Paneled gneiss – cut stones wall provides a great solution for the interior or exterior of every home. On the market, you can find from simple plates for tiling to different imitations, but the best option for decoration remains the classical gneiss stones. Having the highest index of tenacity and quality of all stones, they create a unique and authentic atmosphere of beauty and comfort at home.
Choice of gneiss – cut stones
When choosing cut stones, please know that the offered products on the market are standard-sized. They could be any length but the width varies between 10, 15, 20, 25 or 33 mm. You have the option of choosing gneiss in a preferred color scheme.
Sorting the Stones
After buying the gneiss stones, the first thing you should do is to sort them. To make the tiling easier, please arrange the stones by size. They could be arranged in a way that no wastage is left and no cutting is needed.
Preparing the Base
The base on which the stones are put should be well cleaned from wall papers and old paint. If some nails or treenails remain in the plaster, they have to be removed. It is better if the concave areas are filled completely with gypsum mixture or mastic so that the wall is flat. At the end, please, cover the whole wall with primer and now it is ready for tiling.
Preparation of the Glue
The market offers various kinds of cement glues, so you have the option of choosing the best one for high load. Those glues are powder-like and should be dissolved in water, according to the instructions of the producer. After that, please, stir thoroughly the resulting mixture with a stick or a drill on low turnover; make sure there are no lumps created. The resulting glue should be neither too liquid-like, nor too dense but in such a form that when put on the stone, it doesn’t leak.
Application of the Glue
Please, use a trowel for the application of the glue over the tiling stones. The quantity of the applied material should be proportionate to the size of the plate. Spread it everywhere evenly and please, make sure the average width of the glue layer remains around 1cm.
While you line the stones, you can always correct the thickness of the glue if you notice some of them sticking out or being sunk under the others.
If you are left with an excess amount of glue on the surface of the cut stones, remove it with a wet clout. If the glue has already dried, it could be removed with a wire brush but it is harder.
Gluing Stones Together
It is a lot easier when gluing the tiling to place the stones on the ground first and then arrange them in the same order on the wall. It is also better if you start from the bottom corner and decorate horizontally and vertically at the same time.
Please, adhere to the standard requirement of a 1cm fugue between the stones everywhere. For more accurate results, use strips with thickness 1x1cm; place them between the plates for 24 hours until the glue hardens and there is no danger of a shift.
If the plates are bigger, then it is better if you use a geodetic level to avoid a possible curvature.
Pointing
After 24 hours, the plaster hardens and you can carefully remove the limiting stripes with a screw – driver or another sharp instrument. The fugues can then be filled with a colored plaster or gout, which is placed there with an 8 mm brick trowel. In the end, snuggle and smoothen the surface of the fugues with a finger or a wet clout.
Please, clean immediately the redundant quantity with either clout or hard bristle brush.
Polishing
You could polish the tiling wall with a stone polisher that you can easily find in the stores. That way you protect their surface; furthermore, the color of the gneiss stands out more.
You can use the advantages of tiling stones, offered by Valmarg Stone, to construct a stable, beautiful and durable tiling on your walls.