Types of finishing arches with artificial stone. Finishing arches and doorways with decorative stone

Behind last years Decorating arches with stone is becoming increasingly popular. Received unusual appearance rooms, for example in the hallway, gives the room individuality, originality and a solid look, expanding the space and creating a feeling of spaciousness.

Not only does it have beautiful design, but also practicality. After all, the stone does not require ideal use when using smooth base, and there is no need to level the surface. Many apartment owners want, but do not know, how to decorate an arch with stone. The information presented below will help you figure this out.

And what advantages will the surface have if you decorate the arch with stone?

Laying diagram for a beam arch: B is the height to which you want to raise the top of the arch, C is half the width of the opening, R is the radius.

Finishing arches with stone, as mentioned above, creates not only an external interior that is pleasing to the eye. Decorative stone has regular shapes and has a light weight, which greatly simplifies the work. This material is absolutely harmless from an environmental point of view and is not susceptible to corrosion, fungi and other bacteria. No need for a stone special care, you can wash it with any ugly detergent, it has a wide choice of colors and structures (imitation brick or in the form of tiles), in addition, the style of execution can be different (antique or modern).

The stone is especially valuable for such advantages as reliability and durability. Typically, arches are included in the design when designing the interior of corridors near the entrance doors. This part of the apartment is characterized by a high probability of contamination and damage to the walls.

Return to contents

What tools and materials are required for finishing arches with stone?

When carrying out the work, the main difficulty is the fact that it is necessary to cover not only the flat surface, but also the inner rounded part of the arch. If you carefully read all the nuances of the process, stone finishing will no longer seem so complicated; you can do it yourself.

To finish the arch, before starting work you need to prepare the following tool:

pliers;
pickaxe;
roller;
saw;
primer;
building level;
putty knife;
knife for construction work;
sandpaper;
pencil.

In addition to this you will need:

stone;
liquid nails or glue;
cement mortar;
solution for sealing joints.

Return to contents

Preparatory stage of work

Stone tiles can be fixed not only with cement, but also with liquid nails.

Before starting work on lining arches with stone, the following operations must be performed:

selection of stone. If the surface of the arch is made of plasterboard sheets, then too heavy stone tiles can deform or destroy it. As a rule, narrow plates are purchased for finishing arches, since it is easier to attach them to the arched inner part;
surface preparation. It is necessary to carefully inspect the surface for possible defects.

The stone can only be fixed to a solid, clean surface.

Gluing a stone onto a dusty or dirty surface is strictly prohibited. This will lead to poor-quality fasteners, and the stone will soon fall off. The surface must first be treated with a special impregnation. Penetrating inside the material, it significantly strengthens it. If the surface is too smooth, then you will need to make notches using a pick. They will help improve the adhesion of the stone plate to the arch. Finally, the arch is treated with a primer.

Preparation of cement mortar. The composition depends on the type of stone used. Classic mortar includes sand, cement, lime and glue. The exact proportions of all components depend directly on the stone. Therefore, it is better to resolve this issue with specialists. If you use a decorative stone that is light in weight, it will be easy to glue it to a pre-treated surface using special glue or liquid nails.

Return to contents

How to finish an arch from the outside?

Stone laying is carried out according to the following sequence:

After covering the arch, at least 24 hours must pass, after which all seams must be rubbed with a special solution.

Laying the 1st row. The walls bordering the arch also need to be finished. The first tile is attached at the junction of the arch and the wall. Work starts from the very bottom. To obtain a neat, even row, you need to use a building level and plastic crosses.
The 2nd row is also placed at the intersection of the arch and the wall. However, the 1st stone of this row should protrude beyond the joint at a distance equal to the thickness of the tile. The facing tiles are overlapped at the outer corners. This will allow you not to seal them in the future, and the masonry will become more durable. It turns out that the tiles should be laid in a checkerboard pattern. The number of tiles depends on the length of the rows.
Approaching the curve, the finishing tile is first applied to the wall on which it will be mounted, and then, being careful, it is cut along an arc (maintaining the radius of the curve). Using a pencil, the stone is marked according to the rounding.
You can carefully cut the stone by first passing several times with a construction knife along the drawn markings. After this, all excess is removed with ordinary pliers. In addition, you can cut the tiles using special tile cutters or a grinder. The cut surface is treated with sandpaper. All other elements bordering the arch, if necessary, are adjusted in the same way.

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, a stone made to look like 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 out an arch decorative stone, 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, it may 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. Use heavy big stones not recommended, as they can damage or 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.

Return to contents

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.

Return to contents

Decorative stone laying technology

After all the preparatory work, you can begin to lay 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 in this case the first stone protrudes beyond the wall joint by the width of the 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 greater 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.

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 feeling 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 in nature there are many varieties of stones, so with artificial finishing you can choose what 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 the 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. 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. Convenient because it is applied to stone tiles pointwise 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 polymer, 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 of quartz sand and dries to leave a rough base. After this treatment, the arched opening’s adhesion 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 They are perfectly cut 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 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 milky 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 the stone’s shine; it will give the impression that the stone is wet. Semi-matte acrylic varnish will only reflect slightly. And here Matt lacquer unlike previous options, it will protect the stone from moisture and will not change its color. Such option will do for those who want to achieve 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. So when finishing interior arch finished with decorative stone, it is recommended to 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.

Arches in apartments and private houses rarely went out of fashion; most likely, many were stopped by the difficulty of work. Today, finishing materials have appeared that make it possible to produce it without any problems, in particular, plasterboard boards. Decorative stone, which has many advantages, is well suited for their cladding.

Advantages of artificial stone

With its help, any room is immediately transformed, receiving a solid and original look. In addition to beauty, artificial stone is a practical material.

Finishing an arch with decorative stone is not always done on a perfectly flat surface, thereby eliminating one of the finishing stages.

Cladding an arch is one of the ways to add zest to the interior of a room.

What else is interesting about the material:

unlike its natural analogue, it has much less weight, and due to correct form it is much easier to work with, in addition, its price is lower;
the stone does not contain any harmful impurities, since it is created from completely ordinary materials;
the product does not rot, cannot be damaged by fungi or mold, and bacteria do not create their own colonies on it;
There is no need to take any special measures to care for it; you can wash and clean it with any non-abrasive detergents;
by adding to the main mixture various dyes, you can make exactly the color that is needed in a certain interior. The same applies to the shape of the stones, depending on the pouring molds, where you can make stones to look like tiles or bricks, in an antique or modern style.

They are valued as a decorative stone and for their reliability. Therefore, finishing the arches with decorative stone front door or in the hallway, in places where walls are most likely to get dirty or damaged, has become so popular.

Getting ready for work

The main difficulty in cladding an arch is not so much its flat surface as its rounded inner part. Below you will find installation instructions and the intricacies of the process itself, which will help you make it yourself with minimal effort.

Prepare tools and materials:

pickaxe;
pliers;
roller;
hacksaw;
decorative rock;
primer;
building level;
liquid nails or special glue;
cement-based mortar;
putty knife;
construction knife;
pencil;
sandpaper;
mortar for joints.

Getting ready for installation

Before you learn how to decorate an arch with decorative stone, you need to carry out preparatory work, so as not to stop the process at its stages:

Choose an artificial stone based on the main surface on which it will be installed. For example, for a plasterboard arch, a very heavy product can deform or even damage it. Therefore, most often narrow plates are selected for them, since they are easier to attach to the arched inner part.

Prepare the surface of the arched opening. Be sure to carefully examine it for various defects. Lay stone only on a solid and clean surface.

If you decide to glue it to a layer of dust or debris, the product will very quickly fall off the wall. It would be a good idea to treat the base with a deep penetration primer, which will significantly strengthen it.

Tip: use a pick to make notches on a surface that is too smooth, which will improve the adhesion of the stone to the base. After this, the arch must be well primed.

Prepare a cement mortar, the components of which are determined by the type artificial material. It usually consists of lime, sand, Portland cement and glue. Their exact ratio depends on the stone, so at this stage it would be a good idea to take the advice of a specialist.

Since the mass of the material is small, it can be easily glued to the treated surface using, for example, liquid nails or special glue.

We cover the arch from the outside

First row. The connecting walls to the arch should also be finished. Attach the first stone at the point of contact. Start the process from the bottom rows, gradually moving up. Use plastic crosses for uniform seams and use a building level to ensure the masonry is even and neat.

Second row. It also begins at the junction of the wall and the arch. However, the first stone here should be pushed beyond the wall joint to the thickness of the finishing tiles. Due to this, the elements are installed overlapping at the outer corners, allowing them not to be sealed in the future, and the masonry will become more durable. Next, lay the stones in a checkerboard pattern. The amount of material depends on the length of the rows.

Attach the finishing elements to the adjacent wall at their attachment points, when you reach the rounding of the arch, and cut them very carefully along the arc, maintaining the radius. Take a pencil and mark the arched stone that protrudes from the arched interior of the arch and cut that too.

Tip: to carefully cut the stone, you need to go over the markings several times with a construction knife, and then remove the excess with pliers.

To cut the stone, you can use an angle grinder (“grinder”) or wire cutters. After this, sand all the unevenness with sandpaper. Adjust the remaining elements framing the arch in shape and size.

Lining the arch from the inside

- the stage is complex and responsible. Approach him with special attention and accuracy.

Glue the decorative stone onto inside using the technology indicated above, but remember about the overlap fastening.
Trim the tile if its length is greater than the width of the opening. Use a hand saw for this if the base of the product is gypsum, if cement - an angle grinder.
After finishing the arch is completed artificial stone with your own hands, wait about 48 hours so that the material can adhere well to the surface of the arch. Fill the joints with artificial stone mortar and smooth them gently with a soft rubber putty knife or brush without applying pressure to the stone.

Try not to get the solution on the front of the product, and remove the excess with a soft cloth or sponge. If you wish, you can paint the stone desired color, at the same time the seams will be decorated.

Conclusion

Facing an arched opening with artificial stone requires concentration and accuracy. All work can be done independently, using ordinary tools and materials. In the video presented in this article you will find Additional information on this topic.

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 built 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 an excellent way to decorate the interior, it performs an excellent protective function. That's why designers loved him so much. Of course, if artificial stone is used indoors, then its protective functions are reduced to withstanding 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:

no special care required - any 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 the 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.

Grip quality finishing material with base depends on roughness back side tiles 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.

Edges in mandatory 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 we cut off square piece 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 this finish is amazing, as you can see by looking at the photos of the options.