Stone impregnation can help solve many problems with the appearance of stone buildings. Indeed, despite its high strength, durability and reliability, stone can also be susceptible to rust or salt.

The main reason to protect the material is the corrosion of natural stone under the influence of high humidity. Let's look at options for removing stains and protecting the natural appearance of the material.

The stone impregnation agent is used not only to treat facades, but also to remove rust, salt and protect against graffiti. The composition of a particular substance, as well as the principle of its action, depend on the scope of use. All of them create an invisible film on the stone, regardless of whether it is natural or artificial. This film protects stone structures from abrasions and significantly extends their service life.

Principle of operation

The substance promotes the evaporation of moisture from the surface of a stone object and prevents it from getting inside. The water repellent fills the pores of the stone. The molecules of the substance create a special network that prevents the penetration of water.

Do not forget that water-repellent impregnations will not protect against oil stains. Oil particles pass freely through the molecular network and remain in the pores. You can avoid this problem if you use oil-based products.

When to use

Protective equipment can be useful in several cases.

1. Stone is used both inside and outside the building. In both cases, it may be exposed to harmful substances. These can be various solutions with a caustic composition, household chemicals, and even water. They can cause hard-to-remove stains on the surface of, for example, marble.
2. Stone used for exterior decoration needs protection more than others. It can be affected, for example, by direct sunlight. Because of this, the same marble can become discolored and faded.
3. Mold, moss, and fungi form on the stone. As these organisms grow, they can destroy the structure of the material and even the entire stone structure.
4. The salt inside the stone, under certain conditions, can come out, crystallize and destroy the material.

What you need to know about types of drugs

Impregnation allows you to preserve the attractive appearance of stone and decorative stone tiles for a long time. It will not lose its color and will not fade under the influence of direct sunlight. The film on the surface will protect the stone from the appearance of potholes, cracks and chips, making it more durable and dense.

There are compounds that can penetrate deeply into the stone. They close the pores and polymerize it. Such impregnations are called hydrophobic mixtures or water repellents - they play a protective role and protect the stone from moisture. In addition, they make it resistant to petroleum products, reagents and other similar substances.

Types depending on composition

1. Latex impregnations help prepare stone structures for further painting.
2. Impregnations based on chemicals remove rust from stones of natural and artificial origin.
3. Silicone solutions protect stone products from environmental influences and make them resistant to temperature changes.
4. Impregnation without any additional effects. This is a chemical compound, sometimes silicone-based, that has the ability to penetrate the pores of the stone. Such products do not leave films, stains or smudges. Stone impregnation forms a protective layer inside. After drying, the treated surface will be no different from the uncoated surface. Take granite, for example. When a water repellent is applied to its surface, moisture, oils and other substances will not be able to penetrate inside. They will remain on the surface and can be easily removed.
5. Impregnation with a wet effect. This is a product that takes care of the appearance of the stone, highlighting its color and structure. If you cover a surface with this type of impregnation, it will receive a wet shine and rich color, without leaving a film. Impregnation of wet stone is responsible for the decorative component.
6. Protection against graffiti. , can have a destructive effect on the stone. In addition, the process of removing it is fraught with some difficulties. If you cover the surface with this type of impregnation, it will not absorb paint, which, if something happens, can be easily removed with the simplest cleaning agents.

Types depending on the effect

It is noteworthy that absolutely all stones, both natural and artificial, can be treated with hydrophobic impregnations. These are granite (porcelain stoneware), marble, cement stone, sandstone, gypsum. Decorative items made from these materials will only benefit from the use of a water-repellent agent.

Advantages

We can highlight the main advantages of stone impregnations:

1. Make stone surfaces as hydrophobic as possible. Granite, marble, sandstone, gypsum will not change their properties over time. They will become more resistant to weather changes and mechanical stress.
2. Corrosion of cement stone and other similar materials is a serious problem. If they are coated with a special agent, the level of corrosion resistance will increase.
3. Cracks do not form inside stone products.
4. The foundation and plinth become waterproof.
5. Stone surfaces do not change their appearance over a long period of time.
6. Easy to apply without requiring additional preparation.
7. Harmless.

Operating rules

The application of hydrophobic agents follows some basic rules.

1. Processing marble, granite, gypsum and gypsum products begins with cleaning their surface. They need to remove stains from oils, tar, bitumen, salt, and mold. Removal can be done using special cleaning products.
2. Depending on the type of impregnation used, the working surface should be dry or wet. For example, silicone-based solutions require moisture for the reaction to begin.
3. Corrosion of cement stone, as well as other types of stones, leads to the formation of cracks. They need to be sealed before covering the surface with a water repellent. For small cracks, it is enough to mix cement and sand. For larger ones, epoxy resin is suitable.
4. Concrete products (this also applies to repaired cracks) must be cured for 4 weeks before coating.
5. It is important to determine whether the materials and impregnation are compatible. For example, products for limestone, gypsum, granite or marble may differ in composition and principle of action. If there are any doubts regarding the use of a particular composition, a test application should be carried out.
6. Under no circumstances should the impregnation be diluted or modified in any way. It must be applied from the container in which it is supplied by the manufacturer.
7. Water repellents are applied with a roller or brush, or they can be sprayed.
8. Apply impregnation in a thin layer. If there is any excess left, remove it immediately.
9. It is important that the room in which work is carried out is well ventilated.

How to remove rust stains

Sometimes rust may appear on the stone surface. How to deal with it? Using special cleaners. They come in two types:

• liquid,
• pasty.

Both rust removers are made on the basis of inorganic acids and anti-corrosion additives. Such cleaners are not suitable for stones that are damaged by acids, such as plaster and gypsum structures.

Marble materials

Marble processing is a separate issue. This natural stone has a heterogeneous structure, veins, inclusions, and cracks. Unlike granite, it is soft and easy to work with. These properties affect the durability of marble products.

To correct the situation, impregnation for marble is suitable. It is easily absorbed without leaving stains or streaks and without changing the appearance of the products. Such substances make marble more durable, moisture-resistant, and resistant to destructive factors.

Help chemicals

Both natural and artificial stone are susceptible to corrosion, destruction, moisture and many other external factors. It often develops salt stains or rust stains. Removing them is difficult, but there is a way out. Granite, porcelain stoneware, gypsum and gypsum products can be coated with a special hydrophobic impregnation, sometimes with a silicone base. It will protect surfaces from moisture, rapid destruction and staining.

If stains have already appeared, you can use rust removers. All these substances have a protective and decorative function. For example, treating marble with impregnation makes marble products strong, reliable and durable, and also protects against rust and other stains.

The presence of stone products in the interior is not only relevant, stylish, elegant, but also original. The company has its own production, equipped with the latest high-tech Italian equipment with numerical control for working with natural stone.

Treatment for interiors

Our stone processing plant allows us to produce custom-made countertops, bar counters, steps, stairs, window sills, fireplaces, reception desks, etc.

Exterior treatment

In addition to the production of products for interiors, the capabilities of our equipment also allow us to produce various architectural forms for decorating the outside of your home - finishing facades, plinths, entrance lobbies, porches, stairs, columns, pilasters, as well as landscape design elements.

Processing prices

Stone processing (marble, granite, onyx, travertine, quartz agglomerate) is characterized by excellent properties that make the interior element made from them truly unique. All prices are shown in the table below:

Prices for stone processing (marble)

Prices for stone processing (granite and agglomerate)

Texturing processing

Stone processing gives the surface of the product a different texture depending on the technology used. The main difference between natural stone and artificial stone is that artificial material is simply not capable of conveying the beauty created by nature itself. The textured finish can be chipped, sawn, sanded, polished, brushed, heat-treated and artificially aged in the antique style.

A chipped texture (rock) is a plane formed as a result of breaking off a part of its surface, reminiscent of a rocky relief.

Sawn processing (turned) is a type of stone surface formed as a result of cutting rock.
The fact is that the composition of the stone always contains inclusions of several minerals that have unequal degrees of hardness. After friction with brushes, softer minerals are abraded more than hard ones, forming an uneven surface level.
The artificially aged texture of a stone is a surface formed after exposure to a chemical solution based on acid. The acid eats away at the thin layer of softer minerals, creating a rough and aged appearance.
The polished texture is a rough surface that appears after polishing the stone with abrasive; depending on the size of the abrasive, the polished surface can be more or less rough, almost polished, but with a matte surface. The smoother the product, the more clearly the natural pattern of natural stone is reflected.
Polished texture is the processing of stone with the smallest abrasives, as a result of which the surface most clearly reflects the natural beauty of the texture and has a mirror-like glossy shine that reflects the entire space around it.

By ordering stone processing from our company, you receive not only an exquisite and high-quality product, but also installation services and advice from care specialists.

The oldest and especially popular in modern construction is natural stone. The demand for this material is due to its strength and durability, but it must be remembered that almost all rocks have the ability to absorb liquids. In the articles we talked about methods of protecting, cleaning and treating stone surfaces. But when using natural stone, you need to know what to look for when choosing a special product, depending on what tasks it will perform.

Why is impregnation needed?

All kinds of protective compounds are usually used in the following situations:

• The stone is exposed to external factors. In this case, the material can be located both inside the building and outside. Chemicals, detergents, paint, and water greatly damage the coating. As a result, stains appear on the stone, which are quite difficult to remove.
• The lining burns out. Exterior decoration is most exposed to sunlight, losing its original color.
• The stone becomes overgrown with moss, mold and fungi. If you do not prevent their occurrence, then over time the stone will gradually collapse.
• White spots appear on the surface. Efflorescence negatively affects not only the appearance of products, but also leads to damage to the structure of the material over time.

Types of protective drugs

Impregnation must be selected taking into account the negative effects that will be exerted on the stone during operation. Today, chemical manufacturers offer different types of impregnations. The composition fills the pores and does not allow moisture to destroy the natural material. In addition, the stone becomes resistant to gasoline, salt, chemicals and other aggressive substances and retains its attractive appearance for many years.

Depending on the composition, protective impregnations are of the following types:

• latex-based - used to prepare stone for painting;
• containing chemicals - used to remove stains and rust of various origins;
• silicone - serve to protect stone surfaces from the influence of rain, snow, sun and temperature changes.

Characteristics of different compositions

Solutions that create the effect of wet stone are quite popular among buyers. This impregnation is used to protect against water and dirty stains. Experts recommend applying the product to improve the appearance of the product and emphasize the natural structure of the material. “Wet stone” impregnation is also used to enhance the color of the stone, eliminate microcracks, etc.

Such solutions are consumed quite economically and are easy to use. Treatment with such impregnation provides reliable protection from external influences, prevents aging and rapid destruction of natural material. The surface becomes bright and glossy, much fresher and darker than the original color. Such impregnations are used on external and internal surfaces - cladding, countertops, floor coverings, monuments, sculptures. It is not advisable to use a “wet” stone impregnation with a glossy effect on paving stones.

Other popular agents are water repellents. Their purpose is to protect the surface from absorption of various liquids. This can be water, tea, juices, coffee and others, which, when penetrating the structure of the stone, spoil its appearance and aesthetics and contribute to the premature destruction of the material. Water repellents are safe for human health and do not harm the environment, dry quickly and are deeply absorbed into the stone. At the same time, a thin film is formed on the surface, preventing the penetration of moisture and oily substances, the appearance and growth of mold. The stone becomes more resistant to sub-zero temperatures, while maintaining the appearance of the material and its breathability. Facades lined with natural stone and treated with water repellents are much easier to care for in winter. However, it is better not to use such impregnations on surfaces exposed to water for a long time, for example, paths and sidewalks. It is important to remember that if necessary, a stone coated with a water repellent cannot be painted, so the composition should be applied last.

Often, as a protective agent, consumers choose stone varnish, which can be glossy or matte. The first makes the coating brighter, as if wet. The second type of varnish is usually used for floors and staircases in buildings with high traffic.

Protective varnishes are quite deeply “absorbed” by the stone, making it resistant to external influences and weather disasters. Such means are of the following types:

• polymer - used for interior and exterior work;
• polyurethane - mainly used for impregnating stone facades, tiles in swimming pools or paving surfaces, as it makes the surface impervious to water;
• silicone and acrylic - enhance the decorative properties of stone, used for finishing external elements and varnishing large areas indoors.

The surface coated with this composition becomes more durable and is not subject to wear. Such impregnations have minimal flammability, are resistant to low and high temperatures, and are suitable for use in wet rooms (baths, bathrooms and showers), outdoors and in public places. Varnishes contain chemical compounds, so you need to be careful when working with them.

There are special means not only to protect the stone and improve its external characteristics. Anti-slip impregnations help make the surface safe and prevent people from falling on granite, marble, and ceramic floors. Such compositions are made on the basis of water and are very easy to use. When carrying out initial processing, experts recommend conducting a test on an inconspicuous area, as the stone may lose its brightness.

Today, manufacturers offer many new products, including special compounds to protect stone from graffiti. Such solutions evenly cover the surface and do not allow the paint from the can to penetrate into the structure of the stone, and pigment removal becomes hassle-free - just treat the contaminated area with a jet of steam.

This impregnation is used for natural and artificial stone, as well as for brick, concrete and other materials with a porous structure. The anti-graffiti product contains water, silicone and polymers. In addition to its main purpose, this composition makes the stone resistant to the destructive influences of wind, water, and temperature changes; the treated surface does not turn yellow, does not stick, and becomes a little brighter. It is not recommended to use anti-graffiti impregnation on polished and glazed surfaces. This will lead to loss of shine and brightness. The paint protection coating must be renewed periodically, as it is quite unstable.

If you need to preserve the stone without drips or film formation, then it is better to use a product that does not create any effects. The impregnation quickly penetrates deep into the stone, so a protective layer is formed inside. After applying the composition, the material does not change its color and texture, but dirt and water do not penetrate into its structure. Dust, liquid, oil accumulate on the surface and are removed with conventional detergents. Such impregnations are indispensable for treating countertops and floors in the kitchen, hallway, bathroom and other rooms where the stone is regularly exposed to quite heavy contamination and requires constant care.

When choosing a composition, it is important to remember that impregnating agents are not able to protect the stone always. Under the influence of external factors, any composition gradually loses the properties declared by the manufacturer. Therefore, to maintain the good condition of the natural material, protective impregnations must be applied regularly. The update frequency depends on the original structure of the stone. For example, it is advisable to cover more porous rocks and surfaces subject to strong mechanical stress with a protective solution every two years, while for dense and less friable stone one treatment every five years will be sufficient.

Cutting, polishing and processing stone at home, homemade machine

Rings with radiant gems. Pendants, earrings, cufflinks and other jewelry with stones. Writing instruments, sculptures. Columns and plinths of buildings.

In all these cases, stones perfectly fulfill the role of artistic, sculptural and building material, and serve as the main detail of an artistic and applied composition.

Beautiful stones? But the most ordinary, ordinary, not precious.

The stone does not reveal its beauty to everyone: it gives the most amazing things to the hardworking. And the work is to correctly cut the stone, grind it, polish it or process it according to the intended shape. For the labor spent on it, the stone will present a picture that it has preserved for millennia, it will come to life and sparkle with fancy colors and shades. And, once experiencing the joy of “discovering” a stone, seeing something amazing in it, a person inevitably falls in love with the stone.

Loving stone is one of the wonderful hobbies. Stone lovers collect all minerals, including ore rocks. But special attention is given to agates, jaspers, flints and transitional forms of these minerals. These seemingly ordinary stones are truly limitless in their diversity. And there are countless deposits. In Moscow itself, in Rublev, there are a lot of flints. In Dmitrov - agate flints. In Golutvin, a few minutes drive from Moscow, there are agates and flints. In Stupino, also near Moscow, there are agates and crystal brushes.

But in the whole country there are countless deposits that are interesting for stone lovers - these are the mountainous regions of the Urals, Transbaikalia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, Karelia, and the whole country.

But finding a stone is only the first stage. This is followed by processing. The stone is cut using so-called cutting discs, which are sold in diamond tool stores.

The cutting discs used by hobbyists have a diameter of 125 to 200 millimeters and are driven by a 160-200 watt motor through a belt drive.

The stone is cut at a peripheral speed of the disk from 20 to 30 meters per second. Be sure to have plenty of water cooling on both sides of the disk.

How to make a stone cutting machine at home

And how exactly to make a machine for cutting stone at home, how to provide cooling to it, this type of creativity is left to the amateur himself. View the design of the machine -

Grinding stone to obtain flat plates can be done on ordinary glass using abrasive powders.

A few drops of water on the glass and a small portion of powder - and you can start. During the grinding process, powder is added in small portions as the abrasive wears down, and water is added to maintain a creamy consistency on the glass.

When moving from large fractions of powder to smaller ones when grinding, the glass being ground and your hands should be washed with water, soap and a brush: if even a few large grains get into the small fraction of the powder, the work will be ruined.

After grinding, the stone is polished on a mechanical felt or felt wheel with a diameter of 150 to 200 millimeters. When polishing, you need chromium oxide powder and water. The rotation speed of the circle is from 400 to 700 rpm.

I only talked about one method of processing stone, but there are many of them. For stone lovers, we can offer one of the rational designs of a machine for processing small-sized stones. The structure of the machine is clear from the diagram, so we will give only some recommendations.

As a motor, it is better to use commercially available electric motors for washing machines - single-phase, with a power of 180 to 230 watts and developing 1400 rpm. With such engine characteristics, the pulleys can be two-stage, with gear ratios of 1:1 and 1:0.35.

The first gear is convenient for processing stone on faceplates with fixed abrasive material, and the second is faster for processing stone with bulk abrasive.

For transmission it is convenient to use a V-belt from the Zaporozhets car. The faceplate mounting thread can be either right or left-handed, as long as the faceplate does not twist off its axis when working under load.

The size of the trough for collecting sludge should be approximately twice the diameter of the faceplate, and the height of the sides should be two centimeters higher than the surface of the faceplate. You can attach rubber to the side walls of the trough so that a stone that accidentally jumps out of your hands does not break.

Let me remind you that all stone processing is carried out with water, but the dropper on the machine is used only when working on faceplates with a fixed abrasive. When processing with bulk abrasive, it is best to wet the stone with water in a separate bath.

Of course, you should have a set of faceplates for the machine: cast iron, wood, metal with felt and felt glued on. This set is necessary for step-by-step processing and polishing.

Young technician - for skilled hands 1985-04, page 14

Dry cleaning can also be used to remove surface deposits. Its advantage is that the samples suffer less from scratches and chips. At home, a 5-15 percent solution of hydrochloric or oxalic acid is used for this. But first you need to make sure that your minerals do not dissolve in acid. Aragonite and azurite should not be treated with acid; they dissolve in it very quickly. Minerals such as turquoise and lapis lazuli are processed very carefully, since they, although slowly, dissolve in acid. To soften organic residues that may be found on the surface of the samples, they are soaked in acetic acid. Fatty compounds are removed with gasoline and acetone.

Some household chemicals are very effective for chemical cleaning of minerals. For example, carbonate lime shells can be removed from minerals by boiling them with Antina-kipin. Progress detergent cleans even hard-to-reach areas of the surface well. At the last stage of chemical treatment, transparent minerals can be cleaned well with glass and crystal cleaners (for example, IPA).

A “chemical bath” is very effective if the minerals are boiled under pressure in a pressure cooker. At the same time, steam penetrates into the most inaccessible places. After processing, the stones are thoroughly washed with clean water.

CLEAVING AND CUTTING

Cleaned and washed stones must be sorted. Some hobbyists collect only fossils or beautiful specimens, mineralogical rarities. Many collectors subject specimens to grinding and polishing. This helps to more fully reveal the beauty of the stone. Experienced amateurs find such planes in the stone, cutting along which you can see the play of colors, reminiscent of landscapes, or even portraits.

Beautiful, but less interesting stones for the collection can be put aside for crafts: mosaics, boxes, carvings. Some lovers try to emphasize the beauty of the stone by combining it with metal and wood.

Before you start working on the craft, you need to split the stone, removing all excess. For splitting (preparing) large samples, special devices should be made: a clamp with two teeth made of hardened metal or a vice in which two angles with pobedit teeth are mounted (Fig. 7).

The stone is cut with special diamond wheels or commercially available diamond saws. The cutting and grinding machine can be assembled on the base of an electric sharpener or an EZS-1 electric drilling device (Fig. 8). It has two shaft outputs, one equipped with a chuck 6, the other with an emery wheel or a special faceplate with a diamond coating (1). Power of the EZS-1 device is 0.25 kW, rotation speed is 2800 min, -

Other electric motors can be used for stone processing in the power range from 0.25 to 0.5 kW and rotation speed from 15C0 to 3000 min. - Box 12 with a hinged lid serves as a stand for the machine. The machine is attached to the cover with bolts. The hinged cover allows the machine to be placed in an inclined position for some operations.

On the chuck side, an extension table 11 is attached to the box. Its height is adjustable so that you can work with cutting wheels of various diameters.

On the side table there is a guide bar 9, made of a duralumin corner 25X25 mm. A protective guard 7 for the cutting wheel is installed on the side. There is a middle line along the table and the protective fence, which helps to orient the stone when cutting.

To soundproof the machine, the bottom of the stand box and the supports of the side table are covered with rubber or felt.

A tray of water is placed under the machine's side table to cool the cutting wheel. To reduce friction, you can add a soap solution to the water. The second water pan is installed under the faceplate.

When cutting, the stone is fed along a guide bar, the position of which is adjusted to the thickness of the stone plate that is about to be cut. The stone is fed towards the rotation of the cutting wheel. Water for cooling the wheel can also be supplied using a moistened piece of foam rubber, which is held with the left hand at the side of the cutting wheel. The stone is passed with the right hand.

It is better to hold large stones with both hands, and press the foam rubber together with the stone against the tool. For stability, the edge of the stone is first cut off to obtain a supporting platform (Fig. 9). Or you can install the stone in a specially prepared cardboard box, fill it with cement and, after complete hardening, cut the stone together with the cement stand. After cutting, the cement is carefully removed. The diameter of the cutting tool is limited by the size of the stone being cut. To cut a larger stone, it is scored as shown in Figure 10, and three wedges of thin steel plates are driven into the cut grooves. The stone is broken by carefully striking it with wedges. In this way, you can cut stones whose size is slightly larger than the diameter of the cutting tool.

If it is necessary to cut a cracked stone, it is glued with epoxy glue before cutting. Cracks are outlined on a wet surface with a pencil, so they are better visible. Before gluing, the stone must be dried so that no water remains in the cracks. To do this, it is heated over an electric stove, and then cooled to approximately 60 ° C. Epoxy glue is applied to the hot stone with a brush or stick along the marked cracks, so it penetrates deeper and hardens faster. After this operation the stone becomes

strong enough that it can be cut into thin slices without fear.

GRINDING

The cut surface must be carefully polished so that the beauty of the stone appears more clearly.

Grinding can be done on the same machine described in the Splitting and Cutting section. For convenience, the cover of the machine stand is placed at an angle of about 15 degrees (Fig. 11).

It is best to use diamond faceplates for grinding, but you can also use regular abrasive wheels and so-called rubber ones.

Rubber abrasive wheels are good because you can make grooves in them and grind round stones. In addition, they are safe to use. Conventional abrasive wheels produce a lot of dirt due to the fact that they wear out quickly; there are cases when they fly into pieces during operation. Therefore, for safety reasons, a dense steel casing must be placed over them. An old aluminum bowl with the bottom removed can be used as a casing (Fig. 11). Grinding begins on wheels with large diamond or abrasive grains from 300 to 60 microns, the second stage of grinding is carried out on wheels with grains from 60 to 40 microns, and the last stage - on wheels with grains from 40 to 10 microns.

When grinding, a continuous supply of water is required. You can, as when cutting, use a piece of damp foam rubber. But it is better to install a tank with a rubber hose and a tap above the machine, through which water will flow drop by drop to the faceplate and then flow through another tube into the pan, as shown in Figure 11. The same metal casing-bowl is used to protect against splashing water.

POLISHING

The main tools for this final operation in stone processing are laps, polishing wheels made of felt and cloth, and brushes - hair or from plant materials (for example, jute).

Laps are the most important tool for finishing the surface of a stone. They are made in the form of faceplates and are manual. The lapping material for stone processing is different. It can be cast iron, tin, lead, wood, fluoroplastic, hematite, chalcedony.

The laps themselves, as a rule, perform fine grinding, and moistened chromium oxide or GOI paste is added for polishing. Instead of chromium oxide, you can use green paint under the same name, since chromium oxide is its main component. You can polish it using a leather swab. The disadvantage of chromium oxide and GOI paste is that they eat into the cracks of the stone and are washed out with difficulty, using gasoline. Aluminum oxide powders are also used for polishing.

Natural stone processing

Since most stones are mined in the form of a shapeless massive rock, they need processing, which will make it possible for their further use in a particular area. The exception is rocks that have natural decorative value (boulder, pebbles, coral, pearls, etc.). Various textured processing of natural stone gives it an aesthetic appearance, helps to reveal and emphasize decorative properties, or hide imperfections.

Modern technologies for processing natural stone

Mechanized stone-cutting production allows you to process any rock and give its surface the required texture after mining and sawing. There are the following technologies for processing natural stone to obtain the desired surface texture. Some of them can be found below.

Sawn surface - obtained by cutting the workpiece. For this purpose, machines with linear movement of the saw frame, band, rope and circular saws are used. The surface becomes rough with intermittent grooves up to 5 mm deep.

Surfaces with this texture are used for paving areas, garden paths, cladding plinths and walls. In addition, these products are used as a material for subsequent, finer processing - polishing, grinding, glazing.

Grinded surface - is formed as a result of processing the workpiece with grinding wheels, on portal and bridge type machines, grinding and polishing conveyors and grinding and polishing machines for volumetric products. The surface acquires a uniform roughness, with relief irregularities up to 0.5 mm high. This technology is applicable for light-colored breeds with an undefined pattern. It is not suitable for dark, especially patterned rocks, as it significantly hides the pattern and color.

Such products are used for finishing floors, platforms, steps of stairs and places where it is necessary to reduce slipping.

Polished texture - achieved by using special grinding wheels coated with micro-grinding powders. The surface is smooth, but does not have a mirror shine. Polishing opens up the design well, highlighting the structure of the stone.

The slabs obtained in this way are used for cladding the floor plane and external walls of buildings.

Polished - achieved by subsequent grinding of the polished surface on a conveyor with powder-coated wheels, and then with felt and fabric wheels. The use of Goi paste or tin nitrate gives the polished stone a special shine.

Polishing perfectly reveals the pattern of the stone and emphasizes the color.

This material is used for interior decoration, the production of window sills, countertops and other interior elements.

Conchoidal - has uniform depressions from 1 to 4 mm deep, giving the stone a special decorative appearance.

Slabs with this texture are used for exterior decoration of buildings and for interior design.

Melted - obtained as a result of the use of thermal technology for processing stone on a thermal gas-jet machine. It reveals texture and color well, while creating the impression that the stone is slightly melted.

Products after heat treatment are used for finishing building facades, staircases and landings.

Rocky surface texture - is an imitation of roughly processed rock with the presence of depressions and protrusions from 50 to 200 mm, located in a chaotic manner and not undergone additional processing. The effect is achieved by chipping rock from a previously weakened surface.

A material with such a texture is used for finishing the facades of large buildings, emphasizing their significance and monumentality, as well as their natural connection with the surrounding landscape.

Common methods of processing natural stone

Modern methods of processing natural stone are divided into 2 types: mechanical and physical-mechanical.

Mechanical methods include the most common methods to date such as chipping, impact destruction and cutting.

When chipping, the following is achieved: the texture of a flat and relief rock, lumpy, characterized on the front surface by the presence of evenly distributed depressions and bumps; texture and texture is relief, with the presence of parallel grooves with a height of 0.5 to 3 mm.

Cutting is the most common modern method of stone processing. It is carried out using the disk, rope or strip cutting method.

Strip sawing is divided into sawing using steel and cast iron shot and diamond-strip sawing.

Disc sawing is becoming increasingly widespread in the processing of rocks of any hardness and is divided into disc and diamond disc sawing with cutters.

Rope sawing has become widespread when cutting rocks of various densities. Its development is proceeding in 3 directions: wire sawing with the help of abrasives, diamond wire sawing and sawing with ropes reinforced with carbide washers.

Impact destruction of stone is most widely used in the production of hewn products. Most often, steps, monument bases, bridge abutments and other elements are made in this way, where a dotted texture of processing is achieved.

The method of ultrasonic decorative processing of stone in an abrasive environment is beginning to occupy a worthy place in the industry. The process is very slow, but characterized by very high accuracy.

Physical-mechanical methods include treatment with high-frequency currents and the widely used method of processing stone with thermosetting gas burners of kerosene-oxygen and gasoline-air types, which is used for the production of architectural and construction parts and the manufacture of monuments from high-strength rocks.

The high-frequency current method is most suitable for processing blank blocks in the production of curbs, parapets, steps, etc. This method, when using high-frequency oscillations up to 20 MHz, is considered the most accurate and promising.

Processing natural stone at home

According to the degree of difficulty, all stones are divided into soft and hard. Soft stones can be easily processed with the same tools as metal products, while hard stones require the use of special tools. Stone processing at home requires a separate room equipped with exhaust ventilation, since work such as cutting and grinding is accompanied by a large amount of stone dust, which is very harmful to health.

At home, to process natural stone, you can carry out such work as: cutting, grinding, polishing the stone and engraving. It is important to remember that cutting, grinding and polishing stone is carried out only with a continuous supply of water. Water cools the cutting element, removes sludge generated during operation and significantly reduces the level of stone dust.

Cutting - rough is carried out using a regular grinder and a stone disc. A more accurate one will require the use of a sawmill type machine with a metal, preferably movable, platform.

Grinding is carried out using a grinding machine (manual or stationary) or an angle grinder with appropriate grinding wheels. The simplest method of grinding, but only for stones up to 20-25 cm in length: pour abrasive powder onto a cast-iron plate and fill it with water, place the stone on top and rub until it reaches the desired surface. The fine-grained structure of cast iron facilitates stone processing.

Gazebo made of natural or artificial stone

Natural stone is a material that has excellent aesthetic and performance parameters and allows you to create a luxurious visual picture when decorating the interior space and when cladding the facade of buildings. Natural stone remains one of the best options for creating decorative interior elements -, etc. At the same time, it is impossible to achieve ideal aesthetics without primary processing of natural stone.

The mechanism of working with such a monolithic natural material involves several stages of complex processing, which creates a completely unique visual component at each stage and makes natural stone also an aesthetically variable material.

The JazzStone company offers comprehensive services for processing natural stone and creating exclusive interior models that will become the best decoration for your home and office.

Stages of processing natural stone

Textured mechanical processing is primarily aimed at creating a special surface structure that emphasizes the beauty and attractiveness of the natural patterns of the rock. In their work, JazzStone specialists use the following stages and options for processing marble, granite and other types of natural stone:

• Sawing. A rough method of stone processing that involves the use of wire saws, diamond circular saws or band saws to obtain a rough, uneven surface of the material. Sawing is the first step to secondary processing methods, and stone slabs made in this way are used to create facade compositions and garden paths.
• Grinding. This stage is carried out on special grinding machines in order to level the surface of the sawn stone. This technique is used only for light-colored stones, since grinding reduces the contrast and brightness of the colored material. Polished stone is the best choice for finishing floors and stair structures.
• Polishing. The next stage of processing after grinding, which forms a smoother and more even surface, which is valuable when creating flooring and facing compositions. Abrasive materials are used for polishing purposes.
• Polishing. The polished form is true perfection among the processed versions of natural stone, because the surface of such a material is mirror-smooth and glossy, which creates a luxurious and noble aesthetic. This processing method maximizes the natural palette of the stone, emphasizing the advantages and texture of the material. This effect is achieved by using fine abrasives, which is especially effective when applied to marble and granite, which are susceptible to such complex mechanical influences. Polished stone is used primarily for finishing interior decorative and working elements, such as bar counters, bathtubs, countertops, mosaics and panels.

In addition to classical processing techniques, methods are often used to achieve non-standard aesthetic effects. In this regard, our employees are proficient in the following techniques for working with natural stone:

• Heat treatment - exposure to a directed jet of air supplied at high temperature. The texture takes on an uneven, rough appearance after firing the soft particles and grains of the stone surface.
• Bush hammering — processing of the material by impact loads of carbide tools, in order to form a relatively flat, but at the same time rough surface.
• Sandblasting - under the influence of a directed stream of air with a fine abrasive, it is possible to obtain excellent aesthetics of a rough and somewhat wavy stone.
• Chipping - produced either manually or using special equipment and makes it possible to recreate the effect of natural relief chipping on the surface of the stone. These types of material are called “Rock” and are used for cladding buildings, emphasizing the solidity, naturalness and relief of the design. In addition, “Skala” is harmoniously combined with landscape design elements.
• Etching - involves acid treatment in order to dissolve the softest structures of the stone and results in an original, intricate pattern. Due to its high cost, it is mainly used for marble rocks.
• Aging or antique - based on manual and abrasive work with the material, which creates an uneven, visually aged surface with channels and chips.
• Split - the result of the work of a special tool that splits a monolithic surface, creating an uneven “torn” texture.

Processing natural stone and creating unique decorative compositions is the main profile of our work, in which we are leaders and 100% professionals. By contacting the JazzStone company, you will be offered all possible options for processing natural stone, as well as a wide range of color options.

Prices and availability of material can be clarified by phone.