Gypsum is a soft, ductile and lightweight building material, and with such qualities, it is naturally ensured popularity, as well as materials made from gypsum. Stone-like tiles are very popular, also such tiles have a wide range of shapes and textures, and they are made of gypsum. When choosing a plaster assortment of tiles, questions are asked, which manufacturer to choose, is it possible to make such a tile with your own hands, how to properly lay and grout?

Gypsum tiles have a huge number of advantages, but there are also disadvantages. After familiarizing yourself with all the positive and negative sides, you have a choice whether to purchase such a stone made of gypsum or give preference to ordinary tiles.

7 advantages of gypsum tiles:

• Installation is very easy and does not require any special skills;
• Has decorative functions such as creating the effect of real brick and stone;
• Acceptable price;
• Such a tile has a low weight, which allows it to be glued even to a plasterboard wall;
• Gypsum is an environmentally friendly material;
• Increased heat transfer of the building material;
• It is possible to independently make the desired element.

But, like any other material, gypsum also has its drawbacks, which you should also familiarize yourself with before purchasing.

Disadvantages of decorative plaster tiles:

• Gypsum tiles have a high percentage of water absorption and low frost resistance, which forces the use of such tiles only for interior decoration and in dry rooms;
• Also, such a decorative tile has a relief surface in which dust, dirt accumulates, which is quite difficult to remove, and for more convenient cleaning the tiles are varnished;
• By purchasing such a tile, you run the risk of buying not a high-quality product, and the quality of such a product depends on the choice of the manufacturer, who prefers high-quality products for manufacturing.

How plaster stone tiles are processed

Plaster products are easily cut and machined. Such a tile is cut exclusively with a hacksaw, miter box, square, and the necessary holes are drilled with a drill. For gypsum tile renovations, the biggest challenge is the joining of the outer corners. In order for the docking to look perfect, you need to cut the gypsum tiles with a grinder at an angle of 45 degrees. After trimming, the slabs must be sanded.

The disadvantage of this technology is a lot of dust formation and noise.

You will also need to cut in those places where the installation of sockets and switches will be carried out and also at the junction of walls with floors. In the case of curved structures, it is necessary to carry out curved pruning and, if necessary, paint.

In order to significantly reduce financial costs and the number of cut tiles, it is necessary to make markings on the surface where the cutting will take place, and the products that you have not yet unpacked must be sorted by shape, thickness and shade.

Plaster decorative tiles: we carry out the correct installation

Facing work with gypsum tiles is carried out on a prepared flat surface and on a dry base.

To do this, we do the following:

• It is necessary to remove the old finish, glue, mortar;
• Next, you need to remove dirt and dust;
• In case of irregularities, they must be eliminated;
• Treat the surface with a soil emulsion.

In order for the hitch to be reliable, an acrylic primer is used.

Gypsum tiles are decorative and therefore not used for cladding on wood surfaces and on damaged substrates. The manufacture of the adhesive is carried out strictly according to the instructions. Before preparing the glue, it is imperative to check the expiration date. Since the mixture quickly hardens, it does not need to be kneaded in large quantities.

There are the following types of adhesive mixture:

• Sealant - provides high-quality adhesion;
• Cement-based adhesive, it is versatile and suitable for any tiling work;
• Gypsum glue, ideal for tiling with gypsum products;
• Regular PVA glue;
• Mastic is also suitable for the parameters of the adhesive mixture.

After all the necessary materials have been collected, you can proceed with the installation.

Adhesive technology:

• Cladding works are carried out if the room temperature is not lower than 10 degrees;
• It is necessary to apply glue to the surface in a small layer of about 5 mm on an area of ​​about 5 - 6 plates;
• The back of the plaster tile must also be coated with glue;
• Press the tile to the base and edit its position;
• In order for the seams to be perfect, you need to use spacers;
• The initial row must be laid using the building level.

Molds for gypsum tiles: how to make a product yourself

In order to start working on the manufacture of gypsum tiles, it is necessary to buy a mold for the manufacture of gypsum products in advance, which is made of silicone or polyurethane. Molds made from polyurethane are much more expensive than silicone molds, and the reason for this difference in price is that the polyurethane mold can be used not only for gypsum products, but also for other building materials. Self-made organization is possible if there is special equipment - silicone molds.

The ideal and less expensive option for making slabs at home is a silicone mold.

In the case of the presence of several elements of already made plates, the mold for manufacturing can be made with your own hands according to the sample of already made tiles. In order to make such a form, it is necessary to take a bath that must be airtight, then attach a sample to the bottom and fill the form with liquid polyurethane, it can be purchased at any point of sale of building materials. In order to prevent the poured form from sticking to the bottom of the bath and to the sample, before pouring in with polyurethane, it is necessary to lubricate these components with a fat-containing agent. After that, painting can be carried out. Coloring is done with special means. You can get acquainted with how the production of tiles and molds for it proceeds correctly in the training photos and videos. In addition, even a facing mosaic is created in this way. In some cases, people even start their own business.

DIY silicone molds for plaster (video)

Gypsum stone tiles are an excellent replacement for a real expensive stone, which not everyone can afford to buy. But gypsum is an ideal option, especially since products can be created independently based on our recommendations above. By doing this, you will significantly reduce your financial spending. Based on the above, we can say that gypsum tiles are the best option that you can buy and create yourself at a bargain price.