Flexible stone: features of the material and its application

We emphasize right away that a flexible stone is by no means a plastic fake. It really is a stone! Rather, the thinnest cut of sandstone, a natural material with a characteristic texture and appearance. The stone cut is applied to the fiberglass, which gives it flexibility and can be used in various fields. Instead of cutting sandstone, marble chips and quartz sand can be used. In this case, the texture of different natural stone is obtained: granite, marble, slate, travertine..

The material is produced in the form of rolls (they are also called stone wallpaper) and tiles. Standard roll sizes 2–2.8 m, tiles – 50×600, 600×300, 200×300, 800×400 mm.

Flexible stone can be used for:

• fireplace cladding;
• decorating columns, arched structures;
• facing steps;
• wall decoration, including kitchen aprons;
• bathroom finishes;
• facade design.

Even kitchen countertops, furniture fronts can be clad with flexible stone, used as a floor covering.

Flexible stone has many undeniable advantages:

1. Harmless, safe for the inhabitants of the house;
2. Fireproof, non-flammable;
3. A square meter of material weighs a little, from 2 to 4 kilograms, which makes it easy to install;
4. Easy to use, no special care is required;
5. Able to serve for about 35 years;
6. Able to withstand temperatures from -45 ° C to + 650 ° C;
7. The flexibility of the material allows you to bring to life a variety of ideas of designers and home owners, the scope of application is very wide.

The installation of flexible stone is generally similar to the usual gluing of wallpaper. Requires a rubber roller, a straight and notched trowel, a wide brush, a knife, a blow dryer.

Important! Special glue should be used to fix the flexible stone. Usually, the material manufacturer immediately recommends which adhesive is needed..

The surface for finishing with flexible stone should be prepared, leveled, cleaned of dirt and grease. Pre-priming is mandatory to improve adhesion. Then glue is applied, and often only on a wall, column or other surface. It is not recommended to apply an adhesive to the flexible stone itself, but this method is also used.

Rolls or tiles of flexible stone are usually glued end-to-end to create a seamless surface.

Installation is carried out from top to bottom, as in the case of wallpaper, the surface of the flexible stone is leveled with a rubber roller. The edges of the material can be leveled if necessary with a building hair dryer.

Important! After gluing, the surface of the flexible stone is treated with a special hydrophobic compound that will protect it. Such a composition is included in the package with the flexible stone itself.

Seams, tears, irregularities are rubbed until they merge with the rest of the surface.

The only, perhaps, serious drawback of a flexible stone is the high price. A square meter of material costs 1100-1350 rubles. If you don’t glue yourself, but hire specialists – plus another 1200 rubles per square meter.