How To Apply Natural Stones on Cement Wall

As a room partition and building protector, wall is a crucial element of house buildings. Therefore, its decoration also needs to be well considered. There are a lot of ways that you could use to decorate cement walls, such as adding textures, putting on a layer of paint or wallpaper, hanging a relief, or applying a layer of natural stones. Cement wall decoration using natural stones is commonly used to decorate walls that are located outside the building, such as garden and porch areas. However, this kind of wall decoration could also enhance the look of your interior walls. You could apply a layer of natural stones at home by following these simple steps:

1. Tools and Materials Preparation

Before applying natural stones on your cement wall, do not forget to prepare the required materials and tools first, such as concrete nails, string, cement mixture, natural stone protective paint, and natural stones that you are going to use. String is an important tool for applying natural stones on your wall, because it functions as placement reference for the stones to keep them well aligned. When it comes to choosing stones, choose stones with right angles because they could be easily adjusted to the wall. Furthermore, you should also prepare the wall area where you are going to put natural stones on first by creating random cracks on it. This will help the stones stick better to your wall.

2. Natural Stones Application

The next step is the main step, which is the application process. Soak the stones in a bowl of water first for a while to help maintain their moisture. This step is crucial because if the stones are applied on the wall in dry condition, they will absorb the water from cement mixture. After that, put a support on the bottom part of the wall to prevent the stones from slipping down, because natural stones are usually quite heavy. Begin sticking stones on the wall using cement mixture starting from the bottom part.

3. Wall Finishing and Treatment

After the stones are completely applied to the wall, do not forget to clean the excess cement that might come out from the gaps and edges. This cement residue should be cleaned straightaway because once the cement has dried, it will be so much harder to clean, and harsh cleaning could damage the stones. If dirt is still present on the wall, you could clean them by spraying some water using a hose on the dirty areas. If the stain is difficult to clean, pour some soapy water on the wall, brush the stains until they are gone and wash the wall using clean water. After the wall is perfectly cleaned, you could continue to the last process which is wall treatment. Apply a layer of protective paint on your natural stone wall to prevent moss from growing and to reduce the risk of damage in the future. Reapply this protective layer regularly every 6 to 12 months.