Pros and cons of finishing
Unlike natural stone, the basis of artificial stone is cement mortar. The filler is a mixture of concrete, sand or expanded clay, plus binding additives. Such a product has a lower density, and therefore weight. What other advantages does this material have?
Types of artificial stone texture
The construction market offers decorative products in the form of individual prefabricated elements or whole sheets with a thickness of 3 to 12 mm. To give an aesthetic appearance, dyes are added to the composition, the quality of which determines the resistance of the material to ultraviolet radiation.
Textures have different designs:
- Imitation of natural stone. Usually this is untreated marble, granite or quartz with convex shapes, chips and uneven edges.
- Rubble. Imitates large river pebbles or the texture of boulders.
- Brick. Panels or individual tiles to imitate brickwork.
- Polished stone. It is a conglomerate (industrial marble with the addition of natural stone chips) or porcelain stoneware.
- Imitation of sandstone and limestone. Sawn stones with a smooth surface.
- Torn stone. Facing tiles with the texture of rough broken stone.
- Artificial textures under stone. Acrylic-based coating in the form of rocks that do not occur in nature.
More and more modern people choose the popular loft style for their interior. Its invariable feature in the interior decoration of the balcony is decorative brickwork.
The photo shows a closed balcony, the walls of which are finished with red brick-shaped tiles with white grout.
Sometimes decorative tiles can be replaced with environmentally friendly flexible stone. This material is made by hand cutting a thin layer of sandstone and applying it to a fiberglass base:
Arrangement of decorative stone on the loggia
Due to easy installation, decorative elements can be combined with each other and placed on different parts of the balcony.
Walls
Balconies can be open (cold) and closed (can be insulated). On open balconies, the stone decorates the wall adjacent to the house. On insulated balconies, finishing is carried out along the entire perimeter or partially. The larger the cladding area, the lighter it is recommended to choose shades: white, beige, gray.
Slopes
With the help of slope cladding, you can highlight windows or, on the contrary, combine them with the walls.
Arch between the balcony and the kitchen
If the balcony is combined with the kitchen, a successful design solution would be to combine the rooms with stone cladding. You can decorate either the entire doorway or just part of it.
Partial decoration
When decorating a balcony, you can use fragments of products, for example, decorate the corners asymmetrically. And horizontal stripes laid with tiles will visually expand a narrow balcony.
The photo shows a spacious balcony decorated with white brick. Thanks to the partial cladding, the space does not look overloaded.
Modern ideas for loggia design
City dwellers increasingly choose natural materials for apartment decoration, preferring natural motifs to technology. If you decorate the balcony with artificial stone and fill the space with indoor flowers, you can create a real green oasis.
In the photo, an analogue of sandstone and large plants create a tropical corner on the balcony.
In the modern world, overloaded with information, minimalism is becoming increasingly popular. This trend has affected interiors, not least of all. To leave more “air” in the room, adding natural accents, you can use decorative items in a small space.
Combining artificial stone with other finishing materials
Full stone finishing in modern interiors is rare. Most often it is used in combination with other materials: for example, liquid wallpaper, cork. The most popular way to dilute stone or brickwork is to paint the walls.
The photo shows a contrasting combination of white gypsum tiles and dark gray paint.
Laminate, paneling, decorative plaster can be used as a partner material.
The photo shows a combination of two types of panels: stone and wood.
A combination of tiles and brick looks great in balcony finishing.
Photos of balconies with stone trim
A stylishly decorated balcony can become a dining room, a bedroom, a place to relax or even a library.
The photo shows artificial stone, identical in appearance to natural stone.
When choosing decorative items for finishing a balcony, you should always pay attention to the color scheme of the interior and the material itself. You can play on contrast or, on the contrary, combine similar colors.
The photo shows a balcony that looks respectable thanks to the combination of noble-colored brick and panoramic windows with dark frames.
How to decorate a balcony with stone yourself?
There are two main finishing methods: with jointing and seamless, in which decorative elements are laid so that there is no space between the joints. This method requires professionalism: it is important that the glue does not flow out of the seam.
Step-by-step instructions for wall cladding
Even beginners can do the jointing:
- First, the walls are leveled and cleaned.
- If a pattern is planned on the walls, it is recommended to lay the tiles on the floor in order to combine them in advance.
- According to the instructions, the glue is prepared.
- The glue is applied to the wall using a comb, then to the decorative material. The products should be laid from top to bottom: usually, a cut is made from the floor. Each fragment is glued to the wall by lightly pressing.
Video guide to DIY finishing
This video tells in more detail about DIY balcony finishing:
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