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Artificial stones and their properties. The use of decorative artificial stone in the interior of the apartment and facade cladding - ideas, price, photo

Natural is always better, you say. And you will undoubtedly be right if we are not talking about artificial and decorative stone.

An impeccable imitation, which is difficult to distinguish from the original, wins the hearts of those who are more familiar with the material. Today I will tell you what I learned about decorative stone in the interior. We will cover topics such as artificial stone for interior decoration, a type of artificial material, laying technology, advantages and disadvantages of facing coating.

Why choose artificial stone?

Natural material is oddly capricious. Firstly, it is easily damaged during transportation, secondly big weight creates strong pressure on floors and foundations, and thirdly, natural material cannot boast of a variety of colors and shades, which cannot be said about artificial and facing stone, which can be used both in a private house and in an apartment.

A small table shows the advantages and disadvantages of the material:

A plus:	Minus:
The finishing element has not lost its strength properties.	Overpriced for some types of stone.
Can be combined with other designs.	Unlike natural, artificial is not eternal. However, who needs a finish that can live longer than the entire structure?
Installation is not difficult.	-
There is no need to grind the stone.	-
Imitation wild stone allows you to create a design in which it is impossible to detect the use of artificial stone.	-

Important! Artificial stone in the interior of the hallway takes pride of place, as the impeccability of high-quality design immediately tells guests about the tastes and viability of the owners of the home. When choosing a finish, the composition of the decorative stone is also important.

Varieties and components

There are several components from which artificial material is made. The most requested of them:

Gypsum.
Alabaster.
Cement.
synthetic polymer.

It will not be difficult even for a beginner to create an artificial stone with his own hands and at home, if he follows all the advice and mixes the solution correctly. If you decide to buy a stone in the construction market, then make sure of the selected products and ask for quality certificates. On the this moment The range consists of the following types:

Gypsum.
Ceramic.
Based on cement.
Polyester.
Liquid.
Cast.

Where the cladding looks advantageous:

Place:	Description:
Hallway and corridor:	Wallpaper and the presence of artificial stone under the brick looks perfect in the interior of the house.
Bedroom:	A small room is not suitable for facing with decorative stone; if in doubt, it is better to use photo wallpapers. It is allowed to plaster the walls.
Plinth:	The external facade looks spectacular when combined with artificial stone and siding. Installation on the frame makes it possible to insulate the house, foam plastic is suitable and mineral wool. At the same time, the material acts as an additional insulation and protection from external atmospheric influence.
Kitchen:	A countertop or an apron looks spectacular in the dining room, especially if the doorway is decorated with artificial stone. Stone sink is practical in this interior. For the kitchen-living room, stone masonry helps in zoning the space.

Laying artificial stone (video)

Preparation and finishing process

The interior element that is used for the walls can be made independently. Most people want to decorate a room inexpensively and at the same time create a great decor. That is why the technology for the production of artificial stone from gypsum is described in detail in most sources. Photos and videos make the manufacturing process simple even for a beginner. The form is created individually. Painting of artificial stone is carried out both in the process of mixing solutions, and when pouring into molds.

Important! Plaster goes well with decorative stone, so you should think about a combination of two popular materials in advance.

First of all, the laying of stone requires the preparation of the base. It is necessary to clean the surface, remove the old tapestries and remove greasy and dirty spots from the base. The tiles are glued to flat surface therefore, visible irregularities need to be puttied. Small flaws can be smoothed out by thickening the adhesive solution.

Tools needed for finishing:

Spatulas.
Metal brush.
Rubber mallet.
Level and plumb lines.
File - the use is necessary for trimming a stone.
Stitching - makes it possible to make a beautiful seam.
Glue.
Roulette.
Special clothing.

Gluing a stone is allowed in two ways. The first option is seamless. Much faster and easier to do. You need to glue with a seam with crosses that will not allow the tile to move out - after each lined row, use the level to check. The door in the process of wall sheathing should be sealed. If there are large irregularities, drywall is used, it creates a perfectly flat surface for cladding.

After removing all the flaws and old finishing materials, the wall is primed. It improves grip finishing material with a base. While the surface dries decorative material laid out on the floor, trimmed, polished if necessary. The adhesive solution is mixed in certain proportions, in addition, it must be remembered that the mixture must be consumed 15 minutes after preparation.

Do not prepare a large amount of glue. It is necessary to apply the solution in a thin layer on the wall - if necessary, on the tile. Lightly pressing the tile against the wall, it is fixed in the desired position. The next element is applied after setting the previous one. Start designing from the bottom corner.

Important! The use of corner tiles allows you to speed up the finishing work.

Khrushchev is a dwelling that combines a shared bathroom with a bathroom, small kitchens and often narrow corridors. Create in such a room living room view difficult, but an artificial element can do this. A vivid example of this is a large number of photographs and completed repairs.

Photo gallery of finished works

For a material that builders and architects usually call artificial stone, this name is, in fact, quite arbitrary. Firstly, there are several patented technologies for its production from various developers and manufacturers, and therefore artificial from different companies differs somewhat in composition, properties and production technology. The technology for the production of artificial stone can be based on:

– polymerization of acrylic or epoxy resins;
– sintering of the initial mass at high temperature;
– plasma-vacuum sintering.

Ultimately, an artificial stone is a polymeric material, the bulk of which is filler. Fillers for the production of artificial stone can be:

– finely crushed quartz;
- spar;
- granite;
- crushed glass and other mineral components.

Also in the artificial stone there is aluminum hydroxide or its trihydrate. This is an analogue of the substance that is part of the white clay, which is used to make porcelain. As a rule, a dye-pigment is also included in the composition of the initial mass of artificial stone. For the first time, a material called artificial stone in our country, and abroad better known as "Solid Surface" appeared in 1966. Today, artificial stone is widely used as a finishing material.

Properties of artificial stone

Why was it necessary to invent an artificial stone in the presence of a huge abundance natural stone? Artificial and natural stone are more similar in appearance than in their properties. Many manufacturers and dealers claim that artificial stone is in no way inferior to natural stone. But it is not so.

The undoubted advantages of artificial stone include its strength in combination with plasticity. Where natural stone will crack, artificial stone will most likely survive. Due to this plasticity, the material is more technologically advanced. It can be cut, drilled, milled without fear that at the most inopportune moment it will delaminate or crack. The durability of artificial stone is commensurate with natural stone. On the scale of the duration of human life, this issue should not bother.

The material of artificial stone is environmentally friendly, it does not absorb water, dirt or grease. Easy to clean from any dirt. Artificial stone does not carry residual natural radiation like some minerals. The material is not subject to corrosion, oxidation, rotting, resistant to bacteria, fungus and other undesirable microflora. Artificial stone is quite resistant to high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, exposure to chemically aggressive substances: acids, alkalis and solvents.

The stone can have a glossy, semi-gloss or matte texture. Looks elegant and noble. It can be processed and joined in a seamless way. It sticks together well, but, perhaps, the main advantage is that artificial stone products can be produced by molding, which makes it possible to give artificial stone products almost any shape. For example, a countertop and a kitchen sink can be made as a single monolith.

A significant advantage of artificial stone is that, with external similarity, artificial stone is about one and a half times lighter than natural. This is essential in the manufacture of cladding facade materials. When facing a large area with artificial stone, the weight gain is hundreds of kilograms, which significantly reduces the load on the foundation. The colors and textures of artificial stone are almost endless. Only the varieties and modifications of artificial stone presented in Ukraine can be counted several hundred.

Some advantages of natural stone are not characteristic of artificial ones. So, some criticism deserves its heat resistance. While natural stone does not burn anywhere, never and under no circumstances and is able to withstand temperatures of thousands of degrees, it is not recommended to put hot objects on artificial stone, for example, a goose coop taken out of their oven. Assurances of durability comparable to natural stone should also be taken critically. Artificial stone as a material has existed for a relatively short time - since the middle of the last century. From the point of view of prestige and respectability, natural stone is also valued higher, just like everything real is valued higher than fake.

Applications of artificial stone

Given the listed properties of artificial stone, it is not difficult to understand that it has a very wide scope. Artificial stone is widely used for:

– interior design and is very much loved by designers for its manufacturability;
- almost ideal for interior decoration of kitchens and bathrooms;
– finishes of pediments of fireplaces;
- cladding and cladding floor coverings.

The absence of pores on the surface of artificial stone makes it very attractive for use as countertops and bar counters, washstands and sinks, as it is very resistant to dirt and easy to clean. Some designers use it to make room decor items such as lamps, furniture panels, miniature sculpture. Given the possibility of molding the material, elements of garden decor are made of artificial stone: from decorative figurines and sculptures to imitation of natural boulders for decorating landscape compositions. Characteristically, work on the manufacture of artificial rocks, boulders and alpine slides can be carried out directly on the site, which makes it possible to produce stones and boulders of very large sizes.

Artificial stone is used for facade cladding, manufacturing paving slabs. Works on finishing facades with artificial stone in most cases are several times cheaper compared to natural stone. This is due to the fact that facing with natural stone is a rather complicated, expensive and time-consuming process. It is easier to work with artificial stone. Firstly, concrete and brick surfaces do not require special preparation when laying this material, since they are similar in physical characteristics. Secondly, artificial stone is easier to cut and process than natural stone. And what is important, in the sets of decorative facing stone there are rounded and corner elements, as well as details for facing window and doorways, which greatly simplifies the work on finishing facades.

Caring for artificial stone

Artificial stone as a material in use requires a certain amount of maintenance. Despite the rather high resistance to pollution, artificial stone must be periodically cleaned of food debris, grease and dust, using soapy water or special solutions. In this case, despite the high resistance of the material, it is not desirable to use acidic or alkaline solutions. If a chemically aggressive substance has got on the surface of an artificial stone, it is recommended to wash it off. large quantity water.

Alexey Ilchenko, Profi-Stone sales manager, told iBud.ua the following:
It is not recommended to cut products directly on the surface of artificial stone. The knife may well leave scratches. The surface of an artificial stone can also be damaged when struck with a heavy or sharp object. It is necessary to avoid exposing the material to boiling water or just very hot water. Based on the fact that almost all operating instructions indicate that dishes that have just been removed from the fire should not be placed on the surface of this material. Therefore, we can question the statement about the high thermal stability of artificial stone.

It is not recommended to use cleaners that contain abrasive when cleaning artificial stone products. For glossy surfaces of artificial stone, abrasive substances must not be used. However, the artificial stone surface is subject to repair and restoration. For this, special polymer compounds are produced, the use of which eliminates scratches and chips, but their use requires qualifications and certain experience. In addition, a special polishing paste is produced for artificial stone surfaces, which is rubbed in a circular motion with a soft cloth.

Manufacturers and prices for artificial stone

The first samples of artificial stone, released back in the 60s of the twentieth century, were enough expensive pleasure and in some cases, the price surpassed the natural stone. Now this situation has changed to the opposite. But it would be unfair to consider artificial stone as a cheap material, especially when it comes to artificial stone of foreign manufacturers. The following companies were the first on the Ukrainian market:

- South Korean corporation "LG CHEMT" producing stone LG HI-MACS;
- Later, a division of the South Korean corporation "SAMSUNG Cheil Industries Inc" joined;
- later in the USA, materials were developed under the trademarks "Avonite" and "Wilsonart".

Today, the bulk of artificial stone manufacturers are concentrated in Spain and Italy. On the Ukrainian market there are such most major manufacturers as: CER-COM, CASALGRANDE PADANA, IRIS FMG, MARAZZI, FLOOR GRES, CAESAR, ATLAS CONCORDE, CERIM, MIRAGE. A group of Spanish manufacturers is united under the name "Gres de Nules-KERABEN".

The cost of artificial stone products depends on the type of product, the amount of material used, and its quality. For floor coverings, layer thicknesses are important. As for price categories then there are three of them:

– economy class (manufactured in Ukraine, Turkey, Poland) – from 10 to 20 c.u./m2;

- middle class (Turkey, Spain) - 25-50 c.u. e./m2;

– elite class (Germany, Belgium) – 80-200$/m2.

As for moldings, a custom-made countertop or bar counter costs 140-170 USD on average. The price of a monolithic seamless sink 400x370x150 made of artificial stone is from 60 euros.

Since ancient times, mankind has been using stone in its activities. In former times, the foundations of houses were made from it, walls were erected, furnaces were laid. Many fortresses built thousands of years ago are still monumental structures. Yes, the stone of their walls has weathered and cracked, but they still stand.

It was strength and durability that were most valued in stone. But natural stone is expensive, since its extraction and transportation is a rather complicated and labor-intensive task, which could not but affect the cost of the stone. Therefore, mankind has long been making attempts to create a certain substance in appearance and properties identical to natural stone.

In the 19th century, this was done, resulting in a durable artificial stone made of concrete, called "Coad", the properties of which were easy to establish its production process near the construction site, and the transportation of artificial stone was much simpler and easier than natural.

After him, an artificial stone appeared, containing granite chips in its composition, which brought it even closer in appearance and properties to natural material.

If it is necessary to obtain particularly durable products, a reinforcing mesh can be used. Such material can surpass not only natural stone, but also metal in strength.

Porcelain stoneware

The following materials are required for its production:

kaolin or illite clay;
quartz sand;
feldspar;
pigments based on metal oxides: chromium, iron, manganese.

The components are ground and mixed, obtaining a mass, which is then pressed and fired at a temperature of 1200 - 1300 degrees. As a result, the mixture is sintered, forming a product homogeneous in thickness, practically devoid of pores and having the following properties:

strength, superior to similar in tens of times;
frost resistance due to the absence of pores;
abrasion resistance;
fire resistance;
chemical resistance;
antistatic;
electrical insulating properties;
outward attraction.

Thanks to these advantages, porcelain stoneware can be used almost everywhere: for facing floors and walls, both outside and inside the building; for facing; for rooms where static electricity accumulates.

Depending on the type outer surface There are the following types of boards:

polished porcelain stoneware - has good dirt-repellent properties, is easy to clean, but too slippery for the floor;
slabs with a natural surface are more difficult to maintain, therefore they are mainly used for cladding utility rooms;
enameled porcelain stoneware - depending on the type of enamel and the relief of the surface, it, sidewalks, external platforms, for technical rooms.
Satin finish slabs – well suited for both home and public spaces.

Agglomerate

Agglomerate is a mixture of such components as:

crushed quartz (granite, marble);
pigments;
high quality polyester resin or cement binder.

Most often, quartz is most often used as a filler, which makes up to 96% of the mixture, since it is the most durable.

Stone produced using resins is more often used for interior decoration. Countertops, bar counters, window sills are made from it. For outdoor work - facade cladding or laying, stone is used on a cement binder.

Quartz agglomerate has the following properties:

it is stronger than natural stone, but at the same time elastic;
has low water absorption and high frost resistance;
varied in shades;
easy to care for;
the cost is much lower than that of natural stone.

acrylic stone

It contains the following components:

mineral filler (60 - 70%);
acrylic resin.

It is the presence of mineral particles in the composition of the mixture that made it possible to call products from it "stone".
Thus, it is plastic and all its advantages and disadvantages are inherent in it. Among the advantages it is worth noting the following:

the possibility of manufacturing seamless surfaces of any shape and size;
sufficiently high strength;
moisture resistance;
ease of care.

The main disadvantages are the tendency to scratching and low thermal stability.
Made of acrylic stone kitchen aprons and even window sills. For other work, it is practically not used.

Advantages and disadvantages of using artificial stone

The main disadvantage of artificial stone is, however, the lower durability of its individual types in comparison with natural stone.
But there are a lot of advantages:

Low cost in comparison with products made from natural materials.
Environmental friendliness - all components used for the manufacture of any type of artificial stone do not harm the human body.
Light weight, which does not create any significant additional load on building structures.
Ease of installation.
Does not require pre-treatment before use.
In appearance, it differs little from natural stone.
and colors, expanding the choice of decor.
Reliable protection of surfaces from moisture and other atmospheric influences.
It is possible to combine artificial stone with any other types of decor and create unusual compositions.
Some types of artificial stone have a high degree of thermal insulation.
High chemical resistance.
Durability is due to the fact that the surface of artificial stone is almost not subject to erosion, so it can last more than 100 years.

Artificial stone is opposed to natural minerals only in words. In fact, this material is not so artificial. It contains exclusively natural ingredients: sand, expanded clay, gypsum, cement, resins, stone chips and coloring pigments.

At the same time, in many respects it surpasses its natural counterpart, and its areas of application are very diverse.

Benefits of using artificial stone

Depending on the appearance and composition, artificial stone can be divided into 3 groups: agglomerates, porcelain stoneware and concrete-based materials. The first group is made with the addition of polyester resins, porcelain stoneware is made from clay and various additives by pressing and firing, and the materials of the last group contain cement, sand and natural fillers.

Despite the great variety, all types of artificial stone are characterized by the following parameters:

high strength and durability;
light weight;
low cost;
ease of processing and styling;
resistance to moisture, sunlight, chemicals;
ease of care;
variety of shapes and colors;
convenience of transportation.

In addition, the artificial stone used for the production of household hard surfaces has high level hygiene. The absence of micropores does not allow moisture to penetrate into the material, which excludes the reproduction of microorganisms in it, as well as the absorption of coloring substances into the surface. Thanks to this, artificial stone is successfully used for the manufacture of kitchen countertops, bar counters, sinks, window sills and other surfaces in contact with water and food.

The use of artificial stone

Products based on this material are most often used in the construction and furniture industries. A lot of products are made of artificial stone today, namely:

household surfaces, including window sills, countertops, bar counters;
sinks and sinks;
toilet racks, racks and shelves for bathrooms;
plates and panels for external and internal wall cladding;
steps and podiums;
materials for facing arches, columns, fireplaces and other decorative design elements;
curbs and paving slabs;
decorative stones for fountains and alpine slides.

Ease and simplicity of laying allow the use of artificial stone even in capital construction. Houses made of such material come out quite light and durable, but you need to take care of the appropriate ceilings and waterproofing. As for the use of artificial stone in the design of adjacent areas, then its possibilities are endless: from facing fences and gazebos to laying out garden paths and construction of fountains.

Important nuance: so that artificial stone products really do not differ from natural minerals and serve you as long as possible, their manufacture should be entrusted to firms with a solid reputation - for example, such as Glav Acryl, which has been producing high-quality acrylic stone products for a long time.

Recently, there has been a lot of controversy about the disadvantages and advantages of synthetic stones. Some say they are worth nothing, others say they are new opportunities for jewelers and buyers.

We decided to dot the i’s and figure out what synthetic inserts really are.

Analogue or imitation?

First of all, let's define concepts.

A synthesized gemstone is an absolute analogue of a natural mineral, but created in a laboratory. In terms of structure, physical and chemical properties it is completely identical to natural. Imitation is called material that repeats only external characteristics stone, but not its composition and properties.

Synthesized stones are also called "artificially grown" because the process of their creation mimics the growth of minerals in natural conditions. However, thanks to the use modern technologies and developments, the birth and growth of a stone in the laboratory is much faster. This difference can be compared to how rare flowers grow in wild nature, and how - in the greenhouse where all the necessary conditions so that the inflorescences turn out to be large, bright, and flowering lasts as long as possible.

Creating ideal conditions for the growth of minerals allows specialists to influence this process, improving certain characteristics of the stone. Therefore, samples grown in artificial conditions are identical to natural minerals of the highest quality.

Currently, there are centers for the production of synthetic stones in many countries of the world, including Russia.

What are synthetic stones used for?

Firstly, synthetic stones can significantly reduce the cost of jewelry with "precious" inserts. So, for example, analogues of ruby, sapphire and emerald in jewelry become synthetic ruby and sapphire corundum and hydrothermal emerald. Thanks to this, any woman will be able to buy jewelry with large inserts corresponding to the highest quality precious stones.

Currently, there are strict legal regulations that determine how to designate and name jewelry stones. In accordance with them, the word "synthetic" must be indicated on the tag for a product with similar inserts.

Secondly, synthesizing makes it possible to achieve the perfection of the stone: maximum purity, color saturation, high optical properties. Natural stones are not always perfect. And if such samples are found, only a few can afford jewelry with them.

Thirdly, the use of synthetic inserts in jewelry production makes it possible to replace natural stones from depleted deposits. So, for example, in Soviet time alexandrite was considered "not of industrial interest", as a result of which the only mine in the Urals was quickly worked out and closed. In this regard, since 1980, alexandrites have been grown artificially.

man-made stones

Separately, it is worth mentioning synthetic inserts, which are not considered analogues of natural stones, but are initially the result of the development of scientists. These include cubic zirkonia, Swarovski crystals, glass-ceramics and sapphire glass.

In recent years, glass-ceramic has been increasingly used in jewelry production. This is a new material, which is obtained by glass crystallization, due to which glass-ceramic glass has higher physical and chemical properties compared to glass. Transparency and a wide range of colors make it possible to use glass-ceramics as analogues of various, including rare, stones.

Another unusual jewelry material is sapphire glass. Specialists know it as single-crystal aluminum and use it in the manufacture of watches. In its structure, this material is similar to sapphires obtained by synthesis. It has a high degree of transparency, wear resistance, does not become cloudy and does not scratch.

Synthetic inserts are used in various product models. They are more durable, resistant to sunlight, high temperatures and acids.