News

20/06/2018

How to form the effect of travertine?

The vintage beauty of stone texture has inspired the interior decorators for years. Travertine, appreciated by designers and architects, has recently become extremely popular. Fox Dekorator Travertine Effect offers excellent adornment of classical and modern interiors where it can perfectly harmonize with timber and glass.

Travertine has been used for years as the top layer of floors, walls, façades as well as kitchen counters and elements of fireplaces. But, beside the use as a construction stone, it is often used as a decoration.

Imitation of natural stone is often used as the cladding material and element of decoration of architectonic details – mainly because of its unique stone aesthetics. That is why manufacturers of structural paints and plasters develop their portfolio with new solutions. Our answer to the market needs is the structural plaster Lime Travertine offered in Fox Dekorator brand.

It’s a special decorative coating imitating natural stone. The finished surface is characterised by the natural stone appearance formed by differences in the binder shade as well as scores and gaps obtained with appropriate technique of application.

Travertine plaster is ecological, completely based on natural binders and fillers. It has been designed in order to form heterogenous texture resulting from distribution of fillers and various size and colour of sand.

It is available in 3 types of grain size – extra fine, fine and coarse – therefore an expected effect of shallow or deep scores can be formed.

Easy plaster forming allows to obtain unique decorative effect meeting the user’s intentions and expectations. The texture of natural stone with scores and gaps can be intensified with tinted Decorative Varnish. Travertine can also be tinted in mass and applied with different techniques.

Lime Travertine application – step by step

STEP 1

Substrate preparation

The substrate should be: appropriately sound, stable, cleaned of layers which can impair the product bonding, particularly of dust, dirt, lime, oils, grease, residues of paints, etc.

Primed – with Fox Dekorator Bonding Primer when the substrate is characterised by low absorptiveness or smooth.

STEP 2

Product preparation

The dry mix should be mixed with water in ratio: extra fine – 3.0 up to 3.5 l; fine – 3.25 – 3.7 l; coarse – 2.6 l of water for 5 kg of dry plaster. Leave the mixed mass to rest for 24 hours, keep the packaging closed. Remix afterwards, add a little bit of water to reach expected consistency, if needed.

STEP 3

Sample application

Plan the sequence and technique of application of subsequent coats in advance, check the final effect on a small sample first! It is extremely important to keep the same technique of application and to avoid breaks. Always prepare the sample individually and show to the investor – the final effect depends on the person applying the product mostly.

STEP 4

Application of the first coat

Apply Lime Travertine upon primed substrate, keep the coat thickness same as the grain size. Try to divide the application site into fields 1 – 2 m² large – float the drying plaster with the trowel edge before application of the next field. Leave the coating to dry (approx. 12 – 24 hours).

STEP 5

Application of the second coat

Grind the surface with sand paper in order to remove any irregularities before application of the second coat. Dedust the surface with a soft paintbrush. Thoroughly moist the surface with water with a paintbrush or a roller. Apply the second coat upon the moist surface, keep the coat thickness same as the grain size. Slightly smooth the surface.

STEP 6

Scores

When the second coat keeps drying, irregular pattern of horizontal and vertical scores is formed with the trowel edge led at an angle of 90°. Float the surface with a trowel afterwards. During floating the plaster pores are sealed and areas free of scores obtain characteristic satin gloss. If the scores get coated during floating, one should reduce the trowel pressure or let the surface dry a little bit more.

STEP 7

Application of varnish

Dilute Fox Dekorator Decorative Varnish with water (ratio 2:1) and coat the whole surface initially.

STEP 8

Application of coloured varnish

After approximately 4 hours of drying the coloured varnish can be applied. The tinted Decorative Varnish is applied with a paintbrush led along the scores, from top to bottom, with thin strips.

STEP 9

Washing

Wash the tinted varnish from smooth areas free of scores immediately, use a sponge frequently sluiced with water. This way most of the colour is left in the scores and gaps which forms the decoration expected appearance.

Fox Dekorator Travertine as alternative to stone

Reduction of cost of project.
Light, natural effect when applied thoroughly.
Interesting surface texture, various colour options available.
Resistance to dirt when protected with varnish.
Can be cleaned with damp cloth.
Resistance to mechanical damage – perfect solution for any interiors – living rooms, corridors, staircases, etc.

Original text: Magdalena Kroczak, ATLAS Group

English text: Michał Gosławski, ATLAS Group

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