Granite: facing the house and its features

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Granite finish is durability and practicality.

At the moment, there is a huge assortment of finishing materials that are used for both external and internal works. The most popular is granite tiles for cladding buildings.

What is granite and its types

Granite is a natural agglomerate that has excellent properties and characteristics. Plates are made from it that can be used for facades and interior spaces.
Material Features:

• Granite consists of feldspar, which gives it strength and durability.
• This type of natural stone is not able to radiate radiation and thereby becomes safe both for the environment and human health.
• There are full granite stones or tiles. The thickness of such tiles is at least 1 cm.

The sizes can be various, as well as the shapes of the material:

• Square.
• Rectangular
• Oval and others.

Varieties of such material differ in their surface design, it can be:

• Polished.
• Polished.
• Heat treated.
• Chipped.
• Sawn.

So:

• As for the color scheme, the tile has a very large selection and with its help a unique external and internal design is created.
• Polished Granite house cladding It has a rather rough surface. As a rule, after numerous treatments, traces of tools or equipment remain on it.
• A polished surface is aesthetically more attractive than polished, since with this method of processing the material its natural appearance and gloss are preserved. Granite tiles of this type are used both inside and out. Also has a wide range of shades.
• Granite for facing a building with a surface that is thermally treated has a clearly defined relief structure of the natural agglomerate itself.

Tip. For flooring, this type of granite is not recommended, since it may be difficult to clean this surface.

• The chopped surface is considered the roughest. It gives the tile an unusual relief, which is applied using special equipment.
  Due to this, the tile has the appearance of raw natural stone.
• The sawn surface is fairly flat, but there are traces of diamond circles or cords on it, that is, the equipment that is used to process the surface.

Surface colors can be:

• All shades of brown.
• Green.
• Blue.
• Black.
• Gray and so on.

The photo shows material examples.

The color scheme of the material

There is a natural agglomerate - granite, and there is also artificial one. Both that and that in their appearance have no differences.
But use artificial granite tiles not recommended for flooring.
Comparison:

• It is also worth considering that the life of a natural stone is several times longer than artificial.
• There are also differences in the installation of the material.
• The price of natural sinter will be very expensive, but artificial granite is more affordable.

Properties and characteristics of natural granite tiles

Facing the house with granite has a very attractive appearance.
This is due to the natural origin of the material, which:

• Environmentally friendly, as it is not harmful to health.
• Practical. It does not require special care, and it is best to clean the surface of the material with a simple damp cloth.

Tip. Do not use abrasive chemical cleaners, as over time they can destroy the structure of the material.

• Moisture resistant. This is due to a rather dense structure, which is not able to respond to moisture and various contaminants.
• Fire resistant. Granite and all materials from it are not exposed to a direct source of fire.
  In this case, the structure of the stone is not deformed.
• Able to withstand both low and high temperature conditions.
• Does not respond to exposure to sunlight. The surface of the material does not fade and does not change its appearance.

Note. The cladding of houses made of granite is wear-resistant, since throughout the entire period of operation it is not able to change its appearance. It is very strong and reliable, able to withstand any physical and mechanical stress.

What can be combined with granite tiles

An example of a combination of granite tiles

A house with granite cladding can be found quite often. Because of natural stone It is very expensive, there are various combinations in the decoration.
It looks interesting granite tiles in combination with decorative plaster.

Tip. The color scheme of such a tool is better to choose a few tones lighter than the surface of granite. This design of the facade will be very original.

So:

• Rarely used granite with brickwork. For such works, silicate brick is used, which can be red or yellow, olive or white.
  Here it is also worth observing the contrast of shades and their combination.

Tip. If brick is used for cladding, it is best to use granite tiles on the basement of the building or at its corners.

You can apply granite tiles at the bottom of the structure, and use an analogue of granite - artificial stone at the corners or all external walls. Such exterior granite cladding will be affordable.

On what surface can granite tiles be mounted

Granite Applications

Instructions for the use of such material do not exist, since for granite tiles there are no restrictions for use for:

• Concrete surface.
• Stone.
• Wooden.

Tip. Mount granite tiles on a wooden surface is necessary only according to certain rules. This is due to the fact that the wood itself has a rather soft structure and the surface should be well prepared (plastered and reinforced).

Surface preparation for the installation of granite tiles

Facing buildings with granite tiles is distinguished by its weight - it is quite heavy. For this reason, for high-quality finishing work, the surface is strengthened.

Tip. Mount granite in slabs is necessary only on a flat surface.

How surface strengthening occurs:

• Such work is performed at the same time as leveling the surface.
• A special reinforcing mesh is used, which has not too large cells.
• It is mounted on a concrete surface.

For this, a concrete solution is prepared independently from:

• Water.
• Sand.
• Cement.

More details:

• Very often special hardeners are used, which increase the density coefficient of the structure of the product.

Tip. In order to give uniformity to the concrete mortar, a concrete mixer is used. She save time and effort.

• Initially, a solution of concrete is applied in a small layer on the surface. Used for this spatula and building level.
  It is necessary to try to make the concrete surface quite smooth, since the reinforcing mesh will be mounted on it.
• Without waiting for the complete drying of the solution, a grid deepens into it on the surface. On top of it, another small layer of concrete mortar is applied.

Tip.For such a leveling surface, it will not be possible to use sandpaper.

• Next, you need to wait until the mortar completely solidifies on the wall surface. Then, priming with a special tool will be mandatory.
  It is applied with a simple brush with a natural pile or roller.

Tip. Selecting a tool for such work is necessary focusing on the convenience of its use. It is most rational to use a roller, which, with its unusual design, can quickly apply a primer and evenly distribute it.

All work on strengthening and leveling the surface is easily do-it-yourself.

Installation of granite tiles

Material Installation Tips

Facing buildings with granite is not particularly difficult, especially if the surface is well prepared for this.
For work you will need:

• Concrete mortar or special glue for fixing natural stone.
• Spatula for applying mortar.

Tip. Concrete mortar is applied to the surface, not to the back of the material. This is due to the fact that the weight of the material is quite large and the solution itself will create an additional load.

• Construction level for smooth and high-quality tile installation.

It is necessary to initially determine the type of installation of the material, since the granite cladding of the building can be:

• Dense, there is no distance between the tiles.
• With even spaces between each tile.

Tip. When installing granite tiles, which has a certain distance between each decoration element, you can use colored concrete mortar. It is made as usual, only the coloring pigment is still added to it.

So:

• Installation should begin at the bottom of the building, and gradually rise up. Fix the tile in small rows - several rows a day.
  This is due to the fact that the material is quite heavy and to ensure its reliable fixation on the surface.

So that there are no questions about how to properly install granite tiles, you can consult a specialist in this field or just watch the video.