Stone flooring

Nature itself tells you which building material is the most durable. Have you ever seen a rock move from a gust of wind, hail or tornado? The material of which it consists, is very resistant to external influences. If you want to achieve the same durability of the coating, then you need to know how to install stone floors.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• Solid and rich appearance.
• In hot weather, it creates a feeling of coolness.
• Natural colors.
• High environmental friendliness.
• A unique solution for each customer.
• High level of hygiene.
• Easy to clean.
• Great service life.

Minuses:

• High price.
• Some complexity of styling.
• Weight limit for some rooms.
• Radioactivity of some materials.

Types of material

All the huge variety, which is now used in construction, can be divided into two large groups:

• fake diamond;
• stone of natural origin.

Fake diamond

Subspecies of artificial stone are:

• Painted concrete. Состав этого вида изделия понятен из названия. А вот его окрашивание производится двумя способами. При первом краситель добавляется еще на стадии изготовления – в сам состав. В таком случае, даже если отбить часть, или если произойдет истирание, ничего не поменяется в отношении расцветки. При втором способе краситель наносится уже на готовое изделие. Проникает он на несколько миллиметров. Сразу понятно, что будет, если сколоть часть. Поэтому такой камень применяют для облицовки в местах, где есть наименьшая вероятность трения. Advantages and disadvantages у него такие же, как и у обычного бетона.
• Acrylic stone. The material for the manufacture of acrylic resins. The more polymethyl methacrylate in the composition, the stronger and more qualitative the material is considered. We learned how to make it not so long ago, just half a century ago. Its great advantage is the variety of colors. Often it is used for the manufacture of countertops. The main disadvantage is poor resistance to abrasives. The product is very easy to scratch.
• Ceramic granite. По своему внешнему виду больше похож на керамическую плитку. Отличается приятным внешним видом, большой устойчивостью к истиранию и прочностью. Боится плавиковой кислоты. Изготавливается из различных глин с добавками красителя и минеральных веществ. Сначала вещества прессуют под большим давлением, а потом обжигают.
• Agglomerated stone. Этот вид производится из крошки натурального камня с различными красящими и полиэфирными смолами. Этот вид обладает достаточной прочностью, устойчивостью к морозам, прекрасно повторяет структуру натурального камня. Недостатком является его невозможность применения при естественном освещении, а также для теплого пола. Смола при температуре деформируется и покрытие приходит в негодность.

Note! Artificial does not mean bad. In many cases, it is cheaper, but few will notice the difference.

There is nothing more natural than the present.

Natural stone has been used in construction for more than one millennium. The main favorites of the masters are:

Granite. This stone was formed under the influence of high temperature and pressure due to volcanic activity, after solidification of magma. It consists of mica, feldspar, quartz and other fillers. Due to crystallization and mutual penetration, indescribable beauty patterns appear. Granite has its strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:

• High strength material.
• Ease of processing. Granite can be easily polished and at the same time you can make fancy shapes and patterns out of it.
• Resistant to pollution of various kinds.
• Does not pass water, is a good insulator.
• Allows the room to "breathe."
• Resistant to abrasion and falling of various objects.
• Great service life.

Minuses:

• Great weight.
• This is a rather cold stone.
• Good acoustic properties when walking on it.
• When falling, fragile things fly apart into small pieces.
• High injury risk.
• High enough price.

Slate. Also a breed of volcanic formation. It is a stone that consists of various layers and with sufficient force can be split. It consists of quartz, albite, serpentine, sericite, actinolite and other natural materials. It is so durable that it can be used not only for cladding and floors in the house, but also for pavement paths.

Pros:

• High strength and abrasion resistance.
• Variety of colors.
• Keeps the colors even with constant exposure to the sun.
• It has a low porosity, so it practically does not let moisture through.
• Resistant to dirt.
• Ecologicaly clean.
• Almost unlimited service life.

Minuses:

• It holds temperature well. If you do not organize a floor heating system, it will be very cold in winter.
• Scratch resistant. To avoid this, you can cover it with a protective layer of lacquer or make gaskets on the furniture legs.

Marbleные плиты - well-known material for all its colors, which can be from radiant white to maroon. The material is formed due to various processes that occur in the settled limestone.

Pros:

• The main advantage is the variety in the choice of appearance. Drawing and shade can please.
• With the final surface treatment, it turns glossy. In sunny weather, the reflected light fills the rooms.
• This material does not contain harmful impurities, and therefore is environmentally friendly.

Minuses:

• High porosity leads to the fact that dyes are well absorbed, and, therefore, it is easily dirty. Even a small amount of spilled wine can remain in the material forever, if you do not immediately take action.
• Like granite, it is quite heavy.
• Very high price, which will not be affordable for everyone.

Travertine. This stone is also derived from sedimentary rocks. In its structure, it resembles wood. Its colors are soft tones of brown and yellow. Indoors, it creates an atmosphere of comfort and warmth.

Pros:

• Warm colors of paints.
• External similarity with wood.
• Easy installation.
• Less weight than other species.
• Easy to handle.

Minuses:

• High porosity, which means poor moisture and dirt resistance.
• Poor abrasion resistance.

Sandstone. This stone borrowed its properties from many others. Under the action of natural processes, the destruction of rocks occurs, after which the grains of sand are bound by natural processes. Its advantages are simple processing, but sufficient strength. The main disadvantage is scratch resistance.

Styling methods

Stone floor can be used in various rooms. It looks best in mantels, in large halls and halls. In the final form, the stone may look like a modern tile, so laying methods will be very similar in many respects. But there are some nuances. The first thing you need before laying:

• measure the total area well;
• calculate the size of the material;
• calculate its total weight;
• analyze whether this weight will sustain the base.

Next, select the installation method:

• Laying without solution. It is used for large rooms where there are no special requirements for sound insulation. This method is simple and complex at the same time. Simple - no need to bother with additional mixtures, because the weight of the stone itself may be enough to keep in place. Difficult - an exact fit of the tile dimensions is necessary, and special surface requirements are put forward. The first point will depend on the manufacturer and the skill of the handler. The second is from the builders. To verify the compliance of the base you need:
• Wait until the screed is completely dry. This usually requires a period of 1 month or more.
• Check surface drops. They should be minimal. This is done by the "laser-line" method. The horizon is broken, and the distance to the floor is measured from it.
• Assess the surface uniformity. It should not peel or crumble.
• Laying on solution. This method is very close to how ceramic tiles are laid. The requirements for the base, as in the first case - it must be even and able to withstand future weight. This method is suitable for granite.
• We clear the basis of any dust and dirt. We ground it.
• We prepare the solution from a special mixture (if you decide not to use specific adhesives, then use cement brand 400). Its consistency should not be as liquid as in the case of ordinary tiles. It must be made thick enough and viscous, so that it can withstand the weight of the stone.
• Apply it with a comb on a concrete base. Make the layer uniform. If there is a need, you can also apply glue to the tile (or just wet it with water). The area of ​​its application should exceed the area of ​​the tile by a few centimeters. And the thickness is almost equal to the thickness of the tile.
• We apply and level with the help of a level and a rubber mallet.
• Adjust the seams as tightly as possible, and immediately remove the cement residues with a rag or sponge.
• Laying on latex solution. The sequence of work will be, as in the first version. The difference is that a special filler is used in the solution instead of water. This is important when we put marble and other porous material. Small holes instantly absorb moisture, which can lead to stains and damage to expensive coatings. It is important to monitor the air temperature - it should not be below +5? C and not higher than +34? C.
• Laying with the separation of the cake. This method is similar to the previous two, but there is one major difference. There is a special barrier between the screed base and the adhesive solution. In its role can be a thick plastic film. It must be laid in two layers. The overlap must be at least 50 cm (the same should be its departure above the level of the future floor). On the edge, near the walls, put a damper tape. This method is used when there is a danger that the building may shrink or a high load on the floor is planned. Keep in mind that the shrink seams must be closed.
• Fresco method. In this case, do not wait for the complete drying of the screed. In some situations, it may just be flooded. On the screed stack sound and heat-insulating material (sometimes under it lay a reinforcing mesh). Glue is immediately placed on top of it (its thickness must be at least 45 mm) and tile. With this method it is very important to carefully approach the preparation of mixtures. If the proportions are not met, the consequences will not be uneven floor, and the damage of the stone itself, which can burst. The seams are not erased immediately, but after the shrinkage and curing of the screed. Along the edge, as in the previous case, the tape fits.
• Warm floor. Preparation of the base, laying insulation and pipes will be the same as in the case of a conventional warm floor. It is important to use a solution that is sufficiently liquid so that it fills all the voids that can sink under the weight of the future stone floor. After pouring produce a warm-up for 8 days. At the same time every day they raise the temperature by a step of 5 ?. After a good drying, heating is set at 50%. And the tile is laid using the “on the mortar” method. Be sure to observe the seams of 3 × 5 mm. They are necessary, because the temperature of the coating will constantly change. These rules are relevant for both liquid and electric heating.
• Brecciated masonry. Это укладка камня произвольной формы в виде различных узоров. Для такого рода покрытия лучше использовать раствор для мозаики. Он прекрасно заполняет все швы и дополняет общую картину.

Note! Choosing a method for specific conditions, be sure to get expert advice. Stains remain on porous materials that cannot be removed by anything.

Stone floor care

After laying some types of stone floor make it polished. For this, a special trowel is used, which immediately processes the seams. Water is rarely used for their cleaning, more often it is done by a polishing unit that covers the surface with a special protective layer. It is very important to avoid the ingestion of abrasives, which may be sand and. To do this, at the entrance must be enough dirt traps. Cleaning should be regular, in this case, the stone floor will be almost eternal.