General characteristics of the facing stone
This finishing material is most often used for facing facades of buildings and their interior decoration of premium class. Natural stone, natural facing material, often used in construction and without pre-treatment. Possessing excellent decorative data, it gives the building a respectable look, suggestive of prosperity and well-being.
The undoubted merits of stone as a facing material are high aesthetic properties, durability, high mechanical strength, environmental friendliness and immunity to atmospheric phenomena.
However, having a considerable specific gravity, it is able to significantly increase the total weight of the building, which is bound to it, which inevitably leads to the necessity of creating a reinforced type foundation.
The high mechanical strength of a natural facing stone causes the complexity of its processing, which increases the expense of funds for finishing and construction. And, finally, this natural material is quite expensive in itself.
Choose a stone correctly
To avoid mistakes in when choosing a stone for facing the facade of a building, its foundation, socle or interior, it is necessary to take into account such characteristics as density, mechanical strength, moisture absorption, porosity, ease of processing and, of course, externalview.
The natural facing stone is divided into two groups according to the type of processing: wild facing stone( "torn" stone, untreated, untreated, flagstone, etc.) and sawn facing stone( facing brick, tile, processed stone, etc.).
On the resistance to environmental effects, there are three groups:
- solid rocks( granite, quartzite, siltstone, gabbro);
- rocks of medium hardness, porosity and density( dolomite, sandstone, limestone, marble, travertine);
- porous rocks of low hardness( gypsum, calcareous tuff).
For facing of facades, socles the wild facing stone in the form of plates - sandstone, slate, lemezite, limestone, shungite is well suited. From the lined facing, slabs and tiles facing from dolomite, sandstone, shungite, etc. are suitable.
Stone cladding features
The refinement of the interior finishes is accentuated by a facing stone from slate, dolomite, sandstone or limestone, made in the form of a "torn" stone or sawlog. Good looking polished slabs of travertine or marble. When interior decoration with such materials, the porosity of the stone, its vapor permeability, has a beneficial effect on the microclimate of the room.
However, an excessively porous stone, such as, for example, limestone, extremely easily absorbs moisture and under its influence is destroyed. Significantly increase the longevity of such stones can be water repellents - special impregnations that protect the stone from moisture. The natural stone is perfectly combined with forged metal, brickwork and wood, which makes it possible to create magnificent compositions.
Before proceeding to the lining of the building, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of the surface to be treated. If it is flat and dry, you can immediately start to work. If not, you will have to create an equalizing screed.
Before installation, the dry laying of the slabs on the floor is performed, i.e.plates are laid out on the floor, and their combination is selected according to the pattern, color and, if necessary, in shape. This determines how the seams will coincide. If necessary, cut the tile.
The natural facing stone is laid with seams. This is due to the fact that even with the most accurate cutting of the stone into blocks, the geometric dimensions of its sides do not coincide perfectly, and the laying is leveled due to the width of the seam.