Painting decorative stone: advice on the choice of materials and painting technology

Plaster painting

If desired, gypsum materials can be given a completely unimaginable look, including simulating naturalness (for example, wood). Various technologies of toning, coloring, "aging" are used here.

Marble tinting. A well-dried gypsum product is impregnated with heated drying oil or shellac-rosin alcohol solution. The impregnation fits well, without streaks, creating protection from moisture. The gradually dried primed surface acquires a resemblance to aged marble.

Thanks to tinted plaster decor, it easily imitates marble

Wax tinting. An impregnation is used, consisting of wax dissolved in turpentine (gasoline) with a slight addition of yellow oil paint. After the impregnation has dried, the surface is rubbed to obtain a glossy finish.

Ivory tinting. A soap maker, nitro varnish and a little yellow oil paint are used. The surface is dull by rubbing with talcum powder.

Patination. Various shades of brown or brownish green are selected and mixed with other substances. It is recommended to paint in three layers, moreover, in the depressions, processing usually occurs with a mixture that is more viscous in consistency. The technology of applying the coloring matter itself is also important here:

the first layer is lighter, after which it is lightly smoothed with sandpaper and wiped with acetone;
the second layer - the coloring mixture is darker and thicker;
the third layer - dissolve a little wax in the paint to give a matte finish.

Such additives will help to shade or enhance the imitation: bronze powder, talc and chromium oxide, graphite powder, sienna, ocher, umber, soot, green cobalt, lead or zinc white. These are all semi-professional methods of painting gypsum-based materials. Traditional plaster paints are available on the market.

The most commonly used coloring mixtures for interior work are acrylic water emulsions or dispersions. After drying, they create a strong protective film that protects the base from moisture. In addition, all water-based paints are environmentally friendly, which means they can be used inside any premises, including residential ones.

When making decorative bricks or gypsum-based stones, the working solution is tinted. For this, various pigment powders are used. Tinting of the solution makes it possible to obtain a finished brick, uniformly colored throughout the entire structure (then operational defects will be less noticeable).

To create an imitation of texture (veins), paints of several shades of color are used. And to increase the protection of the surface made of gypsum brick or stone (after all, gypsum is by its nature quite fragile), the finishing varnish will help.

Experts advise not to delay painting the gypsum finishing elements, as the adhesive properties of the materials deteriorate over time. If this has happened, then it is not superfluous to use a primer, and only after painting. The primer will also increase the strength of the plaster base and provide some protection against moisture penetration.

Plaster of Paris offers unlimited possibilities for original interior decoration. The widespread availability and ease of use made the material very popular. And having paints, red lead, varnishes, gold leaf and other pigment substances in your arsenal, you can achieve real palace luxury.

How to paint an artificial stone?

Painting the material at home is usually necessary in the case of purchasing raw products or making products yourself.In the second option, it is better to provide for the color of the plaster mass. This will allow surface staining only to highlight the desired areas.

If, when making a stone on your own, you take care of its color in advance by adding color to the gypsum mass, then less effort and time will be spent on the entire staining process.

It is not very easy to paint plaster in general, it will take accuracy and a lot of time. In addition, the result when choosing a certain color does not always turn out to be the desired one. Therefore, all formulations are recommended to be tested in advance.

For the topcoat, different types of dyes can be used to give the details the desired shade.

Acrylic paint

Water-based solution is quite popular, it allows you to decorate and protect the surface. Such a material has a number of properties necessary for an artificial stone from a gypsum mixture:

Elasticity. Cladding elements are subject to thermal expansion, which can lead to the formation of surface cracks. Due to the slight elasticity, this problem will be eliminated.
Water vapor permeability. This parameter is very important for plaster, especially inside the house. The fact is that this material contributes to the creation of a microclimate in the room due to the absorption and release of moisture.
Resistance to various kinds of influences. Of course, the paint will not protect the parts from strong mechanical influence, but it will protect them from ultraviolet radiation and excess water.

Painting with acrylic paint will add additional protective properties to the artificial stone, which is especially important in rooms with temperature extremes and high humidity.

If high moisture resistance is required, a mixture with the addition of silicone is purchased. A distinctive feature of acrylic compounds is that they easily change their color; for this, a color scheme is used.

Vitriol

Iron and copper sulfate are used as impregnation. The main purpose of these mixtures is to increase the strength of parts, but there is also a side effect - staining. The iron variety gives the stone a yellow tint, while the copper variety gives it a blue.

The dry composition is diluted with water in a suitable container, the elements are immersed in the solution for two hours. The main thing is to arrange the fragments so that they do not touch each other, otherwise stand-out areas will appear.

Vitriol gives the gypsum a beautiful yellow tint, but to achieve similarity with natural stone, additional staining is performed with paint on individual sections of the tile.

Stain

For gypsum, mainly compositions are used that are also suitable for concrete artificial stones. They are monochromatic mixtures. There is a rich palette of shades, but if necessary, staining is done with wood stain.

There is also an acid stain

It should be handled with great care. Much depends on the composition of the gypsum tile, therefore it is recommended to test the mixture on one product.

Painting artificial stone with wood stain

Painting Tips

In order for the staining work to be successful, you must first prepare the necessary materials. You will need:

Rubberized sponge;
Sandpaper;
A piece of cotton fabric;
Sprayer for paint;
Grinding file;
Degreasing solution;
Dye;
Set of brushes;
Impregnating suspension;
Compressor.

Finishing with colored decorative stone is often used in landscape design and facade work, therefore, the choice of paint must be treated especially responsibly.

Painting requires compliance with certain rules:

Before staining, the stone is dried for 24-48 hours;
The old cladding is pre-sanded so that the paint does not crumble;
Impregnations are used strictly in accordance with the instructions.

It is also important to consider the compatibility of impregnations with dyes;
To make the surface shine, you can use a varnish coating. However, it does not always look beautiful, since the effect of the naturalness of the material is lost.

If you follow these tips, the finish will look natural and the paint will last for a long time.

Using plaster varnish

Standard plaster products are grayish or white, and staining or toning them with colored varnish will help give the wall the desired look. With its help, you can design the surface in an original way, stylize it in accordance with the chosen direction in the interior. Varnishing helps to increase moisture resistance, because gypsum products deteriorate in contact with moisture. After varnishing in several layers, the decorative stone will be suitable even for finishing damp rooms. Also, varnishing reduces the impact of the tiles.

Varnish for gypsum decorative stone: types

On sale there are varnishes of different types, compositions, with unequal characteristics and properties.

Shellac varnish

Usually this type is used in decoupage, but it is often used in finishing works. Shellac is alcohol-based, so it works well for gypsum. It can be applied as a stand alone coat or over any paint. Shellac creates a thin polishing layer that looks stylish and very attractive.

The composition is transparent and colored. There are even special age-effect varnishes used to give the base a vintage look. If you combine the agent with rosin in a 1: 1 ratio, a protective film will be created on the gypsum surface, eliminating the appearance of dirt and giving the wall a marble look.

Acrylic varnishes

Acrylic based varnishes have a decorative and protective function. They are moisture resistant, do not deteriorate from the action of household chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, temperature changes, dry quickly, and do not have a pungent odor. When thickening, acrylic varnish can be simply thinned with water.

In appearance, coatings with acrylic can be matte, semi-matte, glossy. Matte finishes help to give the stone the look of a natural, rough material. Semi-matt varnishes work in a similar way, only their transparent varieties can leave a light, light coating after drying. Glossy products shine, lead to glare, which must be taken into account when planning the decor in the room.

Oil varnishes

The composition of oil varnishes includes artificial resins, vegetable extracts. After application, a thin film forms on the gypsum stone, which protects the material from any external factors and prolongs its service life. Oil-based varnishes can be clear or colored, glossy or matte. After such a product dries, the surface of the decorative stone will look a little darker than initially.

Yacht varnishes

The most durable, durable and reliable stone varnish is considered to be yacht. It has a high degree of water resistance, making it suitable even for handling yachts. Contains solvents, smells unpleasant and is more suitable for outdoor use, although after complete drying it ceases to be toxic. For maximum surface protection, yacht varnish is applied in 2 layers.

Varnishing rules

Before applying the coating, make sure that all elements are well dried after priming or protective hydrophobization.The adhesive composition to which the decorative stone was attached must also dry out, otherwise the integrity of the cladding may be compromised.

Tips for varnishing stone:

rough parts should be sanded before spraying varnish; fine-grain sandpaper is well suited for this purpose;
if the stone has been impregnated, you need to read the instructions for it and clarify the possibility of subsequent varnishing and compatibility with this or that varnish;
shiny compositions reduce the effect of the naturalness of the stone, therefore, for country styles, Provence and other directions striving for naturalness, it is better to choose matte products;
before varnishing, it is imperative to brush off all the dust from the stone;
during operation, the wall or elements must not be moistened - they quickly absorb moisture;
The most convenient method of varnishing is by spraying with a spray gun or airbrush.

By connecting imagination to work, with the help of decorative stone, you can find very interesting solutions even in a small apartment. This material looks unusual, fresh and gives the house a special flavor, fills it with warmth and comfort.

Painting

paint decorative stone

To paint artificial stone, use a brush with a roller or a spray gun.

In particular, thanks to the spray gun, you will save on the consumption of paints and varnishes, shorten the repair period, the paint will lay much more evenly, it will be easier to adjust the saturation and color depth, and the entire painting area will be visible at once during the work.

You can also use brushes with a roller, however, the paint consumption will increase several times, and the quality of work will be slightly lower. However, you will need brushes in any case, for example, for touching up contrasting places, drawing colored stripes, creating a mosaic panel, imitating veins or blotches, etc.

So, make sure the hydrophobic impregnation is completely dry. Let's move on to painting.

For a start, it is advisable to practice on a small area to check the results of the work. Then apply paint to small areas of the wall holding the spray gun 40 cm from the cladding surface. It is better to set the pressure in the instrument at the level of 3-3.5 atm. By the way, two sprayers with different shades of dye are often used simultaneously.

But with brushes, you can effectively process each tile separately, while showing creative imagination, for example, to strengthen or weaken the necessary halftones, draw veins, stripes, etc. The technology of work is simple - we dip the brush into the composition and paint.

It should be noted that decorative stone, especially gypsum, usually absorbs paint unevenly across individual tiles. But this is completely natural for him. Such heterogeneity, with an individual pattern for each tile, on the contrary, will make the decorative facing more like a natural stone.

In principle, the painting work can be considered complete at this point. After some types of paint, for example acidic, the base must be thoroughly rinsed, dried again, and then covered with a hydrophobic impregnation.

Wait for the surface to dry and enjoy the renewed faux stone wall.

We wish you a successful renovation!

How to paint a decorative stone

To please the result of painting the stone, you must use waterproof acrylic paints. As an option, acid dyes are also suitable - such compositions are able to penetrate deeply into the structure of a decorative stone and resist fading quite well. Another advantage of such dyes is a short drying period.

When purchasing paint, you need to make sure of its high quality. It should not have lumps or lumps, any fluctuation in the structure indicates possible problems that must be eliminated before staining begins.

Using water or a primer, we bring the consistency of the paint to the desired state.In addition to paintwork, you can use plaster varnish - this applies to gypsum stone. After processing with such a composition, gypsum tiles get a uniform color. The varnish itself is applied evenly, without streaks, dries quickly and does not flow down the surface.

What should be avoided is the use of quick-drying nitro-varnish dyes - after drying, such a composition forms a thin film, which inevitably exfoliates during temperature fluctuations.

The use of quick-drying nitro-varnish dyes should be avoided.

Another decent option is liquid or dry colorant, which needs to be added to the water. To obtain a solution of the required saturation, mix 1 teaspoon of pigment and 400 ml each of water and acrylic primer.

In order not to be mistaken, we read the instructions that are attached to the paintwork from the manufacturer.

Tool selection

To determine the list of tools that you need to have available to start work, it is worth assessing the quality of the surface. If the surface is old, then more tools will be required, for new tiles there may be fewer fixtures. On average, the list of accessories consists of:

Vacuum cleaner - necessary to clean the contaminated surface and remove dust;
Sanding accessories - it can be either a sander or sandpaper;
Sponges and brushes - necessary for touching up colored elements and hard-to-reach places;
Spray gun or airbrush.

Unusual staining of a plaster product

Painting artificial stone can be a creative process:

Old marble

We keep it in a dark room for 48 hours.

To get the effect of old marble, you can use the following painting technology:

We buy plaster facing material;
We keep it in a dark room for 48 hours;
We heat the drying oil - to protect your hands, you must use special gloves;
We cover the tiles with hot linseed oil, using a flute brush, it is better to make the coating in two layers - we process the surface evenly, without missing unpainted areas.

When the linseed oil is dry, the gypsum tiles will be covered with colored veins that perfectly imitate antique marble. Such products have found their application in the decoration of kitchens, fireplaces and so on.

Create a bronze tide

You can also make a bronze tint when painting gypsum tiles yourself:

To begin with, a layer of heated drying oil is applied to the gypsum products. It will take at least 8-10 hours to dry them;
Next, you need to make a mixture of bronze powder with varnish - we apply this material to gypsum products in 2 layers;
We leave the material to dry;
We mix in 300 g of water 100 ml of acetic acid and 10 g of silver nitrate;
We apply dry bronze powder to dried artificial stones and cover with vinegar solution on top - such ingredients on the surface of the facing material trigger the oxidation reaction;
Gently wipe the finished stones with a piece of velvet.

Stain in combination with plaster also produces a beautiful surface.

Using wood stain

Stain in combination with plaster also results in a beautiful surface. It is good to apply the stain with a spray gun, but the best effect is obtained by dipping gypsum products into the solution. The stain needs to be slightly warmed up and plaster should be immersed in it for a few seconds. After that, it is enough to dry the facing material to obtain a brown finish.

Whatever you choose, you must first practice on a small area - this will allow you to evaluate the final result and adjust your efforts. The final stage of dyeing can be washing and drying products - this is important for acid paints. You can also complete the decor of the artificial cladding with a hydrophobic impregnation - you just have to wait for all the layers to dry and evaluate the result.