Decorating arches with stone

Decorative stone - a find for the designer-finisher. The decoration of the archways under the stone is acceptable for country styles, provance, loft, rustic, high-tech, etc. Having a rough and uneven surface texture, the artificial stone can be easily processed. Faceted arches under the stone are found both in urban apartments and in country houses.

Make an arch of stones, the same as on photo, it is possible, in order to obtain a qualitative result, it is required to strictly adhere to the technology of facing.

Advantages of arches made of stone

The decorative stone for arches produced conveys the exact coloring and structure of wild natural mineral. A significant advantage is that the working back of the stone is adapted for laying the glue mixture. On sale you can find a specially processed stone for framing arched openings.

• Behind an arch laid out with a stone, it's easy to look after. Enough non-abrasive detergents and warm water.
• The laying method is simple, and the cost part is not large. To lick the arch with a stone on its own.
• The choice of materials for stone arches is very large. The assortment contains the most beautiful and popular imitations of minerals.

Preparation for laying decorative stone on the arch

Tools:

• construction mixer and drill;
• water level, measuring tape and plumb bob;
• turbo-grinding machine with a cutting disc;
• spatula steel, spatula comb, rubber spatula;
• trowel and rubber kijanka, rasp, nippers or pliers;
• syringe for jointing and expansion shovel;
• wooden or plastic wedges - struts or thick joints for joints.

The consumables are glue for decorative stone. When choosing glue, read in the instructions the setting time of the glue, the time for the correction of stone tiles and the recommended weight of the material. Decoration of arches with stone involves laying not only on the vertical plane, but also facing the vaults. In this case, the weight of the stones will act on the adhesive layer, on the break. A high-quality adhesive for an arch lined with stone is the most important component. For the work on the design of the arch stone still require:

• grouting the right color;
• primer for glue;
• varnish for decorative stone;
• water repellent.

Hydrophobizer is a deeply penetrating additive for concrete walls. Unlike waterproofing, hydrophobization allows the surface to "breathe".The work on the decoration of the arch with decorative stone is performed at an air temperature of at least +5 C.

Preparing the arch for facing with decorative stone

Before you begin laying the stone on the archway, it must be cleaned and aligned. The surface of the arch is cleaned first with a steel spatula, and then with a stiff brush with wire bristles.

1. With filler, the irregularities in the places where the decorative stone is fixed are smoothed and smoothed out. To smooth the plane along the arc of the arch, a flexible rubber spatula is used.
2. The working areas of the arch surface are sanded with sandpaper and soaked in soil. The primer binds small particles, and on such a surface any finish is held tight.
3. Concrete or plastered with cement mortar brick arches are covered with adhesive primer. When the temperature of the air is high or the humidity is high, it is recommended to slightly moisten the surface of the arch.
4. Drywall arches are decorated with light stamps of finishing stone. The surface of the arch of GKL made of moisture-resistant material is treated with a primer.
5. Before starting work, the decorative tile under the stone is checked and prepared. Packages of tiles are opened and checked for differences in tone. In any case, tiles from different packs should be mixed. Sort the tiles in size in such a way that the impression of a natural stone wall is created.
6. There should be no thin foamy coating on the back of the tile. Such a plaque is called "cement milk", and it worsens the agglomeration of tiles. To the glued tiles do not fall off, remove the "cement milk" with a metal brush.

Stacking of decorative stone on the arched opening

1. The glue in the bucket is mixed with a mixer according to the instructions. Glue mass should not be too liquid. Stir not all of the glue immediately, but in small pieces of 2 - 3 kg at a time. In the process of work, the adhesive mixture in the bucket is periodically mixed with a mixer and, if necessary, slightly moistened.
2. Laying start from the bottom up. The first stone is laid at the junction of the wall and the arch. In the place of passage of the opening into the arc of the arch, the tile is cut by an angle grinder and trimmed with pliers or nippers. End sections are adjusted to the radius of the rasp.
3. With a spatula, the glue mixture is applied to the bonded section of the arch. With a combed spatula, the glue is spread on the area up to a layer thickness of 5 - 10 mm. With vertical laying, the glue waves are made in the horizontal direction.
4. A layer of glue is also applied to the tile in 5 - 10 mm and in this case the waves are made upright. The intersection of waves of adhesive mass will fill the voids. Tiles tightly pressed against the wall with their hands and pinned with a rubber mallet. The glue protruding around the perimeter is removed with a flat spatula. Tapping determines the absence of voids. The voids can lead to condensation under the tile. In the case of the detection of voids, the tiles are removed, cleaned of the glue and reinstalled.
5. For wedging and decorative seams between tiles of artificial stone, wedge spacers or crossings are installed. After setting the adhesive mass and fixing the tiles, the spacers are removed and the joints are decorated with the trowelling mixture.
6. The most laborious process in the facing of arches is the pasting with a decorative stone of the arch in the opening. To fix the decorative stone used wooden spacers and scotch tape. After grabbing a glued stone on vertical planes, go to the radius of the inner arch of the arch.
7. After gluing the first horizontal row of decorative stone on an inclined plane, fix it with adhesive tape. Press the board over the adhesive tape and install the spacer, resting on the opposite side of the opening. After setting, proceed to laying the next row. The scotch is removed after the end of the stone laying.

Decorative stone jointing and finishing

The jointing of decorative stones requires attention and caution. Filler seams are selected depending on the taste of the host. For an ideally decorated stone arch, the contrasting color of the grout is selected, if the goal is to disguise small defects, a trowel of the color of the companion or a stone is selected.

1. The syringe is filled with a thick grout, which is gently squeezed into the gaps between the stones. Try not to get on the front side of the decorative stone. Remove from the rough surface of the trowel mixture is problematic. Fill the seams not completely, 3 - 4 mm to the face of the stone. This creates a visual effect of the relief of the masonry. After 20 - 30 minutes, the seams are smoothed over the contour with a scapula.
2. After drying, the arch trimmed with decorative stone is washed with warm soapy water and degreased. For degreasing, alcohol or acetone solvents are used. Then the opening is covered with a water-based acrylic lacquer. Select a clear or semi-matt lacquer. Apply the varnish with a brush or spray gun.

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