You like concrete look, but have no exposed concrete walls?
No problem! Even with plaster, panels or wallpaper concrete look can be
achieved
Concrete look is trendy. The building sins of the fifties to
the seventies should be forgotten very quickly. The new concrete look looks
almost tender and unobtrusive - especially in the interior. We show how exposed
concrete comes to its best advantage - and with which techniques the concrete
look can also be subsequently produced.
1. The original: Real exposed concrete
In the spirit of the concrete poet Tadao Ando may well be
the entire building made of exposed concrete. However, this already places very
high demands on the planning, because the formwork of the walls, ceilings and
stairs must follow an exact grid and be precisely worked. The once poured
concrete forgives nothing. The interior design must therefore be planned before
the start of construction.
For example, the location of recessed spotlights must
already be determined before the ceiling is poured. Slits beat in exposed
concrete? A real no-go.
Anyone who masters the fine art of exposed concrete not only
plans the formwork elements of the concrete precisely; after all, they remain
permanently visible in the surface structure. The position of the spacers of
Schalungslemente is precisely defined.
Although they are removed after completion and the holes are
closed, but they remain visible. This creates the typical round pits in a
regular grid.
2. Concrete look through mineral wall plaster
But also you can retrieve the concrete look into the
interior afterwards. For example, there are various types of mineral wall
plaster, such as lime plaster, lime marble and cement plaster, also known by
names such as microcement, concrete Ciré (cement-based fine plaster) or brand
names such as Terrastone.
These plasters can be applied by experts in such a way that
the typical concrete texture arises and even deceptively genuine "formwork
joints" are to be seen.
In this kitchen, a mixture of lime-marble plaster was
processed with cement additive. Who subsequently seals the surface, makes them
insensitive to splashing water. For wet areas, however, this plaster is less
suitable.
Lime plaster
Gray lime plaster is also recommended. The purely mineral
building material has been used for centuries. It even filters pollutants from
the air, creating a healthy living environment. Lime plaster is especially
suitable for living and sleeping areas - even for people with allergies.
Stone putty To achieve concrete look in the bathroom,
kitchen and shower, stone putty is recommended. A suitable product is
Terrastone with aggregates of natural materials such as alabaster, marble, lime
and white cement. Natural resins make stone putty elastic, firm and breathable.
The material also tolerates moisture fluctuations.
Stone putty is available in many variants, coarse-grained,
fine-grained or with mica. The putty can be applied as plaster, even over old
tiles and wallpaper.
For a perfect concrete look, stone putty should be chosen in
a subtle gray. Experts can also achieve a concrete-like surface by the
appropriate processing.
In the bathroom and kitchen water-repellent stone spatula
should be used. In this bath "Terralime" of Terrawerk was used.
Marble plaster
More like a putty marble resembling marble plaster, also
known as "Venetian spatula" and "Stucco Veneziano". The
material consists of finely ground marble, alabaster gypsum and high lime
content. Depending on which marble flour is contained in the plaster, the
finished surface appears like real marble. The surface can be matt, semi-gloss
or even high gloss. However, it is also possible to create a fine concrete
look.
Marble plaster is suitable for living rooms and bathrooms
because the surface is easy to clean and washable. The gray tone is freely
selectable.
Concrete Ciré
A plastering technique developed some 15 years ago in France
is concrete Ciré - literally translated "waxed concrete". It is made
of real concrete mixed with synthetic resin. This fine plaster is available in
many colors; it can be applied to walls, floors and even furniture. After
drying, Ciré concrete not only looks like real concrete - it also feels that way.
The surface is, depending on the sanding and sealing, from matt to silky
glossy.
Since the material is waterproof, it is perfect for shower
and bath. And: Concrete Ciré can even be applied to old tiles. A great way to
renovate bathrooms and kitchens.
As a general rule, all mineral wall plasters require:
Producing a surface in concrete look requires a lot of experience and
craftsmanship. Therefore, you should hire a professional who can also recommend
the best brushing for the purpose.
3. Rolling Concrete and Concrete Wallpaper
Because demand is growing, manufacturers are getting
creative. Meanwhile, there is even flexible rolling concrete. This
"concrete wallpaper" made of mineral stone flour is one to five
millimeters thin. The flexible material is offered as a roll product, for
example from Stones Like Stones (pictured) or Stoneplex (including slate
flour).
Rolling concrete is glued with special adhesives and can be
cut exactly. The handling and processing of such a concrete wallpaper is
similar to a fiberglass wallpaper.
This results in completely new design possibilities: The
concrete wallpaper can transform a normal wooden door, furniture surfaces and
walls. In no time large areas can be disguised. With a suitable surface
treatment, rolled concrete is also suitable for outdoor use.
4. Concrete look through composite panels & wall
cladding
Imi-Beton looks and feels like concrete. In fact, it is a
patented composite material consisting of a flexible mineral putty with natural
marble components on an MDF support plate.
Such composite panels are much lighter than concrete and
thus ideal for furniture, countertops or complete wall coverings. There are
also product variants for outdoor use. Imi-Beton is also available with
imitation board formwork, smooth formwork or vintage look.
5. Photorealistic wallpapers with a concrete look High
-quality photo wallpapers such as the "Concrete
Wallpaper" by Piet Boon ( NLXL ) are also very effective - at first glance
they can hardly be distinguished from concrete. These wallpapers are suitable
for all living areas except bathroom and kitchen.
However, manufacturers such as Wall & Decó offer
water-resistant vinyl wallpapers with deceptively realistic photo motifs and
partly plastic surfaces for wet areas (for example "Concrete Moiré"
and "Cicadea"). These are cut to the appropriate wall size, in such a
way that the photorealistic concrete figure runs seamlessly over the entire
wall - without any repeat and pattern repetition. So you can even wallpaper the
shower.
6. Illusion
painting In this example, the ceiling was designed by a
painter. In the tradition of painterly material imitations, the concrete look
is achieved through a special glazing technique, that is, through pure
application of paint.
Important: wall or ceiling must be optimally prepared. The
surface should be sanded smooth, leveled and primed before the actual glaze is
applied.
Good illusionists and muralists can conjure a really
deceptively concrete wall and even represent the round indentations of the
formwork spacers. Sometimes a decorative painter has to create the desired
finish on a real, but not so perfect, fair-faced concrete wall - something like
that happens ...
What do you think of exposed concrete in the interior? Have
you already gained experience with one of our alternatives?
Source: indecortrends.com
