Material for decorating the arch in the apartment. Arch decoration with decorative stone

Site arrangement 03.03.2020

Site arrangement

Decorative stone is today one of the most suitable materials for finishing surfaces both inside and outside buildings. This material is quite easy to process, it can not only be drilled, but also cut. But to get a good result, you should be guided by the technology of installation work, it will be presented below. You can use decorative stone for interior decoration, as one of the elements of which is the arch.

Instrument preparation

Decorative stone begins with the preparation of tools, among which are:

construction mixer;
cutting machine;
a bucket for mixing the adhesive solution;
paint brushes;
trowel;
grout syringe;
wedges of the same thickness.

Among other things, you will need a building level and a spatula. It is important to take care of the presence of a metal brush and with the help of the latter you will be able to adjust the elements on the surface after laying. To measure and cut the material, you will need a construction tape measure. In the process of work, you can not do without a household spray gun. Wedges can be made of wood and plastic, they will allow the formation of seams. You can replace the cutting machine with a cutting machine.

Preparation of materials

Decorative stone is carried out after the preparation of all the necessary consumables, among them should be highlighted:

glue;
primer;
grout;
water repellent.

When choosing a glue, you need to pay attention to its purpose. For certain types of finishes, different grades of adhesives are produced, usually they are designed to hold the calculated weight of the material. Therefore, first you need to choose finishing materials, and only then proceed to the purchase of glue. If the work is supposed to be carried out at low temperatures, then the choice of adhesive composition should be taken more seriously, it must have the appropriate properties.

Surface preparation

Finishing with stone necessarily involves the preparation of walls. To do this, you need to rid the base of the old whitewash, wallpaper or paint. The master will have to level using putty. The surface of the arch must be primed, this composition will fasten small particles together, so any finish will be held as tightly as possible.

On sale you can find primers for any surface. If you have to work with a concrete wall, then you should treat it with Betonkontakt primer. When conditions in the room are characterized by high humidity or temperature, the back of the decorative stone should be moistened before laying.

The decoration of arches with decorative stone is carried out according to a slightly different technology, if we are talking about a drywall construction. To prepare for such work, you need a light stone. It is necessary to carry out such manipulations exclusively indoors. If the gypsum board arch is outdoors or under a canopy, then it cannot be decorated with stone.

The surface of the drywall is treated with a primer, which should be left until it dries, only after that you can proceed with the installation of products. The primer is applied with a roller, and not only the outer, but also the inner surfaces are treated with the composition.

Preparing the stone for laying

If you will be finishing arches with decorative stone (photos of design options are presented in the review for reference), for starters, it is recommended to mix all products from different packages first. At the next stage, the stone must be laid out on the floor. The position of individual elements is chosen in such a way that the texture looks the most advantageous. For example, you can distribute elements by shade or shape, as well as size.

Rules for applying glue

Before starting work, you must read the instructions and dilute the glue in the bucket according to it.

The composition is mixed with a construction mixer until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Using a spatula, the mixture is applied to the wall only in the place where the product is supposed to be installed. On the reverse side, the stone must also be treated with glue, which is applied with a spatula. The layer thickness should not seem more than 1 cm. If this parameter is exceeded, the product will slide down the wall.

The adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the stone, while avoiding voids that can cause condensation inside the masonry during operation. This recommendation also applies to walls, on their surface the adhesive should be applied in a uniform layer.

The method of installation of decorative stone

When finishing the arch with a decorative stone in the apartment, you must follow certain instructions. The stone is applied to the place treated with glue and pressed against the surface. In this case, it is important to use the building level, and with the help of a mallet, the products are aligned vertically. The stone can be moved from side to side to achieve its snug fit to the surface.

In order to check how good the masonry is, during installation it is necessary to tap the products with a screwdriver handle. This will allow you to understand whether voids have formed inside. If there are any, then the stone is removed, cleaned of glue, and the work is repeated anew. When finishing the arch with a decorative stone in the apartment, you should definitely consider the photo. They will allow you to understand which material is better to prefer. As soon as the finish is on the wall, you need to gently tap on its surface, the adhesive that has come out is removed with a spatula. If the mixture appears on the ends, it is not necessary to remove it, it will improve the quality of adhesion of the material to the wall. Work can be carried out using one of two technologies:

without seams;
with stitching.

Laying stone with seams

When finishing the arch with a decorative stone with your own hands, you can form seams between the products. Their grouting is carried out using a syringe filled with grout. The solution must be applied in such a way that it extends 4 mm from the outer edge of the product. This will form a clearly defined relief. To obtain a smooth texture, it is necessary to fill the seam at the same level with the front surface of the stone. 30 minutes after applying the grout, it is necessary to smooth the seams with a special spatula or spatula. When choosing a grout, you should be aware that the compounds can mimic the color and texture of a real grout. The grout may have a different color.

Chip treatment

When finishing the door arch with a decorative stone, it may be necessary to process chips. The stone is cut to size, but if its edge remains even at the junction, then the wall will not look natural. You can perform a chip by outlining its outlines with a knife. At the next stage, the excess part is bitten off with pliers. You don’t need to bite off the products along the edge of the mark, you need to start with small pieces, otherwise the product may break in the wrong place. You can correct errors with a file, with its help you will give the chip smoothness. Additionally, the surface is treated with sandpaper. However, sometimes the chips do not smooth out.

Final decoration

Finishing the interior arch with a decorative stone can be completed by applying varnish or tinting mixture. The latter allows you to hide defects and cracks that have formed in the process. To apply the composition, it is better to use an airbrush, however, some masters manage with paint brushes. The airbrush allows you to apply the mixture from a long distance, while holding the tool at an angle to the surface to be painted. You should not cover the entire area completely, it will be enough to tint the main protrusions and depressions, this will help to get a deep texture.

An interesting effect can be achieved if bronze or gold coloring pigments are used as the basis for the mixture. In this case, it is necessary to tint only the ends of the tiles. Metal with this finishing technique is not striking, but with a certain illumination of the ends, the masonry begins to play with golden highlights.

Conclusion

The arch is a rather small element of the interior, but its decoration sometimes takes several days. However, you should find time and effort for this work, because decorating this part of the room will allow you to decorate the house, making it more comfortable, and the interior more refined.

The arch is an adornment of any room, adding comfort and spaciousness to it. However, the arch itself will look quite "boring" if you do not add a little "zest" to it. Finishing this architectural element with a decorative stone will help to give the arch originality and individuality. And although the process of decorating an arch with a stone is quite complicated, it is nevertheless quite possible to do it yourself. So, let's take a step-by-step look at the design of the arch with a decorative stone.

Necessary tools and materials

Before starting work, prepare all the necessary tools and materials. Let's start with the latter. First of all, of course, you need a decorative stone. Given the fact that the work will be carried out indoors, both natural and artificial stone can be used, since in this case the resistance of the material to "external stimuli" is practically unimportant. So you can choose a stone based solely on your aesthetic preferences and financial capabilities. In addition to the stone itself, you will need glue or mortar, a primer, grout and a special composition to protect walls from moisture - a water repellent. Also, putty can be useful for preliminary preparation of the surface of the arch.

When choosing an adhesive for decorative stone, please note that different brands of adhesive can only support a certain weight of stone. Therefore, it first makes sense to purchase the stone itself, and only then choose the right glue for it.

Of the tools you will need a building level, a spatula, a construction mixer, tile cutters or a cutting machine, a trowel, a bucket, a tape measure, paint brushes, a metal brush, a rubber mallet, plastic or wooden wedges of the same thickness and for final finishing - a household spray gun.

Having prepared everything you need, you can begin work on decorating the arch with a stone, which should begin with a thorough preparation of the surface.

Surface and material preparation

Before laying the stone, the arch and the adjacent sections of the wall should be properly prepared. Firstly, if the arch was previously finished with other material, such as paint or wallpaper, the remnants of this material should be completely removed. Secondly, it is necessary to check the surface of the vault for defects and cracks, and if any are found, eliminate them with putty. When the putty dries, the surface on which you plan to lay the stone must be treated with a water repellent and primed.

To achieve the maximum effect from the primer, it is recommended to use the type of mixture that is most suitable for the material from which the walls in the room are made. For example, a primer from the Betonokontakt series is best suited for concrete walls.

In addition to preparing the surface, it is necessary to properly prepare the decorative stone itself. To do this, you need to lay out all the stones on the floor face up and group them in such a way that they best match each other in color and texture. You can, for example, sort them according to the degree of change in tone, or “dilute” smooth elements with more relief.

In addition, it is necessary to check the reverse side of the stones. Sometimes a “foamy” coating forms on it, which will significantly reduce the adhesion of the stone to the wall, even with the best glue. If there is such a plaque on the stone, it must be removed with a metal brush.

Glue should be diluted immediately before starting work in an amount sufficient for the process

The glue is diluted immediately before laying, and you should only dilute the amount of material that you are guaranteed to “work out” during working hours. Glue should be diluted in accordance with the instructions attached to it. The only general recommendation, regardless of the brand of adhesive, is to use a construction mixer when preparing the mortar. Thanks to the mixer, the glue will turn out to be homogeneous, which will significantly improve its fastening qualities.

stone laying

The laying of the stone is done from the bottom up, and you need to start from the corner joint of the wall and the arch. Before laying, apply an adhesive solution to the stone with a spatula. Make sure that the glue covers the entire surface of the stone and does not contain voids.

When laying each stone (with the exception of those that form an arched vault), be sure to check that its position is consistent with the horizontal level. You can level the stone by lightly tapping it with a rubber mallet. After leveling, firmly press the stone against the wall for a few seconds, thereby giving the glue a chance to “grab”.

Having laid the stone, be sure to “tap” it with the handle of a screwdriver or spatula. Thus, you will be able to detect voids formed in the adhesive layer. If they are found, it is necessary to remove the stone from the wall, clean it of adhesive residue and repeat the laying again.

If you want to lay a stone without jointing, then all subsequent stones are laid close to the previous ones. If you plan to make decorative seams between the stones, then plastic or wooden wedges must be inserted between the elements - spacers, which can be easily removed after the glue dries.

Video about laying decorative stone

You can learn more about the technology of laying decorative stone from the following video.

Working with chips

Making out the arch with a decorative stone, you will have to lay it on a part of the wall adjacent to it. But if the edges of the masonry are even, then such decor will not look quite natural. To give it greater harmony, it is necessary to “revive” the edges of the masonry with artificial chips. It is most convenient to make them with the help of ceramic tile cutters, but in their absence, you can get by with ordinary pliers.

Artificial chips on the stone will help diversify the design

To begin with, on the wall around the arch with a pencil, draw the “irregular” shape of your future masonry. Those stones that, during the preliminary fitting, will protrude beyond the intended contour, will need to be cut with wire cutters. To do this, attach the stone to its future place and draw a line along its front side with a pencil so that it connects the contour lines visible on both sides on the wall. After that, from the corner of the stone with wire cutters, start breaking off small pieces until you remove all the unnecessary part.

Do not try to break off very large pieces of stone, because in this case it may crack in an "unplanned" place.

After you have finished working with the wire cutters, the edge of the “chip” can be processed with a file, or you can leave it “rough” - it all depends on the “design idea”. The chipped stone is laid on the wall as well as the whole elements.

Seam sealing

If you laid a decorative stone “under the jointing”, then you will need to fill the space between the stones with a special grout. For this purpose, you can use a grout similar to that used for tile joints. However, given that the seams between the stones are much wider than the tile seams, the grouting technology in this case will be different. If a spatula is used in a tile situation, then when working with a decorative stone it is better to use a building syringe. If it is not available, you can use a regular plastic bag, after cutting off one of the corners in it.

You can close the seams with a construction syringe

To do this, the grout powder should be diluted to the consistency of "liquid sour cream" and pour it into a building syringe. After that, slowly squeezing out the contents of the syringe, fill them with the space of the seams between the stones.

If you want to emphasize the relief of the masonry, then fill the seams to about half their depth. If, on the contrary, you want to smooth out excessive texture, fill the seams completely.

30-40 minutes after applying the grout, the seams should be “shaped” using a special figured spatula for this purpose or, in its absence, any object with a rounded end, for example, the back of a paint brush handle.

Final decoration of masonry

After laying, the stone can be additionally decorated with a tinting mixture and acrylic varnish. By the way, the tinting mixture will also allow you to hide minor stone defects or cracks and scratches received during work.

You can apply the tinting mixture with an airbrush

For applying the tinting mixture, it is best to use an airbrush, although ordinary paint brushes can be dispensed with.

Using an airbrush, it is necessary to apply the tinting mixture from a sufficiently large distance, holding the tool at an angle to the surface to be painted.

Naturally, you should not completely cover the stone with a tinting mixture. It is enough to slightly tint the main protrusions and depressions, and this will be enough to give the masonry a more “deep texture”.

A rather interesting effect can be achieved if gold or bronze coloring pigments are used as the basis for the tinting mixture. And in this case, only the ends of the tiles should be tinted. In this case, the “metal” will not be striking, but when the light hits the ends of the stone, the entire masonry will “play” with light golden highlights.

After applying the tone, it is recommended to cover the decorative stone masonry with a layer of acrylic varnish, which will greatly simplify its care in the future.

The process of decorating an arch with a decorative stone is quite complicated and can take you more than one day. But, nevertheless, it makes sense to find time and energy for this work, because the arch decorated in this way will become a real decoration of your home and will give you comfort for many years. Good luck with your repair!

So, you are a happy owner of an arched opening in your apartment or house. Now you have to solve two questions:

How to finish the arch?
How to finish the arch?

The arch, as an interior design detail, is becoming more and more fashionable, which means that our recommendations will help you, for example, how to decorate the arch with decorative stone. But no matter what material your arch is made of, it can decorate the room only after decorative finishing.

Interroom wooden arch.

You will see that the procedure is simple and you, if desired, will be able to finish the arch with your own hands.

Now arches are made not only to mark doorways, but also to give uniqueness to windows, and to decorate niches in the walls. At the same time, different requirements are imposed on the decorative finish in each case.

We will focus on arches for interior doors, because their decoration should be more reliable than for other arches.

materials

In addition to the fact that arches should separate rooms, they can also form a single space, conditionally divided into zones.

Most often, arches are used to connect hallways and kitchens, as well as a kitchen with a dining or living room. Arches will be used not only in new buildings, but also in the redevelopment of houses of the old fund.

Modern manufacturers produce:

finished arches made of wood;
arches from MDF;
polyurethane baguettes;
all kinds of accessories for arches made of natural and artificial stone.

Stylish and unusual arch in the interior of the living room.

If you are making an arch yourself, then drywall will help you. Moreover, in the matter of finishing drywall has many options. The simplest of them is to level the surface well and paste over it with wallpaper or paint it.

But if you want to do something more unique, then arch materials such as:

decorative stone (brick);
ceramic (tiled) tiles;
mosaic;
mirrors;
cork;
textile.

If you have chosen wallpaper, then keep in mind that the most vulnerable spot in the arched opening is its corners. You will have to use a special adhesive if you decide not to install hard trim on the corners of the arch. Otherwise, over time, the joints will begin to peel off, and the arch will become untidy.

It is best to paste over the arch with the same wallpaper that you have chosen for the walls so that there is no unnecessary dissonance.

When wallpapering the arches, glue the wallpaper panels so that it partially covers the wall and forms a hanging part. Then tuck the edge on the edge, make cuts every 25 mm with scissors.

It is better to prepare the glue thicker so that it dries more slowly, does not freeze in drops. This will allow you to move the wallpaper along the surface of the arch, achieving a complete match of the pattern.

Cut out a strip from the wallpaper, the width of which is equal to the depth of the niche, and glue it from the inside to the slope.

If you decide to use plastic corners for arches, then the width of the shelves 10 by 20 mm is most suitable for you. Moreover, a wide part of the corner is glued to the inside of the arch, and a narrow part to the facade. You can glue the corners with liquid nails or special glue with strong fixation.

In order for the corner to attach well to the arch, do not rush to immediately release it after applying it to the arch. Some experts advise fixing the corner for 12-17 hours with masking tape.

If you don’t want to mess around too much, you can purchase ready-made arches made of wood or MDF for interior doors. In this case, the opening in the drywall wall will have to be accurately correlated with the dimensions of the finish. Such a finish is in great demand among craftsmen, because it visually looks like finishing an arch opening with platbands. In addition, it well protects all the structural details of the arch from dirt and mechanical damage.

You can try polyurethane arches. It perfectly smooths out small bumps, bends easily and can be painted in any color.

Or buy separately all the necessary elements (locks, decorative panels, racks, arches) and decorate the arch yourself with them.

cork finish

If you want to decorate the arch with your own hands, using natural material, then a cork will suit you. In addition to arches, floors and even walls are trimmed with it.

They produce cork panels, rolls and cork wallpapers. All of these types are used in the decoration of the arched opening.

Cork wallpaper.

It is better to work with cork wallpaper, which has a self-adhesive base. If you were unable to buy them, then acrylic or contact adhesive will come in handy.

The surface of the arched openings must be perfect. First putty, level the surface of the walls and dry them.

Apply glue to the back of the roll cap and onto the wall. Wait for the glue to set, then start gluing.
Wallpaper is glued end to end. Make sure there are no gaps, cracks or air bubbles.

It is advisable to immediately glue correctly, without moving the cork wallpaper. But if you still need to fix something, then you can move them until the glue has dried.

If your arch is located in the kitchen and it will be affected by high humidity, then it is recommended to buy cork wallpaper coated with wax. Or, after gluing, varnish the cork wallpaper.

Stone finish (tile)

Finishing the arch with decorative stone will add zest to your room. Especially if you stone not only the opening itself, but also partially the wall around it.

The arch decorated with decorative stone looks very impressive.

In this case, the stone can be located both symmetrically and asymmetrically. All the same, this will add originality to the room and will not spoil the appearance of the arch.

How do you decorate the arch with a decorative stone (tile) with your own hands:

The surface of the arch is plastered, primed and notched.
Make a cement mortar, according to the instructions. It includes: cement, glue, sand and lime.
In order not to close up the outer corners, glue the slab with an overlap: in the first row from the floor, you glue one tile close to the opening, and in the second - move it inward by the thickness of the tile. Therefore, in odd rows you combine the border of the arched opening with the edge of the tile, and in even rows you overlap.
Where the rounding of the arch begins, attach a dry tile to the opening and mark the cut line from the back of the ceramic with a pencil.
Draw a couple of times along the drawn line with a construction knife. Then, using pliers, break off the unwanted part. If there are irregularities, then smooth them out with a file.
Having finished with the wall cladding, proceed to pasting the opening with a decorative stone. Remember that the stone is also glued with an overlap. If necessary, you can cut the tiles to length: the base of the tile is gypsum - use a simple hacksaw, cement - a circular saw.
You will seal the seams only after a day, using a special solution. It is important not to break or spoil the stone.

Scheme of laying decorative stone.

If you are finishing the arch with ceramic tiles, then you will have to cut the edges of the tiles at an angle of 45 degrees. Since not everyone can do it on their own, it is better to seek help from specialists.

It is undesirable to use a plastic corner when finishing the corners of the arch, because your arch will look cheap and unpretentious.

Other options

More difficulties arise when decorating the vaulted part of the arch with decorative materials.

You will need all your patience if you decide to decorate the arch with small and narrow details. This applies, for example, to mosaics. Or use more flexible materials.

You can make an arch not only in a semicircular shape, but in the form of a broken figure or, for example, a trapezoid. So you can use any materials:

parquet board;
plastic lining;
cork panels;
laminated board;
wooden lining.

If you settled on facing the arch with decorative plaster, then first you will need to plaster the drywall to level the surface and the seams between the drywall and the massive part of the arched opening do not show through. In this case, you do not need to be too zealous, it is enough to close strong irregularities.

Then treat the surface with a primer, apply plaster, and until it dries, form a relief with a grater or spatula. When the plaster dries, paint with special paints.

Application of decorative plaster.

Finally, we note that if you ordered an arch project from a construction company, then their specialists should also consider options for its decorative finish. But if you decide to make an arch with your own hands, then everything depends on you. In order not to be mistaken, first make a drawing of how your arch should look like.

Making an arched wall niche, window or interior opening allows you to transform any interior. However, the arch acquires a decorative value only with the right finishing material and the competent execution of installation work.

For the decorative decoration of arches, a huge variety of materials is used, each of which has a number of advantages and disadvantages.

natural wood

Arches finished with natural wood give the room a certain amount of solidity, style and nobility, harmoniously combined with any interior design, be it classic, hi-tech or modern.

The undoubted advantages of wood structures are:

environmental friendliness;
the uniqueness of the pattern formed by annual rings;
high strength characteristics characteristic of hardwood varieties, including mahogany, oak, walnut, ash;
maintaining a presentable appearance for many years.

However, solid wood construction also has a number of disadvantages:

low indicators of moisture resistance;
tendency to deformation in conditions of high humidity, sudden temperature changes and other similar factors;
the large weight of individual structural elements makes it difficult to carry out installation on their own;
high price.

As a rule, the decoration of arches with precious wood is carried out by manufacturing a finished structure to order, followed by installation by the company's specialists.

MDF panels

An almost equivalent alternative to natural wood are MDF panels, the manufacture of which is based on pressing wood chips. Depending on the top coating, MDF panels are distinguished:

laminated. The resulting boards are covered with a PVC film that imitates the texture of wood and increases the strength of the product;

veneered. Finished slabs are pressed with a thin layer of wood, after which the front side of the product is covered with a protective varnish.

Veneered panels differ from laminated materials in higher cost and better performance.

Advantages of MDF panels in relation to natural wood structures:

environmental friendliness due to the absence of harmful substances and compounds in the composition of the product;
resistance to temperature changes, moisture;
ease of installation due to the low weight of the panels;
low cost.

Despite a lot of positive aspects, MDF panels are inferior to arches decorated with real wood:

ease of damage through point impact;
under the influence of sunlight gradually lose their original shade;
a short operating period, rarely exceeding 5-7 years.

Decorating interior arches with MDF panels with low traffic for several years increases the service life, while maintaining the original appearance of the structure.

Cork for finishing

The interior arches look original, the decoration of which is made using cork material, presented:

panels. The basis of the products is pressed cork, on top of which a thin veneer impregnated with wax is placed. The minimum thickness of cork panels is 3 mm.

Roll products, the structure of which is similar to cork panels, with the only difference being that not all product series are wax impregnated. In this case, the roll material can have a diverse range of colors by coloring the front and/or back layer.

Wallpaper consisting of a paper base and a thin sheet of veneer glued to the base. Quite often, cork wallpapers have a self-adhesive layer, greatly simplifying installation work.

resistance to point impacts;
prevent the accumulation of dust;
do not lose their original shade over a long period;
have antibacterial characteristics, preventing the formation of mold;
the service life is 10-20 years.

non-waxed coatings are quickly deformed in conditions of high room humidity;
ability to absorb odors;
high price.

When choosing a cork material, it is worth giving preference to a waxed coating.

Wallpaper for the arch

Decorating arches with wallpaper is one of the most popular and, at the same time, budget option due to a number of advantageous features relative to other finishing materials, including:

variety of colors, textures, ornaments;
ease of sticking;
the possibility of carrying out wet cleaning using non-aggressive detergents;
affordable cost.

Disadvantages:

ease of damage both during gluing and during operation;
fading over a short period of time;
fragility.

When choosing canvases, you should give preference to plain non-woven, vinyl, bamboo or glass wallpapers. Perhaps the presence of a small or abstract pattern that does not require alignment with the ornament on the wallpaper, which is pasted over the walls adjacent to the arch.

Arch tile

Arch tiling is a less common, but still in demand method.

a wide range of colors;
high resistance to moisture;
preservation of original characteristics for many years;
ease of care;
duration of operation.

the considerable weight of the tile requires a solid arched structure;
the complexity of work that requires certain skills or the involvement of specialists;
high price.

The best choice is narrow tiles of small size, which minimize waste during the facing work.

Decorative rock

In recent years, the decoration of the arch with decorative stone, which is perfectly combined with other building materials, has gained particular popularity. Artificial stone is made from expanded clay, pumice, cement with the addition of mineral pigments, the combination of which makes it possible to achieve a full-fledged imitation of any natural stones.

Advantages:

a wide selection of shades, textures;
high resistance to damage;
moisture resistance;
ease of care during operation;
durability.

Disadvantages:

big weight;
complexity of installation;
high price.

Along with tiles, it is preferable to veneer the arch with small stones, which will greatly facilitate installation in the vaulted part of the structure.

Mosaic for the arch

Decorating the arch with mosaics is a rather painstaking process, which, upon completion of the work, results in a bewitching spectacle.

Advantages of the mosaic:

variety of sizes, shapes and colors;
moisture resistance;
high strength;
wear resistance;
durability.

Disadvantages:

duration and complexity of work;
high price.

Currently, metal, ceramic, glass and other types of mosaics are produced, so it will not be so difficult to choose the option that matches the style of the interior.

Decorative plaster

Almost the only material that allows you to create a unique masterpiece, showing a little imagination and creativity. Decorative plaster is implemented in the form of a dry and ready-mix. In this case, the dry mixture is diluted with ordinary water in the proportion indicated on the instructions attached to the composition.

the ability to create an arbitrarily expressive or smoothed relief;
ease of application;
the possibility of repeated staining with special paints;
there is no need for careful leveling of the surface before applying the plaster;
low cost.

ease of mechanical damage;
the impossibility of carrying out wet cleaning;
repair of the damaged area will remain noticeable;
relatively short operating period.

Finishing arches in an apartment with decorative plaster is a universal method that requires a small amount of time and a minimum of skills.

Regardless of the material chosen, before starting finishing work, it is necessary to carefully prepare the work surface so as not to spoil the final result with decor that has fallen off with plaster or protruding unevenness.

Surface preparation for finishing

The reliability of fixing the finishing material largely depends on the conscientiousness of the preparation of the working surface, during which it is necessary:

remove areas protruding by more than 1 cm, as well as poorly adhering putty, paint;
docking seams, if the arch is made of drywall sheets, cover with sickle;
prime the surface;
level the working base with putty;
primed.

After the primer mixture has completely dried, you can proceed to the installation work.

arch finishing technology

The process of finishing the arched opening with panels, wallpaper, stone and other materials is somewhat different.

Paneling

Finishing the arch in the apartment by means of panels made of MDF, plastic, cork is possible in the absence of strongly rounded structural elements. Installation of selected materials is carried out with glue or with a crate device.

Mounting on glue is carried out as follows:

make a thorough surface preparation;
mark and cut off excess parts of the panels before using the adhesive composition;
liquid nails or glue specially selected for the material used are applied to the wrong side of the panel in a zigzag strip;
apply the panels to the surface and level them;
after 5-10 minutes, after the glue polymerizes, tap on the surface of the panel with a rubber mallet, controlling the horizontal level with a building level.

Mounting on the crate does not require leveling the surface and looks like this:

in the opening of the arch, a crate is constructed from wooden bars or metal guides, which is fixed to the surface with dowels;
at the top and bottom of the battens, starter guides for mounting panels are screwed with self-tapping screws;
panels cut to size are installed in the starting guides and fixed with self-tapping screws to the crate.

At the end of the finishing, the ends of the arch must be ennobled by gluing special corners from the same finishing material.

Wallpaper finishing

Wallpapering technology depends on the type of wallpaper.

For thin wallpaper without using plastic corners:

a strip of wallpaper is glued onto the wall adjacent to the arch so that the edges of the canvas protrude 2-3 cm beyond the boundaries of the arch;
on a protruding allowance, zigzag cuts are made every 2 cm and the resulting tongues of the canvas are folded onto the inner surface of the arch, carefully rolling with a roller;
similarly, the walls are pasted on the other side of the arch;
cut out a strip of wallpaper, the dimensions of which correspond to the width and length of the inner arch of the arch;
pasting the inner surface of the arch is carried out from the bottom up, rolling it well with a roller to get rid of air bubbles.

If the length of one strip of wallpaper is not enough, then the junction of two strips is located in the center of the arch. If it is necessary to use 3 strips of wallpaper, the joints are determined at the level of connection of the arc of the arch with vertical planes.

When using textile or vinyl wallpaper with framing:

glued wallpaper on the walls adjacent to the arch is cut along the borders of the arch;
cut out a strip of wallpaper according to the dimensions of the inner surface of the arch and paste it;
if necessary, cut off the excess with a clerical knife;
after 2-3 days, when the glue dries, the selected type of corner is fixed along the protruding elements of the arch.

Cork wallpapers are glued similarly to non-woven ones, with the only difference being that ready-made acrylic or contact glue is used, which is applied both to the rolled wallpaper and to the surface to be glued.

Decorative stone or tile

As a rule, stone cladding is carried out not only in relation to the arched opening, but also to parts of the walls adjacent to the opening by symmetrical or asymmetric placement.

The order of preparatory measures:

notches are made on a previously puttied and primed surface to improve the adhesion of the material to the surface;
stones intended for installation are laid out on the floor and the most advantageous combination of relief, pattern, overflow is selected;
using a metal brush, clean the wrong side of the material from foamy bumps.

The opening is finished using cement mortar or liquid nails from the bottom up. At the same time, the walls adjacent to the arch are initially lined:

glue is applied to the wall and stone, not exceeding a layer of 1 cm, otherwise the tile will slide down;
the first stone is laid at the junction of the arched opening and the wall;
a second stone is laid on top of the first, shifting it towards the opening by the thickness of the stone;
the alternation of masonry is repeated to the intended level, which avoids sloppy corners and the use of framing elements in the form of corners, skirting boards and other elements;
finishing inside the arched opening is also overlapped.

To finish the top of the vault:

dry tile / stone is applied to the intended place of gluing; The excess line is marked with a pencil, along which it is drawn several times with a construction knife;
break off the unnecessary part with pliers;
burrs and irregularities are removed with a file and sandpaper.

After 1-2 days after the end of the facing work, they begin to grout the seams:

the construction syringe is filled with grout;
to obtain a pronounced relief, the joints are filled, not reaching the upper edge of the stone by 3-4 mm;
to obtain a smooth relief, the seam is filled at the same level with the upper border of the stone;
after 30-40 minutes, the filled seams are smoothed with a special spatula or spatula, getting rid of irregularities.

Tiling is done in a similar way to decorative stone.

Mosaic finish

It is easier and faster to veneer the arch with mosaics assembled in small matrices. The fixation of individual modules into matrices is carried out using paper, on which the mosaic is laid face down, and a fine mesh, which serves as the basis for gluing the modules with the wrong side down. Since the mosaic is made from various materials, a transparent adhesive is used for mounting transparent modules, and white for opaque ones.

The process of finishing the arch with mosaics is as follows:

Applying the matrix, mark the area of the working surface into separate segments according to the matrix dimensions.
Adhesive is applied to the wall with a notched trowel to accommodate a single matrix.
The set of modules is carefully sunk into the adhesive composition, preventing the adhesive from getting on the front surface of the mosaic and correcting the horizontal position of the matrix with a building level.
Similarly, repeat the laying of all the necessary elements.
After the adhesive solution has set, the protective layer of the mosaic is removed.
Grouting is carried out in the vertical and horizontal direction with a rubber spatula.
An hour after applying the grout, remove excess mortar by moving the spatula in diagonal directions.

At the end of the work, the mosaic must be wiped with a damp sponge to remove traces of grout, without making any special efforts in order to avoid washing it out of the joints.

In the process of finishing the arch with your own hands, it is necessary to control the horizontality of all matrix modules, therefore it is better for a person who is unsure of his abilities to entrust the work to a professional specialist.

Finishing with decorative plaster

With the use of decorative plaster, the decoration of the arch, the photo of which is presented below, is carried out in a fairly short time as follows:

A small layer of plaster is applied to a pre-prepared surface.
By means of a grater, sponge and other improvised means, a pattern and relief of the future surface are formed.
With insufficiently pronounced relief, plaster is added in the right places only after the first layer has dried. To give a decorative effect, it is often necessary to apply several layers of plaster.

Upon completion of work and thorough drying of the surface (1-2 days), the arch is painted, varnish or other protective coating is applied.

More clearly you can see the decoration of the arch video:

Application of corners

No matter how strong the material is chosen for finishing the arch and the walls adjacent to it, but the protruding parts of the structure begin to wear out, fade, peel off after a rather short period, because the corners of the arch are subjected to heavy loads. The use of skirting boards and corners made of MDF, plastic, wood and other materials as an additional frame will help to extend the period of decorative finishing, which allows not only to protect the finishing material, but also to hide the cracks, chips, and irregularities formed during the installation process.

The installation of the corners is carried out by means of glue or liquid nails, which are applied to the inside of the material at the end of the finishing. At the same time, the decoration of the arch with a corner begins with the sidewalls and ends with the vaulted part.

Additional elements in the form of corners, skirting boards should be chosen a few shades darker or lighter than the main finish in order to more clearly emphasize the shape of the arch.

Decorative decoration of arches takes a lot of time and requires special care. Compliance with all stages of finishing with one or another material and slowness during the installation work will result at the end of the finishing of the arch into a wonderful interior element that will delight the owners of the house and their guests for a long time.

Each house or apartment has several doorways. One of the most popular and common ways to design them is to create an arch. In addition to the fact that it must be done correctly, design is of great importance; special attention should be paid to this stage of work. There are many options for finishing arches, all of them have both advantages and disadvantages.

Popular materials for finishing the arch

One of the most affordable and effective ways to revive the design of a room, giving it an individual and unique look is to create an arch. It can have a wide variety of shapes and be made of different materials. Just creating a door arch will not be enough, it still needs to be properly and beautifully finished. To do this, you can use several options. It must be remembered that in addition to giving the structure a beautiful and attractive look, the finishing material can also protect it from damage, so its choice must be approached with skill.

The decoration of the arch should not only give it an attractive appearance, but also protect it from possible damage.

Dye

Painting is the simplest and most affordable method of finishing an arched structure, so it is very popular. The advantage of this material is its availability and ease of application. It is enough to purchase paint and use a brush, roller or spray gun to apply it to the prepared surface. To get a beautiful result, you need to apply at least two layers. The disadvantage of such a finish is that it is necessary to carefully prepare the surface, and this takes a lot of time and effort. If irregularities remain on the arch, then after painting they will be even more noticeable.

The arch can be painted to match the walls or in a contrasting color.

There are two main options for this finish:

painting in one tone with the wall, then the design dissolves in the interior;
staining in a contrasting color, in this case, attention is focused on the door arch.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is also a common option for finishing the arch. You can choose them in the color of the walls or use a contrasting solution. Now there are liquid wallpapers, which are often used to finish the arch.

For pasting the arch, you can use ordinary, vinyl, textile or liquid wallpaper

Advantages of pasting the arch with wallpaper:

a large selection, so you can purchase the material of the required shade and texture;
ease of installation, no special skills and tools are required to perform the work;
affordable cost.

Disadvantages:

fragility. Even the most durable wallpapers are easily damaged, so you have to change them after 2-4 years;
discoloration. Under the action of sunlight, the wallpaper quickly loses its original color.

It is better to purchase plain wallpaper without ornament. If the walls are pasted over with the same material, then you will not have to select a pattern, so the work can be done easier and faster. To decorate the edges of the arch, you can use plastic corners. They will act not only as decorative elements, but also reliably protect the corners from possible mechanical damage.

Wood

Finishing arches with natural wood gives the room style, solidity and beauty. This material goes well with almost any design solution, but is most suitable for finishing the arch in a wooden house.

The arch made of natural wood looks especially stylish in combination with other wooden interior elements.

Advantages of finishing the arch with wood:

the original presentable appearance has been preserved for many years;
high strength when finishing with hardwoods;
environmental friendliness.

Disadvantages:

at high humidity, even with additional protection, the tree is prone to deformation;
wooden structures do not tolerate temperature changes, so it is not worth finishing the arch near the entrance doors with such material;
great weight. Natural wood elements are difficult to mount alone, so you need to invite an assistant and fix them securely;
high price.

If precious woods are used to decorate the arch, then usually decorative products are ordered from specialized companies, and their specialists install them. If you have the necessary skills, you can decorate the arch with a tree with your own hands.