Marble Panels
Marble
panels have always been a popular choice for the bathroom, as well as the
kitchen. Costs for marble have risen steadily for years now, and the
cost for genuine marble panels, and tiles have become out of reach for most
project budgets.
Faux painting is a viable alternative, but
needs to be completely professionally for it to be effective, and a
realistic representation of the real thing. We recommend that this
finish be completed only by a seasoned painting professional only due to the
complexity of the project.
This is especially true with our example, as
lines must remain straight, breaks must occur as they would with real tile
or the effect looks fake. This starts with planning. Inspect the
area carefully, and snap lines down to make sure of dimensions,
measurements, etc. before beginning to draw your lines and apply the
masking tape.
Marble Panels:
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After covering the surface with the marbling
style you prefer, mask off the panel shapes as you have laid out. Use
whatever panel dimensions that better suit the size of the surface area.
Then mix your glaze color as preferred. Here we are using an off white
tint, to create a lighter color for the main panels. |
Repeat the process of covering the original
faux painted marble with the tinted glaze, in this image gray is used for
the smaller rectangle panels. |
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The smaller square panels are fauxed with a
black splatter effect. Begin by stippling on the black glaze. |
Then dab off some of the color with a clean
soft rag. |
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While the black glaze is still wet use an old
toothbrush dipped in a off white paint and lightly splatter the square. |
As an optional effect use a feather again to
create additional veining, or even to highlight the veins in the original
faux marble. Soften the effect with a soft bristled brush. |
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Slowly peel off the masking tape while the
glazes are tacky. This will help eliminate the glaze coming off with the
tape. |
Using a suitable straight edge, harden your
edges with a hard tipped pencil. This will create the edges of your
paneling. |
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The final steps are to top coat and protect
the entire surface with a high quality varnish, or urethane. If your
project is for a floor, apply at least three coats, making sure that your
coats are completely dry in between layers. |
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To summarize:
Marble panels create a luxurious feel and
look. The finish, when applied properly, is very realistic looking,
and offers a much lower cost per square foot than genuine marble. This
allows the contractor to offer there clients a unique and competitive edge
over there competitors.
Again completing this finish is not for the
average home owner, as complex measurements must be taken, and knowledge of
tiling is essential in successfully laying out the initial pattern.
Related Articles:
Surface Preparation
Paints and
glazes
Materials and tools
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