Painting Faux Stone Effects

Create Faux Stone Walls Using a Painting Technique

Painting the interior of your home does not have to be as simplistic as choosing a color or two. Artistic wall designs may be more your style, and there is virtually no limit to the look you can create with paint. Whatever your style or taste, you can create the look you want by painting it yourself or allowing us to bring your ideas to reality. Faux finishes can be wildly varied and tailored to meet your specific tastes. Create a mural, a marble finish, a rich wood grain look, a textured crackle finish, a distressed antique look, or even a gold or silver metallic finish. One design that you can create with paint is a faux stone wall; think of the money you’ll save on the cost of masonry.

To achieve a stone look, dimensional texture needs to be added to the walls. The process isn’t that difficult but may require some practice and maybe a bit of patience.

The basic materials and tools needed to create a faux-stone treatment on your interior walls are:
• 100% Acrylic Base-coat Paint
• Stone-Plaster Finish
• Drywall blade
• Cotton Rag

The first step is to base coat the walls. A pure acrylic base paint is likely the best choice because it bonds very well to most surfaces and also has great sealing qualities.

Next, use a pencil and a straight-edge to lay out the pattern for the stone blocks. You can create any size you like. It’s a good idea to study actual stone mason layouts, which come in a variety of patterns. You will achieve a more natural appearance if you offset the grout lines and vary the width of the stone rows.

Now it’s time to measure and mark the walls using a pencil or a snap string to create the pattern. Use a #4 pencil so that the faint lines can easily be covered up later. To make chalk lines easier to remove, mix colored chalk with equal amounts of baby powder.

Tear 2-inch masking tape on both edges and place the tape over the lines to create grout lines. The ragged edges create a look similar to natural stone. If you extend the tape so that it overhangs onto baseboards or ceilings, it’s easier to find the tape after the stone mixture has been applied to the wall.

Follow instructions for the stone plaster finish. With a drywall blade, apply the prepared mixture over the entire area. In order to create a dimensional quality and realistic texture, skim the mixture onto the surface. The compound is applied over the grout-line tape, which is why it’s a good idea to expose the tape edges wherever possible. The plaster finish should be applied in thicknesses ranging from 1/16-inch to 1/2-inch thick. You don’t want the stone to be smooth.

After about 30 minutes, carefully remove the tape. Tear the horizontal lines off first and then the vertical lines. The plaster will have begun to dry on the surface, but underneath it will be soft and pliable.

Next, use varying colors to create different values in the stone. If you created cream-colored stones, for instance, use a four-inch chip brush to separately apply dark brown, black, and white tints. If you’re creating a gray stone wall, apply different values of gray to the surface randomly. Use a cotton rag to rub off the glaze. Some blocks should be darker and others lighter; what you want is a good balance.

It’s a good idea to practice the technique on scrap board until you’ve gotten the hang of it and feel confident applying the faux stone wall effect with paint.

If you love the faux stone look but not the mess and time that comes with Do-It-Yourself work, Franklin Painting has a team of faux finish experts (in CT) ready to take on your most ambitious project. We have worked in the house painting business for over 25 years and are experienced in interior painting, exterior painting, wallpapering, refinishing, home maintenance, and faux finishes.

Franklin Painting LLC – Call us Toll Free at 877-646-7774
or at our main office number 860-678-7701
2 Eastview Drive, Farmington, CT 06032

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