Flexible stone is a finishing material. It consists of fiberglass, adhesive mixture and the smallest particles of rock sedimentary rocks – sandstone or marble chips.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- Does not burn, does not leak water.
- It is eco-friendly, there are no toxic substances in its composition. The decorative layer has a natural origin, and the bonding compound is absolutely harmless.
- It is durable, can serve for more than one decade. Designers give a guarantee of operation for 35 years.
- It is easy to install and use, while there is no waste left.
- It is not subject to temperature changes.
- It is universal – it is used for both interior and exterior decoration.
- It is very plastic, and this is its main advantage. Allows you to cover any surface without problems.
- He is not afraid of microorganisms and high humidity.
- Frost-resistant.
- It is lightweight, does not create a load on any building structures.
- In operation, it can withstand temperatures from -45 to +65 degrees Celsius.
- It can be mounted on a surface of any character.
- Finally, he’s just beautiful. Its unique appearance gives a lot of room for designers.
- You can cut it with a conventional construction knife or scissors.
Well, are there any disadvantages? So far, only one serious drawback has been identified: the high price.
Varieties of flexible stone
- Stone wallpaper. Just like ordinary wallpaper, it is produced in rolls and is used mainly for interior wall decoration. And they are glued in the same way, with the only difference that the sheets must be glued closely, avoiding overlaps.
- Stone tiles. It is used to cover the floors and facades of houses. The size of the tile, its color – space for the imagination of customers and designers.
- Flexible sheet stone. It has the same thickness as the tile, but is produced in plates. The dimensions of the sheets vary in a large range.
- Thermal panels made of flexible stone. They are based on expanded polystyrene. If the facade is lined with thermal panels, the energy efficiency of the house will increase.
Color palette
At the production stage, it is painted. As a result, the colors can be:
- red – and all its shades;
- pink, including dusty pink;
- gray – from dark to light;
- black;
- blue;
- brown;
- sandy;
- green – from light green to emerald;
- creamy shades.
Marble chips are painted in colors characteristic of the breed. It can be greenish, black-and-white or golden color. Because of its versatility and other advantages, this material is very much in demand, but working with it has its own characteristics.
Well, now let’s see where and how this amazing material is used.
Scope of application
Flexible stone veneer is used for:
- Facing facades, ground floors.
- Wall finishes in offices and residential premises.
- Decoration of the fireplace area.
- Finishing of the cooking area in the kitchen (kitchen apron).
- Wall finishes in swimming pools, bathrooms, toilets.
- Decoration of stairs and fences in gardens.
- For small decor (lampshades for lamps, for example).
As you can see, the scope of application of this material is very wide, and its demand is also high.
Features of use in the interior
It is a beautiful and durable coating for interior decoration. However, in order for it to really please you for a long time, strictly follow the instructions.
Wall decoration
Features of the use of stone wallpaper:
- Before finishing the wall, it is necessary to prepare – treat with antifungal impregnation.
- The glue must be selected in accordance with the polymer that was used to create the wallpaper.
- The glue is applied only to the wall, the reverse side of the wallpaper remains dry, and it is better to wipe it with a dry cloth before installation.
- The wallpaper is warmed up with a construction hairdryer so that they fit better to the surface.
- It is necessary to glue them “joint to joint”. When gluing “overlapping” thick wallpaper, errors in the decoration will immediately be detected. However, in this case, the seams can be softened by warming them with a hairdryer, and then rolling out with a roller.
- Press the wallpaper to the wall with a roller so that they stick better.
- Remove the protective coating from the material with which it goes on sale. Yes, this should be done after the installation is complete.
The joints between the wallpaper, if they are noticeable, can be covered with paint to match, or wiped with wallpaper scraps.
Floor finishing
Stone tiles are a great material for covering the floor. Its advantage is that it is not necessary to pre-level the surface.
It should be laid starting from the far corner. After laying the tiles, it is necessary to remove the remnants of glue and be sure to rub the seams with a special composition and an ordinary brush. Do not forget to also remove the protective coating from the tile.
Such a floor covering looks great in “palace” styles, Art Deco and classics. Flexible stone is able to withstand heavy physical exertion, so it is used where increased strength is required – in the bathroom, in the kitchen.
Ceiling finishing
In the same way, you can lay tiles on the ceiling. This is a really flexible material, so you can make a ceiling of any configuration. A variety of colors gives room for imagination and allows you to choose the right shade for any interior style.
Decoration of arches and columns
Flexible stone is good to finish the apartment arches. It is beautiful and durable, does not weigh down the interior. At the same time, the arch can be of any shape – straight, semicircular, curly – the material is very plastic. If you have an arch with columns, then cover them with a flexible stone.
Flexible stone veneer in the kitchen
A kitchen apron and a countertop made of this material will give your kitchen an aristocratic look.
What do we expect from a kitchen apron?
- Strength coating.
- Moisture resistance.
- Resistance to temperature changes.
- Resistance to dirt and odors.
- To be easily cleaned.
- Presentable and beautiful.
Flexible stone veneer has all these qualities. In addition, it is easy to install, does not deform.
Flexible stone veneer in wet rooms
The material is not afraid of high humidity, so it is actively used in rooms where this very humidity is in excess: in bathrooms, baths, saunas, swimming pools. The flexibility of the material allows them to paste over even plumbing fixtures. The color palette does not limit the choice of style.
Decor
Flexible stone is used as decoration:
- This material is light-permeable, so it is especially good as lamp shades for lamps. The result is a very soft diffused light.
- The absolute incombustibility of the material allows them to finish the fireplace.
- If you place a painting or a statuette in a niche covered with stone wallpaper, they will play with completely different colors.
- On the windowsill trimmed with flexible stone, your green plants will look great.
- Fresco on flexible stone. The material is used as the basis for a drawing applied using UV printing. Apply it on a wall covered with stone wallpaper – and get an image that does not fade for many years. It does not matter where it is located – in the living room or in the bathroom.
Interior design style
Flexible stone has no restrictions on use, this is especially attractive. It looks most organically in the following interior styles:
- Art Deco style. This finish will give the interior the pomp necessary for this style.
- Classic style. The stone-tiled floor looks especially good.
- Loft style. Flexible stone veneer can imitate brickwork.
- Modern – at the junction of classics and modernity.
- Hi-tech style – both the walls and the floor, finished with this technology, will look equally good.
- Antique style – assumes the presence of columns. But natural stone columns are prohibitively expensive. Cover the columns of drywall with stone wallpaper – and you will not distinguish them, and the structure itself will be light.
- Oriental style – finishing with flexible stone looks really luxurious, in the spirit of this style that loves ostentatious splendor.
Features of flexible stone application
Flexible stone is an impeccable finishing material. It remains to focus your attention on a few more important points.
- Do not get carried away with it excessively: do not trim the walls, ceiling, and floor with flexible stone, it will look too intrusive.
- In small rooms, use it carefully, otherwise you can overload the interior.
- The shade of flexible stone should be in harmony with the color of the furniture in the interior.
- If you lack experience, entrust the interior design to a professional, otherwise the result may disappoint you.
- Do not use a flexible stone of only one color. A harmonious interior is obtained if you use different shades of this material.
- If you cover the flexible stone with varnish, its service life will increase.
Of course, the option of finishing with a flexible stone can not be called low-budget. But this compensates for a long service life.
Exterior facing with flexible stone
Let’s see how it can be applied in the exterior.
Stairs. Flexible stone made of marble chips is often used for finishing stairs and railings. The staircase looks gorgeous, the steps are resistant to abrasion.
Facing the house with flexible stone. There are nuances here.
- Before starting work, the surface must be carefully prepared: cleaned of dirt, leveled, sanded, primed if necessary.
- Prepare the adhesive composition, following the instructions.
- Apply a thin layer of it to the surface of the house.
- Press the sheet or tile against the wall, smooth it out well.
- Dry with a construction hair dryer.
- Apply a finishing coat to protect against adverse weather and mechanical damage.
This material can be used in landscape design – in the design of flower beds, fountains, gazebos, paths in the garden.