There are many options for 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 not do without a spectacular finish. And for this, artificial stone is very often used.

Beautiful arch finish

About arches

The 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 building was built of stone and brick. It is already in our days that drywall, wood, plywood, as well as OSB, chipboard or fiberboard have been added to this list.

About decorative stone

This material is not just a great way to decorate the interior, it perfectly performs a protective function. Therefore, he was so fond of designers. Of course, if an artificial stone is used indoors, then its protective functions are reduced to resisting only accidental mechanical damage. And this material is used pointwise in the interior, 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.

Benefits of a stone arch

This design option has almost no drawbacks. After all, the material does not rot, does not corrode and fungus. Decorative artificial stone consists of environmentally friendly components, therefore it is safe for health.

Why not use natural material? The fact is that, firstly, it is very expensive, and secondly, not all structures can withstand the weight of 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 is required - any detergent that does not contain abrasives will do;
• you can use an artificial analogue of any natural stone - manufacturers began to make a very high-quality imitation;
• decorating stone arches with your own hands does not require special skills, so the procedure is easy.

Materials for creating a structure

Creating a stone arch in an apartment requires the use of a specific list of materials that need to be prepared in advance:

• the decorative stone itself;
• pencil;
• sandpaper;
• primer;
• mortar or glue;
• grout for seams.

Instruction

Finishing the arch with decorative stone starts from the traditional stage of surface preparation. It is necessary to smooth out the bumps using sandpaper, and then putty them using a pre-primer.

Preparation of the adhesive solution

You can lay a decorative stone on a special glue, on a cement-sand mortar or on liquid nails.

The quality of adhesion of the finishing material to the base depends on the roughness of the back side of the tile and the quality of the adhesive mixture. If the solution needs to be prepared on its own, this should be done 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 (it can be a drill with a special nozzle). You need to mix until you get the consistency of thick sour cream.

Laying

Laying is done from the bottom up. 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, laying should be done with an overlap.

During the procedure, do not forget to check the horizontal laying. On an arc, elements can be trimmed to meet the required radius. This can be done with wire cutters or a grinder with a special nozzle.

The edges must be sanded with a file. When the finish is finished, you need to wait for the mortar or glue to dry. After that, you need to do the refinement of the seams. For these purposes, we use a 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, cut off a square piece of polyethylene, fold it in the form of a cone, fix 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, one of these tools needs to press the grout into the seams in order to completely fill them. In this case, everything must be done carefully so that the material does not get on the front of the products. It remains to wait until the grout dries - the decorative stone arch is ready.

Seamless laying

In this case, the tiles are laid tightly to each other, so finishing the arch with artificial stone requires painstaking work. Glue or mortar is applied to the stone. If the laying 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 pick-up time is required when laying, so the procedure is carried out quickly. At the end, the surface can be opened with an impregnation that will repel water and protect against the effects of chemicals.

Stone arch is inexpensive, but looks great

The design of the arch with a stone allows you to give this element of the interior more expressiveness and style. The room takes on a more refined and attractive look. This option looks especially good in the corridors and living rooms. In a word, the effect of such a finish is amazing, as you can see by looking at the photos of the options.

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 allow it to be produced without any problems, in particular, gypsum boards. Decorative stone is well suited for their cladding, which has many advantages.

Advantages of artificial stone

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

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

Facing the arch is one of the ways to add zest to the interior of the room.

What else is interesting about the material:

• unlike its natural counterpart, it has a much lower weight, and due to the correct shape, it is much easier to work with it, in addition, its price is lower;
• the stone does not contain any harmful impurities, as it is created from quite ordinary materials;
• the product does not rot, cannot be spoiled by fungi or mold, bacteria do not create their colonies on it;
• it is not necessary to carry out any special measures for its care, it can be washed and cleaned with any non-abrasive detergents;
• by adding various dyes to the main mixture, you can make exactly the color that is needed in a particular interior. The same applies to the shape of the stones, depending on the pouring forms, where you can make stones like tiles or bricks, antique or modern style.

Valued as a decorative stone, and for their reliability. Therefore, the decoration of arches with decorative stone at the front door or in the corridor, in places where walls can most often get dirty or damaged, has become so popular.

Getting ready for work

The main difficulty in facing the arch is not so much its smooth surface as the rounded inner part. Below will be the installation instructions and the subtleties of the process itself, which will help to make it with minimal effort on your own.

Prepare tools and materials:

• pick;
• pliers;
• roller;
• hacksaw;
• decorative rock;
• primer;
• building level;
• liquid nails or special glue;
• cement-based mortar;
• putty knife;
• construction knife;
• pencil;
• sandpaper;
• seam solution.

Getting ready to install

Before you learn how to finish the arch with a decorative stone, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work so as not to stop the process at its stages:

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

1. Prepare the surface of the archway. Be sure to carefully review it for various defects. Lay the stone only on a solid and clean surface.

If you decide to stick it on a layer of dust or debris, the product will fall off the wall very quickly. It will not be superfluous to treat the base with a deep penetration primer, which will significantly strengthen it.

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

1. Prepare a cement mortar, the components of which are determined by the type of artificial material. It usually consists of lime, sand, Portland cement and glue. Their exact ratio depends on the stone, so at this stage it will not be superfluous to use the recommendation 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

1. First row. Docking walls to the arch should also be finished. Attach the first stone at their point of contact. Start the process from the bottom rows, gradually rising up. Use plastic crosses for uniform seams and use the building level to make the masonry even and neat.

1. Second row. It also begins at the junction of the wall and the arch. However, the first stone here should be pushed beyond the junction of the wall to the thickness of the finishing tile. Due to this, the elements are overlapped 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.

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

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

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

Facing the arch from the inside

- a complex and responsible stage. Approach it with special attention and accuracy.

1. Glue the decorative stone on the inside using the technology indicated above, but remember about overlapping.
2. Trim the tile if it is longer than the width of the opening. Use a hand saw for this, if the base of the product is gypsum, if cement - with an angle grinder.
3. After finishing the arch with artificial stone with your own hands, wait about 48 hours so that the material can be well connected to the surface of the arch. Fill the joints with artificial stone mortar and smooth them gently with a soft rubber spatula or brush without pressure on 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 in the 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 conventional tools and materials. In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

In the 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 layout of an apartment to fit their vision of space. They demolish unnecessary bulky partitions and erect drywall structures that do not take up much space.

This also applies to doorways. Traditional rectangular shapes are changing to beautiful rounded arches. Immediately the space is felt in the room, and the permeability 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 permanently closed. After all, every member of the family goes there quite often. Instead of the usual wooden architraves and extensions, the arch is finished with decorative stone.

Having built an interior arch, you will no doubt add your zest to your home interior. Moreover, the arch lined with decorative stone will always be in the center of everyone's attention. And to give it the look of the Arc de Triomphe or it will resemble an old cave entrance - it's up to you, the main thing for this purpose is to choose the right type of stone. It is not recommended to use cement stone for finishing. It is heavy, most often quite thick and is used for cladding the facades of buildings. 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 there are many varieties of stones in nature, so with artificial decoration you can choose what will fit perfectly into your interior.

What to put on

Glue. Laying artificial decorative stone on a wall or arched opening can be done on a special glue for artificial stone. There are quite a lot of them on the modern market, here are a few examples:

• Adhesive for stone KR Professional Professional. This cement-based adhesive is used specifically for the installation of artificial stone indoors and outdoors. Sufficiently high-quality, hermetically fixes the stone and gives a neat seam (when laying artificial brick 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. Well proven when laying stone on gypsum plaster, drywall, reinforced concrete, brick surface, cellular concrete, lime and cement plaster. When mounted on this adhesive, artificial stone does not slip, which allows the master to lay it in any direction - both from bottom to top and from top to bottom.
• Adhesive for stone Weber Vetonit - Stone Fix. It is 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 plasterboard sheets, cellular concrete, gypsum and cement plasters.

Liquid Nails. Finishing the stone arches in the apartment can also be done with liquid nails - strong fixation glue. It is convenient in that it is applied pointwise to the stone tile with a gun, it sets quickly and is suitable for many types of surfaces:

• polyurethane;
• wood;
• glass;
• metal;
• drywall;
• cement and gypsum plaster.

Putty. In addition to the listed means for gluing stone to drywall, you can use gypsum finishing putty. She can also edit the joints at the corners, provided that the stone is mounted unpainted. Painting will take place after installation. Not polymeric ones, but such simple gypsum mixtures as "Prospectors" proved to be excellent when installing stone on putty.

Preparation and styling

An ideal surface before installation is required when you want to make a ragged stone, that is, leave sections of the wall for another decorative finish. But drywall arches are most often initially even, so it is not necessary to putty the corners with putty and cover up the screws. The stone will hide it all anyway. If you decide to lay a decorative stone with your own hands, then initially the drywall arch should be primed before work. A deep penetration primer can be used for this, but ideally it is better to use concrete contact for priming. This special primer contains the smallest particles of quartz sand, and after drying, a rough base is left. After such processing, adhesion to any finishing material increases at the arched opening.

It is better to start decorating the arch with a decorative stone from the bottom of one of the sides. Gypsum tiles are remarkably sawn into the necessary pieces with an ordinary hacksaw. If you have corner elements, they will perfectly complement the corners of the arch. If there are none, then the stone is laid first on the inside of the arched opening, and then on both sides from the facade. To get the required piece of torn stone for the front side, you need to saw off a piece of a slightly larger size than required for the front side. And then just chip off with your hands or pliers on one side in the form of a broken stone. And glue. This work is creative, requires care and a sense of proportion. Especially if the stone is mounted already painted. Competent comparison of all stone fragments is a guarantee that the arch lined with decorative stone will look harmonious.

Painting options

After installation, a day is given for the adhesive 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, spray gun, and an airbrush is used to remove individual darker segments. It is recommended that you first create a base color, that is, the main color of the stone. In order for the design of the arch in the 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 a few tones darker or lighter than the color of the walls in the room.

It is not recommended to paint the stone with tinted paint, especially if the stone is porous. Because the paint clogs the pores and the relief goes astray. This greatly spoils the appearance of the arch. The best option is pigments or colors diluted with water. Water will immediately be absorbed into the gypsum, and the color will remain outside without damaging the relief of the stone. And the arch in stone looks as natural as possible.

Lacquering 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 the decorative stone, you can use acrylic varnish. This is a ready-made milky water dispersion with a slight odor. After drying of such a varnish, 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-gloss and glossy. When choosing, it is worth considering that the glossy varnish will give the effect of the shine of the stone, it will give the impression that the stone is as if wet. Semi-matt acrylic varnish will only slightly glare. But the matte varnish, unlike the previous options, will protect the stone from moisture and will not change its color. This option is suitable for those who want to achieve natural color finishes.

Some people think that if a stone is bought painted, then it is ready-made and there is no need to further process it after installation. But it's not. After all, it is impossible to say with certainty how the stone was processed during production. Therefore, when the decoration of the interior arch with a decorative stone is completed, it is recommended to brush the protective coating again with a brush. This will not only clog the pores of the gypsum stone and prevent moisture from soaking into it, but will also add strength to the tile.

Interior arches are a very original way to decorate your interior. The arched opening always attracts, someone has an association with a triumphal arch, for someone it is the entrance to a grotto or a mysterious cave. Anyone who makes an arched opening in their apartment gets comfort and visual expansion of space. But it is very important to properly arrange such arches.

There are different ways to finish the arch: forging. But none of the methods mentioned will look as natural and unobtrusive as decorating the arch with decorative stone. Firstly, there are different types of stone for every taste, and with the help of each of them you can create a beautiful, unique interior. Secondly, the stone has a number of advantages, and the first of them is reliability and durability.

In this publication, "Dream House" offers to see how interior stone arches look in the interiors of apartments and houses, as well as how beautifully and in an original way they can be designed, so that the result is an interesting design object.

Methods for decorating arches with stone

Decorating interior arches with decorative stone is used quite often in modern interiors. This type of decoration allows you to embody many design ideas. For example:

• with a granite stone in the form of a brick, the arch is stylized as the entrance to a castle or cave;
• an arch framed with blue-green, light stones looks like an entrance to a grotto or an underwater world;
• there is a completely unusual solution - stylized as a dragon's mouth, this option is suitable for a children's room, especially if he lives there.

Arch decoration with decorative stone photo

Arch made of decorative stone photo

Interior arches made of stone photo

And this is not all possible options for finishing arches using decorative stone, but all these techniques often require additional decoration.

Illumination and flowers: additional decoration of stone arches

First of all, do not forget about such additional decoration methods as the use of light and plants. Vegetation is indispensable when the arch is stylized as an entrance to the underwater world. It will not be superfluous in other cases.

Mystery and solemnity are given to the arched opening by illumination. With soft light, the "green" arch will look like an aquarium. And certainly not without the use of light in the case of the "dragon head".

Finishing arches with artificial stone photo

How to decorate the arch with a decorative stone

Decorative stone arch: only advantages

It is worth once again dwelling on the advantages of decorative stone and emphasizing that it has practically no drawbacks. The artificial material of which it consists is not subject to corrosion and decay, will not suffer from fungal diseases. In a word, he is very reliable.

Lovers of natural need not worry, because the decorative stone consists of cement, pumice, expanded clay and other equally environmentally friendly fillers. Pumice is a volcanic glass formed when flowing lava cools rapidly. The gas released at the same time leaves large depressions inside, making pumice frost-resistant, giving it valuable properties of a heat insulator. Expanded clay is fired clay balls or slate. Perlite is again a material of volcanic origin.

A reasonable question may arise: why is real natural stone not used? The answer is simple: even if the customer has enough material resources to purchase natural stone, it is not a fact that it is suitable for an arched opening. Not every base (wall) can withstand the weight of such a cladding - natural stone is very heavy. For example, granite is 3 times heavier than decorative stone.

It is worth mentioning some more advantages of finishing the arch with a decorative stone:

• Artificial stone is very easy to care for: a simple wash with any non-abrasive detergent is enough.
• Manufacturers of decorative stone have mastered their production so well that it has become possible to create a stone that imitates any natural one. Moreover, similarity is achieved not only in color, but also in texture.
• And the process of laying the stone is so simple that, if desired, it is quite possible to cope with the decoration of the arch on your own.

Decoration of arches with decorative stone photo

How to lay out an arch with a decorative stone

Finishing the arch with decorative stone allows you to make the interior really stylish and bright. Such unusual openings always attract attention. They are associated with triumphal arches or mysterious cave entrances. If you decide to create an arched opening in the apartment and arrange it correctly, you can make the space visually wider.

Stucco, carving, forging or wood can be used for decoration. But the ideal solution is a decorative stone. There are different types of this material, so finding the right one is very easy. The arch, trimmed with stone, will perfectly fit into the interior and bring some zest to it. She looks truly great. At the same time, the material itself is durable and reliable.

The decorative stone has practically no flaws. It is made of a material that is not afraid of any corrosion. Also, it is not subject to rotting and fungus infection, which makes it truly reliable.

The composition of the decorative material includes:

• expanded clay;
• cement;
• pumice.

All fillers are environmentally friendly. Pumice is a glass of volcanic origin, which is formed during the rapid solidification of lava. It has a porous structure and perfectly retains heat. Expanded clay is fired balls of clay. Perlite is also of volcanic origin.

Another advantage of artificial stone is the ease of maintenance. It can be cleaned with a mild detergent.

The widest range of artificial material allows you to find an imitation of any natural stone. Similarity is noted in texture and color.

Decorative stone arches in the interior

Today, interiors often use arches trimmed with decorative stone. With it, you can easily implement any, even the most unusual design ideas. So, for example, if the arch is framed with stones of light and blue-green tones, it can resemble a fabulous entrance to an underwater grotto, and if you create an imitation of granite, it can be in the form of a bizarre entrance to a cave or an old castle.

At the same time, it must be remembered that additional decoration is required to create the most harmonious design. A great solution is the plant and the masterful use of light. If the arch is stylized as a magical entrance to the underwater world, then plants are a must.

The backlight will give a special solemnity and some mystery. If you highlight the green arch with soft light, you can create the illusion of an aquarium.

The choice of material and decoration of the arch

Before you learn how to finish the arch with a decorative stone, you need to decide on the finishing material. It is worth noting that all types of artificial stone are quite easy to work with, so often the most important argument for choosing one or another option is its cost.

It is best to work with narrow tiles. In this case, finishing the bends of the arch is much easier. If plasterboard arches are decorated, you need to take into account the weight of the material. Too heavy - will deform or damage the surface.

How to decorate the arch with a stone with your own hands?

The stone laying process is very simple. For this work, you do not need the help of a professional builder, everything can be done by hand. Let's consider it in more detail:

1. Before you start work, you need to clean the surface of the arch and prime it. Work must be done carefully so that no dirt or debris remains. This is very important, because in the future you will need to glue decorative stone elements, and they simply will not stick to an uncleaned surface. If the surface is very smooth, it is worth making notches.
2. After that, a cement-based mortar is prepared, the composition and proportions of which depend on the type of stone. At this stage, it is extremely important to fulfill the requirements that the manufacturer of the selected material makes.
3. Only after that you can go directly to the masonry. First, a stone is laid on those places where the arch is in contact with the wall. Work is carried out from the bottom up. To keep everything smooth, use the building level. You can also use plastic crosses. After the first row is laid, the second row is laid according to the checkerboard principle. An overlap is made in the corner.

To finish the arc-shaped section, you must first mark the stone itself. To do this, it is applied to the wall and cut off. At this stage, it is very important to maintain the radius of the arch. It is necessary to remember the need for grinding the cut points.

In order to cut the product as accurately as possible, you must first draw the markup, and then go through it several times with a special construction knife. Excess can be easily removed with simple pliers. Special tile cutters or a grinder are also suitable. Sandpaper is used to process the cut surface. The remaining elements, if necessary, are adjusted according to the same principle.

To lay out the inner surface with decorative material, you should follow the same steps. In this case, the elements are also adjusted in length. For trimming, use a hand saw (suitable for gypsum-based material) or a circular saw. This is how the entire surface is covered.

When the laying work is completed, it takes a certain time for the cement mortar to harden well. It usually takes a day or two. Then it is necessary to process the seams using a special putty.

After everything dries well and the primary processing is completed, you can proceed to decorate the arch for a certain style or paint the stone. An airbrush is perfect for this job. It is enough to choose the necessary coloring mixture and also take into account your own taste.

As you can see, decorating the arch with decorative stone is as simple as possible. It can be done without the help of specialists. You can bring a stylish element to the room. Even an amateur enthusiast will do it with incredible ease. You just need to do it very carefully and follow the entire sequence of work.