the maximum that can be finished in one room is a wall. But most often the material is used as an addition to existing elements.

Advantages of a stone arch

This design option has almost no disadvantages. After all, the material does not rot, is not subject to corrosion and fungus. Decorative artificial stone consists of environmentally friendly components and is therefore safe for health.

Why can't you use natural material? The fact is that, firstly, it is very expensive, and secondly, not all structures can withstand the weight natural stone. The same granite is three times heavier than its artificial counterpart.

There are a number of other advantages of this approach:

• not required special care– any will do detergent, does not contain abrasives;
• you can use an artificial analogue of any natural stone– manufacturers began to make very high-quality imitation;
• Decorating arches with stone with your own hands does not require any special skills, so the procedure is easy.

Materials for creating the structure

Creating a stone arch in an apartment requires the use of a certain list of materials that need to be prepared in advance:

• the decorative stone itself;
• pencil;
• sandpaper;
• primer;
• mortar or glue;
• grout for seams.

Instructions

Finishing an arch with decorative stone starts with the traditional stage of surface preparation. You need to smooth out any unevenness using sandpaper, and then putty them using a pre-primer.

Preparation of adhesive solution

Decorative stone can be laid using special glue, cement-sand mortar, or liquid nails.

The quality of adhesion of the finishing material to the base depends on the roughness of the back side of the tile and the quality of the adhesive mixture. If you need to prepare the solution yourself, you need to do this in small portions, since it sets quickly enough, losing its properties. You need to mix the powder and water in a convenient, capacious container using a mixer (this can be a drill with a special attachment). You need to mix until you get the consistency of thick sour cream.

Laying

Laying is done from bottom to top. You need to start from the corner of the opening-wall. The seam should be left approximately 4-5 mm. If corner stones are used, they must be glued from below. If flat ones are used, the installation should be done with an overlap.

During the procedure, you should not forget to check the horizontal positioning. Elements on the arc can be trimmed to maintain the required radius. This can be done with wire cutters or a grinder with a special attachment.

The edges must be sanded using a file. When the finishing is completed, you need to wait for the solution or glue to dry. After this, you need to start refining the seams. For these purposes, we use grout of the appropriate color. To perform the procedure, it is better to use a construction syringe. Otherwise, you can use a rubber spatula. You can make the tool yourself. To do this, cut a square piece of polyethylene, roll it into a cone, and secure it with tape. The tip of this element must be cut so that the resulting size corresponds to the size of the seams between the stones.

Next, use one of these tools to press the grout into the seams to completely fill them. In this case, you need to do everything carefully so that the material does not get on the front part of the products. All you have to do is wait until the grout dries - the decorative stone arch is ready.

Seamless installation

In this case, the tiles are laid tightly together, so finishing the arch with artificial stone requires painstaking work. The glue or solution is applied to the stone. If the installation is done from top to bottom, you can get a smooth border with clear lines.

Since the edges of the finishing material are well prepared, no time is required for selection during installation, so the procedure is carried out quickly. At the end, the surface can be opened with impregnation, which will repel water and protect it from the effects of chemicals.

A stone arch is inexpensive, but looks great

Decorating an arch with stone allows you to give this element of the interior more expressiveness and style. The room becomes more sophisticated and attractive appearance. This option looks especially good in hallways and living rooms. In a word, the effect of such finishing is amazing, as you can see by looking at the photos of the options.

Currently, an industry such as private construction is developing very actively. Over the past decade, new finishing materials have been introduced into practice. One of them is decorative artificial stone. It is used for finishing various rooms and structures. It is widely used for finishing arches. Today, arches are often used in the construction of houses instead of simple doors. They are oval or semicircular openings that can be curtained or open.

An arch is a complex structure that requires adherence to strict technology when carrying out decoration and repair work. Decorative stone is excellent for cladding an arch, as it has good performance characteristics and has a sufficient range depending on the design. Most often, stone made to resemble marble or granite is used to decorate an arch. It is important to know that the architectural features of the structure itself and the interior of the room must be taken into account. Let's take a closer look at how to lay an arch with decorative stone and the main advantages of the stone.

Preparatory work

Before you start decorating the arch with decorative stone, you need to carefully prepare the surface. First you need to clean it of paint and varnish using sandblasting and grinding. Great importance has its external inspection. This is important if there are cracks or other defects. After this, you need to level it with putty and apply a primer. If you glue a stone onto a dusty and dirty surface, this may lead to the fact that it will soon fall off, since the adhesion to the surface will not be of good quality. The next stage of work is the selection of the required material. If, for example, the arch is made of plasterboard, then it is advisable to use narrow plates for cladding; they are better suited for the curved surface of the arch. It is not recommended to use heavy, large stones, as they can damage and deform the structure.

It is necessary to take into account the color and configuration of the stone. It is optimal to use more bright colors so that they stand out against the background of the arch itself. Currently, decorative stone can be selected in almost any shape and color, it all depends on the taste of the builder. The size of the stone tiles should be equal to the radius of the arch. Otherwise, you may need a grinder to cut it into several pieces.

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Preparation of cement mortar

To make an arch from decorative stone, you will need a solution to fix the material. It can be prepared using sand, cement, lime and glue. It is advisable to use liquid nails. The composition of such a cement mortar is determined by the type of stone. Classic version The solution includes components such as Portland cement, sand, lime and glue. The exact ratio of components depends on the decorative stone itself, so it is advisable to consult with experts in this matter. You can use ready-made adhesives. Glue based on a mixture of PVA and gypsum, mounting, acrylic, is suitable.

The fact that the stone will be laid with jointing or not is also important. If the surface of the arch is fairly flat and jointing is not provided, then mounting adhesive will do. If there are joints and unevenness, a cement-adhesive mortar is best suited.

It is applied using a notched trowel. even layer onto the surface of the arch a few millimeters thick.

The most widely used adhesive compositions are: Ceresit SM 11, Ceresit SM 17, Ceresit SM 115, Litokol K 80, Kreps-super and others. The adhesive base should be thick and flexible, not dry.

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Decorative stone laying technology

After all preparatory work you can start laying the stone on the arch. The most optimal method is without jointing, that is, the slabs are attached close to each other. The first row starts first. The very first stone is attached in the place where the arch meets the adjacent wall. In this case, the artificial finishing material must be applied very tightly, especially if cement mortar is used. This is done in such a way that the excess solution is squeezed out along the entire perimeter of the stone. The material is attached with the flat side inward and the convex side outward. This technology ensures good sealing of the seams. If necessary (if the stone is large), it is sawed and processed with a grinder. In this case, it is recommended to place the cut tiles so that the cut is not visible.

The work of laying the first stones on the arch is carried out from below. You need to ensure that the masonry is level. To do this, you need to have a building level available. The second row is also laid at the junction with the wall. But in this case, the first stone protrudes beyond the wall joint by the width facing tiles. Thus, the stones are overlapped at the outer corners in a checkerboard pattern. In the place where the arch begins to round, you need to attach finishing stones to the wall and cut them along the contour of the arc. After this, use a pencil to mark the stone protruding along the edge of the arch from its inside and cut it off too. If there are any irregularities during cutting, they must be removed using sandpaper.

Very important point is interior decoration arches. It is carried out using the same technology. If the length of the stone slab is longer than the opening of the arch, then it is cut off. If the stone is made of gypsum, then a hand saw is suitable for these purposes; if it is made of cement, a circular saw is suitable. After completing all the work, you need to wait about 2 days for the material to finally fix and the structure to become strong. The seams are cleaned and filled with a special solution, then smoothed with a spatula or brush. There should be no mortar residue left on the facing side. If necessary, the stone can be painted in any color.

Decorative stone today acts as one of the most suitable materials for finishing surfaces both inside and outside buildings. This material is quite easy to process; it can not only be drilled, but also cut. But to get a good result, you should be guided by the installation technology, which will be presented below. You can use decorative stone to decorate the interior, one of the elements of which is an arch.

Preparing tools

Decorative stone begins with the preparation of tools, among which we should highlight:

• construction mixer;
• cutting machine;
• bucket for mixing adhesive solution;
• paint brushes;
• trowel;
• grout syringe;
• wedges of the same thickness.

Among other things, you will need a building level and a spatula. It is important to ensure that you have a metal brush, and with the help of the latter you will be able to adjust the elements on the surface after installation. To measure and cut the material you will need a construction tape. You can’t do without a household spray bottle while working. Wedges can be made of wood or plastic, they will allow you to form seams. You can replace the cutting machine with a cutting machine.

Preparation of materials

Decorative stone is carried out after preparing all the necessary Supplies, among them the following should be highlighted:

• glue;
• primer;
• grout;
• water repellent.

When choosing an adhesive, you need to pay attention to its purpose. For certain types of finishes, different grades of adhesives are available, usually they are designed to hold the calculated weight of the material. Therefore, first you need to choose finishing materials, and only then start purchasing glue. If the work is supposed to be carried out at low temperatures, then you should take a more serious approach to the choice of adhesive composition; it must have the appropriate properties.

Surface preparation

Finishing with stone necessarily involves preparing the walls. To do this, you need to rid the base of old whitewash, wallpaper or paint. The master will have to carry out the leveling using putty. The surface of the arch must be primed; this composition will bind small particles together, so any finish will be held as firmly as possible.

On sale you can find primers for any surface. If you have to work with a concrete wall, you should treat it with Betonkontakt primer. When the room conditions are high in humidity or temperature, backside decorative stone must be wetted before installation.

The finishing of arches with decorative stone is carried out using a slightly different technology if we are talking about a plasterboard structure. It is necessary to prepare a light stone for such work. Such manipulations should be carried out exclusively indoors. If the gypsum board arch is located on outdoors or under a canopy, you cannot decorate it with stone.

The surface of the drywall is treated with a primer, which should be left until it dries, only then can you begin installing the products. The primer is applied with a roller, and not only the external, but also the internal surfaces are treated with the composition.

Preparing stone for laying

If you will be decorating the arches with decorative stone (photos of design options are presented in the review for your reference), it is recommended that you first mix all the products from different packages. At the next stage, the stone must be laid out on the floor. The position of individual elements is chosen in such a way that the texture looks most advantageous. For example, you can distribute elements by shade or shape, as well as size.

Rules for applying glue

Before starting work, you must read the instructions and dilute the glue in the bucket according to it.

The composition is mixed using a construction mixer until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Using a spatula, the mixture is applied to the wall only in the place where the product is supposed to be installed. WITH reverse side the stone must also be treated with glue, which is applied with a spatula. The thickness of the layer should not appear to be more than 1 cm. If this parameter is exceeded, the product will slide down the wall.

The glue is applied to the entire surface of the stone, while avoiding voids that can cause condensation to appear inside the masonry during operation. This recommendation also applies to walls; glue should be applied to their surface in an even layer.

Methodology for installing decorative stone

When decorating an arch with decorative stone in an apartment, you must follow certain instructions. The stone is applied to the area treated with glue and pressed against the surface. In this case, it is important to use a building level, and with the help of a mallet the products are leveled vertically. The stone can be moved from side to side to achieve a tight fit to the surface.

In order to check the quality of the masonry, during installation it is necessary to tap the products with a screwdriver handle. This will allow you to understand whether voids have formed inside. If there are any, then the stone is removed, cleaned of glue, and the work is repeated again. When finishing an arch with decorative stone in an apartment, you should definitely look at the photo. They will allow you to understand which material is better to prefer. As soon as the finish is on the wall, you need to gently tap it on its surface, and remove any excess glue using a spatula. If the mixture appears on the ends, there is no need to remove it; it will improve the quality of adhesion of the material to the wall. Work can be carried out using one of two technologies:

• no seams;
• with jointing.

Laying stone with seams

When finishing an arch with decorative stone with your own hands, you can form seams between the products. Their grouting is carried out using a syringe filled with grout. The solution should be applied in such a way that it deepens 4 mm from the outer edge of the product. This will create a clearly defined relief. To obtain a smoothed texture, it is necessary to fill the seam at the same level as the front surface of the stone. 30 minutes after applying the grout, it is necessary to smooth out the seams using a special spatula or spatula. When choosing grout, you should know that the compositions can imitate the color and texture of real mortar. The grout may have different colors.

Chip processing

When finishing a door arch with decorative stone, it may be necessary to process chips. The stone is cut to size, but if its edge remains smooth at the joint, the wall will not look natural. You can make a chip by outlining its outline with a knife. At the next stage, the excess part is bitten off with pliers. There is no need to bite off the product along the edge of the mark; you need to start with small pieces, otherwise the product may break in the wrong place. You can correct errors with a file; with its help you will make the chip smooth. Additionally, the surface is treated with sandpaper. However, sometimes the chips are not smoothed out.

Final decoration

Finishing interior arch decorative stone can be completed by applying varnish or tinting mixture. The latter allows you to hide defects and cracks that formed during the work process. It is better to use an airbrush to apply the composition, but some artists make do with paint brushes. The airbrush allows you to apply the mixture from a long distance, while holding the tool at an angle to the surface to be painted. You don’t have to cover the entire area completely; it will be enough to tint the main protrusions and depressions, this will help to get a deep texture.

An interesting effect can be achieved if bronze or gold coloring pigments are used as the basis for the mixture. In this case, only the ends of the tiles need to be tinted. With this finishing technique, the metal does not catch the eye, but with certain lighting at the ends, the masonry begins to play with golden highlights.

Conclusion

The arch is a rather small element of the interior, but its design sometimes takes several days. However, you should find time and energy for this work, because decorating this part of the room will allow you to decorate the house, making it more comfortable and the interior more refined.

IN modern world, where everyone strives to be individual not only in their appearance, but also in the design of their home, people are increasingly trying to remake the standard apartment layout to suit their vision of space. Unnecessary bulky partitions are demolished and plasterboard structures are erected that do not take up much space.

This also applies to doorways. Traditional rectangular shapes change to beautiful rounded arches. Immediately there is a sense of spaciousness in the room, and traffic flow increases (especially in the living room or kitchen). Most often, the doors to these rooms are open, and there is no particular need to keep them constantly closed. After all, every family member comes there quite often. Instead of the usual wooden platbands and extensions, the arch is finished with decorative stone.

By building an interior arch, you will undoubtedly add home interior its zest. Moreover, an arch covered with decorative stone will always be in the center of everyone's attention. Whether to give it the appearance of an Arch of Triumph or to resemble an ancient entrance to a cave is up to you, the main thing is to choose the right type of stone for this purpose. It is not recommended to use cement stone for finishing. It is heavy, most often quite thick, and is used for cladding building facades. But finishing the arch with gypsum stone is exactly what is needed.

Gypsum stone is light, thin and will not steal extra centimeters from the space of the arched opening. There are a huge number of types of gypsum stone. Just as there are many varieties of stones in nature, so too faux finish you can choose something that will fit perfectly into your interior.

What to lay on

Glue. Laying artificial decorative stone on a wall or arched opening can be done using special glue for artificial stone. There are quite a lot of them on modern market, here are a few examples:

• Stone adhesive KR Professional Professional. This cement-based adhesive is used specifically for installing artificial stone indoors and outdoors. Sufficiently high quality, hermetically fixes the stone and gives a neat seam (when laying artificial bricks with jointing).
• Glue for stone Plitonit Wb. This adhesive is used for gluing artificial and natural stone, all types of porcelain stoneware, facing and clinker tiles. It has proven itself well when laying stone on gypsum plaster, plasterboard, reinforced concrete, brick surface, cellular concrete, lime and cement plaster. When installed with this glue, artificial stone does not slip, which allows the master to lay it in any direction - from bottom to top and top to bottom.
• Weber Vetonit stone adhesive - Stone Fix. It is used for laying artificial and natural stone, as well as any tiles, mosaics, both inside and outside the building. Adheres firmly to surfaces: gypsum fiber and gypsum board sheets, cellular concrete, gypsum and cement plasters.

Liquid Nails. Finishing arches in an apartment with stone can also be done using liquid nails - strong adhesive. It is convenient because it is applied pointwise to stone tiles with a gun, sets quickly and is suitable for many types of surfaces:

• polyurethane;
• tree;
• glass;
• metal;
• drywall;
• cement and gypsum plaster.

Putty. In addition to the listed means, you can use gypsum finishing putty to glue stone to drywall. It can also be used to edit joints at corners, provided that the stone is installed unpainted. Painting will take place after installation. Not polymers, but simple gypsum mixtures such as “Prospectors” have proven to work well when installing stone on putty.

Preparation and styling

An ideal surface before installation is required when you want to make torn stone, that is, leave sections of the wall for another decorative finishing. But plasterboard arches are most often initially smooth, so it is not necessary to putty on the corners and cover the screws. The stone will hide it all anyway. If you decide to lay decorative stone with your own hands, then initially the plasterboard arch should be primed before work. For this you can use a deep penetration primer, but ideally it is better to use contact concrete for priming. This special primer contains tiny particles quartz sand, and after drying they leave a rough base. After such treatment, the adhesion of the arched opening to any finishing material increases.

It is better to start decorating the arch with decorative stone from the bottom of one of the sides. Gypsum tiles can be easily sawed into the required pieces with a regular hacksaw. If you have corner elements, they will perfectly complement the corners of the arch. If they are not there, then the stone is laid first on the inside of the arched opening, and then on both sides of the facade. To obtain the required fragment of jagged stone for front side, you need to saw off a piece a little bigger size, than required for the front part. And then simply break it off with your hands or pliers on one side in the form of a broken stone. And stick it. This work is creative and requires attentiveness and a sense of proportion. Especially if the stone is installed already painted. Proper comparison of all stone fragments is the key to ensuring that an arch lined with decorative stone will look harmonious.

Painting options

After installation, the adhesive composition is given a day to dry. And then you can start painting (if the stone is white). For coloring, you can use various colors and dry pigments. They are diluted in water and applied to the stone with a brush or spray gun, and an airbrush is used to remove individual darker segments. It is recommended to first create a base color, that is, the main color of the stone. In order for the design of an arch in a hallway or kitchen made of decorative stone to fit into the overall picture of the room, it is necessary to select colors that are close or several tones darker or lighter than the color of the walls in the room.

Painting stone with tinted paint is not recommended, especially if the stone is porous. Because the paint clogs the pores and the relief gets lost. This quite spoils the appearance of the arch. Most the best option- namely pigments or colors diluted with water. The water will immediately be absorbed into the plaster, and the color will remain outside without damaging the stone relief. And the arch in stone looks as natural as possible.

Applying varnish for protection

In conclusion, I would like to talk about the finishing of artificial stone. An arch trimmed with decorative stone requires a protective coating. To avoid future absorption of moisture by gypsum stone, it is necessary to impregnate it with water-repellent compounds. They not only protect the stone from moisture, but also reduce the likelihood of mold damage to the stone. The artificial stone is cleaned of dust and the water repellent is applied with a brush in two layers.

To protect decorative stone you can use acrylic lacquer. This is a ready-made aqueous dispersion of milky color with a slight odor. After this varnish has dried, a transparent, durable film forms on the gypsum stone, and the stone can be wiped with a damp sponge. The varnish is absolutely harmless and does not emit harmful substances. If necessary, acrylic varnish can be diluted with water and applied with a spray gun, spray gun or airbrush.

This varnish is produced in three versions: matte, semi-matte and glossy. When choosing, it is worth considering that glossy varnish will give the effect of shine on the stone, it will give the impression that the stone is wet. Semi-matte acrylic varnish will only reflect slightly. And here Matt lacquer Unlike previous versions will protect the stone from moisture and will not change its color. This option is suitable for those who want to achieve a natural color when finishing.

Some people think that if they bought a painted stone, then it is already ready and there is no need to further process it after installation. But that's not true. After all, it is impossible to say with certainty how the stone was processed during production. Therefore, when finishing the interior arch with decorative stone is finished, it is recommended to go over it with a brush again protective coating. This will not only clog your pores. gypsum stone and will not allow moisture to be absorbed into it, but will also add strength to the tile.