Rock Face Stone | How to lay Rock Face Stone

Mediterranean stone has been used as a building material since ancient times

From the temples with their structures carved out of stone and found in Al-Khazneh (Petra - Jordan) to the human moai figures of Easter Island, and from the rock-cut Buddhist Ajanta caves (Maharashtra - India) to the Church of Saint George (Bete Giyorgis) in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, the stone was an essential element of culture. Besides, you can’t even imagine all the European history without Mediterranean stone. In Greece, it was also used in groundworks, for a steady base land, besides the standard of building walls of stacked Mediterranean stone without mortar. The Rupea Fortress in Brasov County, Romania, is a fine example of a partially stacked stone decoration. 

The native architecture uses plenty of stacked stone and does not need architects. Very popular in all inhabited areas, it includes local materials, plus stone and wood, all-natural resources. These days, the Mediterranean style of interior and exterior design is basically everywhere, as a constant across continents.  

 A design that found initial inspiration in South Eastern European aesthetics (from Greece, Italy, France, and Spain), the Mediterranean home design started as a matter of geography, since the Mediterranean Sea touches the shores of 21 countries. Later, it grew to be influenced by the civilizations from Maghreb, Western Asia, and Israel. It is obvious that the Mediterranean style of interior and exterior design is based on natural stone walls (hence the Mediterranean Rock Face), wooden beams, and limestone or sandstone floors. This is a design that highlights natural light, with large windows, able to create a family space with a focus on common use areas, plus natural materials such as stone, wood, tile, ceramic, terracotta, wrought iron, linen, and cotton. Imperfections are accepted because of their authenticity and patina. Here, the use of raw materials for finishes is a "must-have". 

For the exterior, materials such as natural stone, brick, wood, and Mediterranean plants represent the standard. Other essential elements can be found below. Sallow-colored walls are built with Mediterranean stone. Nowadays, the Mediterranean stone is laid with adhesive, taking care to match the stones, while avoiding gaps. 

 The grand facades are typical for a Mediterranean home design. The roofs are covered with red tiles, and the stucco walls are polished, thus resembling marble, the combination of limestone and terracotta is typical for the floors. The combinations with wood can be found in the consoles with iron railings. Here, the stone is at home, as follows. 

Mediterranean stone decoration projects 

PIATRAONLINE's portfolio aims at introducing you to the mysteries of the Mediterranean style, since its origins. As there have been other quarries in the area forever, slate and marble have also been used. The Rock Face Flat Black Slate walls are impressive. The assembly is seamless, and nothing of modern technology intrudes on the authenticity of the cladding. The stone edges are chiselled for a natural look. The Rhodos Filleti Slate cladding sends you back to an even more distant past, with different sizes stones, laid alternately horizontally and vertically, replicating the stacked stone, by this everlasting technology. 

 A cladding with a similar ancient look was completed with the same Rock Face appearance. Whether it’s the honed Akron or the pure white Thassos, marble conveys opulence, magic, and supremacy. With grey shades, such as Rock Face Dias Poligonal Marble, or rusty as in Rock Face Pepem Polygonal Marble, marble remains an amazing and consistent expression of the Mediterranean Decoration Style. If you want to highlight diversity, the Rock Face Akron Modular Coffee Table is now available.

How to lay Rock Face Stone by yourself  

You can lay the Rock Face stone by yourself, yet it is recommended to have experts for this. In the beginning, you need to prepare the underlay, which must be steady, smooth, clean, dry, and load-bearing. For interior decoration projects, you will need base plaster and tiles for cladding, plus levelling, and self-levelling screed for flooring. Only when the substrate is ready, you can start laying out the tiles. For the exterior, it might be necessary to provide additional support with a mesh. 

After preparing the underlay, selecting the stones is essential, especially for polygonal stones, due to their irregular shape. After fixing the first stone, usually in a corner at the base of the slab, a second one is chosen. It must be adjusted and fitted so that it follows a unitary design, avoiding the large spaces between rock elements. When the stone elements don't fit perfectly, they need to be adjusted. The operation is completed by hand, with an angle grinder and hammer. Due to this detail, you can’t possibly exceed 2 sqm laid daily. Always check the flatness, after laying out the tiles. Decoration projects that use Rock Face Flat/Filleti Slate can be laid with up to 3-4 sqm/day. Use classic cement-based grouts for grouting. Regardless of the project, laying Mediterranean stone involves expertise and creativity. Such a genuine look is achieved with hard work and so does customer satisfaction.

How to protect Mediterranean stone cladding projects

It is a well-known fact that you need to protect the quality and beauty of your stone tiles. For Mediterranean stone, choose suitable alkaline cleaners (LTP Grimex and LTP Power Stripper) recommended for marble and tuff. For slate tiles, acid cleaners will work fine. Surface sealers can be both solvent-based and water-based (LTP Mattstone H2O, LTP External Stone Sealer, LTP Colour Intensifier H2O).

Mediterranean stone is one of the most popular stones forever. Get connected with your predecessors by the same building materials, resilient for hundreds of years. Only at PIATRONLINE, you will find Mediterranean Stone at a fair price/quality ratio. Visit the website and see for yourself!