The choice of materials for the exterior decoration of any home is always a difficult task — it is necessary to protect the building from temperature and humidity changes and do this without sacrificing aesthetics. Facing stone for the plinth not only copes with the protective functions, but gives the building a respectable look.

Finishing the plinth with natural stone

As you know, the base is the part of the foundation protruding above the surface. This part bears the maximum loads: the weight of walls and ceilings, the vagaries of nature, the influence of sunlight, the aggressive effects of chemicals and mold fungi. Properly selected facing material allows not only to minimize the rate of destructive processes, but to additionally insulate the structure, because the basement is a cold bridge from the foundation to the living quarters.

Natural facing stone for the basement of a house can be called the most noble type of decoration — any building with its help acquires an expensive and respectable look. It also attracts by the combination of a high level of strength with safety for human health and the environment. But it was not without its downsides. These include the high cost of the material, the need for preliminary strengthening of the bearing surface, the complexity of laying work and the increased load on the foundation of the house, which gives the facing stone for the basement due to its own weight.

Natural stone for plinth cladding

Finishing the plinth with stone begins with the choice of the type of material. Much depends on financial capabilities and design ideas, but there are unshakable rules:

1. Facing stone must be mined in the same area where the house is being built. This will help to avoid unpleasant surprises after finishing, for example, chipping areas under the influence of cold or strong winds.
2. It is not necessary to combine silicate and carbonate rocks in the lining. The substances that make up their basis are not “friendly” with each other, as a result of which the finish will quickly crumble.

For facing works, you can use the following types of natural stone:

1. Marble. Regardless of the high cost and status of an elite material, using this stone for plinth cladding is not the best idea. Over time, traces of water drips, mud splashes, etc. will appear on the surface of the marble cladding. And under the influence of winter frosts, the plates can deform and begin to crumble.
2. Granite. Due to its strength, this igneous rock was called the eternal stone. In favor of the idea of ​​using granite as a facing stone for the plinth is its resistance to most chemical and mechanical influences, a wide range of colors and the possibility of various surface treatments.
3. Sandstone. Porous and light, sandstone not only looks great on the plinth, but acts as an additional thermal insulation. Additional varnishing and/or firing helps to make the material less sensitive to water and wind.
4. Shell rock. Created by nature from the remains of mollusks, shell rock is a unique facing material — it not only insulates the basement, but also improves the atmosphere of the house, acting as a bactericidal shield.
5. Slate. A durable layered rock of volcanic origin, slate is called natural slate. It is practically indifferent to mechanical damage, ultraviolet radiation and temperature changes.

Facing the plinth with wild stone

Natural stone for lining the plinth, obtained by splitting stone slabs into fragments of arbitrary shape, but at the same time of a fixed thickness, was called wild. Finishing any surface with this material turns into an interesting, but not an easy task — it is necessary to assemble a whole canvas from separate pieces of different sizes. In most cases, the term «wild» is applied to flat flagstone that has a smooth surface.

Rubble stone plinth

Rubble or rock stone — fragments of rock having a maximum size of up to 50 cm on any plane. The price of such material may fluctuate depending on the place and method of extraction (manual or machine). Facing the basement with natural stone of this type requires a good eye from the master and the use of mortars of increased strength.

Plinth cladding with broken stone

Ragged is one of the varieties of wild stone, in which the outer surface has an uneven (textured) surface. It is mined using jackhammers or directed explosions. Finishing the basement with a decorative stone with a torn front side gives the buildings a special charm — an ordinary country house with the help of such a finish looks like an old castle.

Finishing the plinth with artificial stone

Despite all the attractiveness of natural materials, the plinth lining with artificial stone will never lose its popularity. There are many reasons for this, and one of the main ones is the relatively low cost of such a finish. Modern production technologies make it possible to obtain an artificial facing stone for the plinth, similar to that created by nature in appearance and somewhat superior to it in terms of operational characteristics. For example, an artificial stone is able to withstand more than 150 freeze-thaw cycles.

flexible plinth stone

Finishing the basement with a flexible stone will help to quickly veneer the basement of a building of any size and configuration. This modern material based on polymer resins and natural chips is outwardly indistinguishable from natural stone, but at the same time it is plastic, light and does not require special skills for installation. A flexible facing stone for a plinth is sold in rolls or cut into small canvases. Installing it is somewhat similar to sticking ordinary wallpaper. To hide the seams between the individual panels, their edges are heated with a building hair dryer.

Stone-look clinker tiles for plinth

Lovers of strict forms and discreet colors will definitely like stone-look clinker tiles. Laying such a facade stone for a plinth is no more difficult than working with ordinary ceramic tiles, and the result will please the eye with neat lines. The surface of clinker tiles can imitate any type of stone, but granite tiles remain the most common.

Porcelain tile for stone plinth

Facing the basement of the house with artificial stone based on porcelain stoneware can reliably protect the base of the house from cold, moisture and sunlight. For the production of this material, only natural components are used: iron, clay, feldspar and nickel. The surface of porcelain stoneware can be glossy or matte, have a smooth or rough texture. It is produced in the form of square plates with a side of 300 to 600 mm, the thickness of which can vary from 1.6 to 12 mm. Thanks to this, it is possible to choose a porcelain stoneware facing stone for finishing the plinth of any area.

Finishing the plinth with a profiled sheet under a stone

The most budgetary way to protect the base is a profiled sheet under a stone. For cladding, profiled metal sheets of trapezoidal section are used with a vinyl coating that accurately imitates masonry. Installation of such a finish is simple: along the perimeter of the base, guides are installed, to which segments of the profiled sheet are attached. The biggest challenge is not to damage the vinyl paint coating of the facing material when cutting.