Materials used for making cultured stones are iron pigments, cement and natural aggregates. Moulds of different sizes and shapes are used to give cultured stones their natural shape and size. Installation of cultured stone is an easy process which is one of the greatest advantages of installing them. To give an expensive, rich and timeless look to your house you can use the cultured stone which are availed at a cheaper rate as compared to the real stone. Exterior and as well as interior home decoration involves the installation of cultured stone. Giving an elegant and classic appearance to your home is possible by building and decorating the interiors as well as exteriors with cultured stones.
The cultured stone is used for embellishing the interiors like the walls of the bedroom the bathroom, wine storage racks as well as fireplaces. As far as the exteriors are concerned they are use to adorn the corridors, window sills, veranda as well as the terrace. If you want to beautify your house there are various types of cultured stones available and the installation of cultured stone is also not very difficult.
First few steps of installation:
Some basic material as well as equipment is all that is required for installation of cultured stone. Mortar, wheelbarrow, metal lath, hammer, galvanized nails, trowel and weather resistant barrier are some of the materials and equipment required. With a few easy steps you can easily install cultured stone. The first step before installation of cultured stone is to find out an estimate of the mortar and cultured stone required. Depending on the wall area to be covered you can accordingly estimate the amount of mortar and cultured stone required.
If a wooden wall is going to be covered with cultured stone then it becomes necessary to apply a weather resistant barrier to the wall before the installation. If the wall is made of cement you can directly install the cultured stone. A metal lath is then used to cover the weather barrier using galvanized nails which should penetrate into the wall at least about an inch.
Make a preliminary plan and maintain proper consistency of mortar:
After the metal lath is installed then make a preliminary plan to make a template which is usually made of newspaper of the style which is used to install the cultured stone. It should be noted that even if paper templates are made it may not be too easy to place the cultured stones in the manner you have thought of because the size of cultured stones vary. When you make the template the texture, size as well as the color of the stones must be varied from time to time. Take the wheel barrow and mix in the mortar uniformly. On the metal lath first test a small portion of the mortar. Ensure to keep the quantity of water as well as the mortar the same for every batch, just like the one you make for the first time. Throughout the whole process of installation of cultured stone ensure to maintain the same level of consistency of the mortar.
Install in the ‘top to bottom’ method:
With the mason’s trowel apply the mortar to the metal lath. Installation of the cultured stone must be done from top to bottom, which is the right method of installing this stone. If the mortar drops on the stones which are initially installed they will lose their original color. Cover the entire metal lath with the mortar layer, then apply some more to the flat side of the stone and start placing the stones on the mortar. As you have decided the stones may not fit accordingly and will need to be trimmed form the sides with a hammer.
Hold each stone for a few minutes so that it fixes itself well in the mortar till the mortar holds each stone tightly. Smaller stones can be used to fill in the remaining spaces. The grout which is prepared of a thinner mortar mix is helpful in filling up remaining spaces wherever the cultured stone is not installed. Clean off excess grout and once it dries you can clean the area with a dry whisk broom.
Acid cleaners should not be used to clean cultured stone. Installation of cultured stone is one of the best ways of giving your veranda or your fireplace the classic look. Install cultured stone siding, can do perpendicular concrete stamping, and can even cut a sink hole in a cultured stone counter. This stone is lighter than real stone and hence it remains attached to surfaces for a longer period of time and looks just as stylish as the real stone. It has everything you need for unique and innovative exterior as well as interior applications.
