GB2258000A - Improvements relating to buildings. - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of recreating on a wall the exact appearance of a stone, brick, blockwork, tile, slate or any other wall comprising the production of a suitable image of an existing wall, the covering of a wall with a rendering material or a plaster and then the repeated application of the image to the covered wall so as to provide an impression of the image on the covered wall. The image is produced in pliable rubber and several images may be produced of different stones. The covering is pre-coloured and after application of the image is repointed. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO BUILDINGS The invention relates to a method of cladding the walls of a recently built or existing building so as to provide a building of predetermined appearance.

In the extension of existing buildings, and in the construction of new buildings, it is often desirable to provide a building having a predetermined outward appearance which matches, in the case of an extension, the remainder of the building or, in the case of a new building, the surrounding environment. In some instances, it is also desirable to provide a building whose inner walls have a predetermined appearance.

However, it may be difficult to do this because the required building materials are no longer available, for example, where buildings are built of stone there is typically a wide variety of stones whose nature is determined by the geology of the area from which they are derived, but it may be that many old quarries have been worked out or closed for economic reasons with the result that it is impossible to match an existing or selected stone for building purposes.

A similar situation exists in relation to building bricks since it may not always be possible to find the right sort of brick to match an existing building or a given environment.

Accordingly there is a need to provide a means whereby buildings made from available materials can be suitably clad with a material which has substantially the same appearance as that of an existing building with which the new building is to match or an appearance which blends into a given environment.

According to the invention there is therefore provided a method of wall cladding comprising: preparing at least one image of at least one part of an existing wall; covering a wall with a material which hardens when dried; applying the image at least once to the covered wall so as to imprint the shape of the image on the wall.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the result of the above method will be to provide a wall which has substantially the same appearance as a wall from which the image was derived. Thus, the new wall will match substantially precisely with the existing wall from which the image was derived.

Preferably, the covering material is impregnated with a pre-selected pigment so as to match in colour the wall from which the image was derived.

Preferably further still the covered wall is treated with a releasing agent which is preferably sand prior to applying the image. This ensures that the image can be easily removed from the wall once the imprint has been made.

Preferably, once the imprinted covering has dried the wall may be repointed in conventional manner so as to enhance the illusion that the wall is made of stone or brick of a sort represented by the imprint.

Using the above method it will be possible to restore existing buildings without losing any of their original character. Further, by producing a suitable range of images it will be possible to build buildings using freely available materials and then offer to a purchaser any number of pre-selected appearances by way of offering to clad such a building in the manner afore described.

An example of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a front view of a building; Figure 2 is a plan view of an image in accordance with the invent ion; and Figure 3 represents a plan view of a further image in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figure 1 there is illustrated a building having a front wall 1. Wall 1 is made from blocks of stone 2 which may be no longer available or easily obtainable. Thus, when it is required to produce a building which matches that of the original building, ie having a wall substantially similar to front wall 1, it is necessary to practice a method in accordance with the invention. Therefore, a first step is to make an image of at least one stone.

This is done in conventional fashion by the application of a pliable rubber mould to at least one stone, this creates an impression in the mould from which an image can be created.

It will be understood that it is desirable to create more than one image to carry out the invention since it is desirable to have images of more than one stone since all stones will be slightly different.

Figure 2 shows an image of a square-shaped slab of stone which has been created in the afore manner.

Figure 3 shows an image of two adjacent pieces of brick which has been created in the afore manner.

Once the images have been created the method proceeds has follows.

Upon completion of a new wall using available materials, the wall is firstly covered with a suitable material which hardens upon drying, such material for example comprises rendering material, plaster and the like. Once a wall has been covered with this material, and before the material has dried, the prepared images are applied to the material and pressed against same in order to imprint on the material an impression of the image. This process is repeated until the entire surface of the material is covered with suitably arranged impressions.

In order to enhance the quality of the illusion the rendering material or plaster is further provided with pigment of a pre-selected colour so as to match the colour of the wall from which the image is created.

In some instances, it may be advisable to treat the covering material with a releasing agent, such as sand, prior to the application of the image, this is to ensure that the image can be easily removed from the material.

When the material has dried the wall is repointed in conventional manner, again so as to enhance the quality of the illusion.

It will be understood that the method can be practised on both internal and external walls and in fact on any area where plastering or rendering would normally be carried out.

Further, the finished wall may be treated with waterproof sprays such as acrylics etc for the purpose of protecting the walls from exposure.

Although the invention has been described by reference to stone and brickwork it is to be understood that the invention also has application to any other sorts of walls which may be made of blockwork, tiles, slates or any other building materials.

It can therefore be seen that once the invention has been practised there is provided a wall which is identical in terms of stone, brickwork and colouring to that of a wall from which the image is created.

Claims (5)

1. A method of wall cladding comprising: a) preparing at least one image of at least one part of an existing wall.

b) covering a new wall with material which hardens when dried.

c) applying the said image at least once to the covered walls to as to imprint on the wall the shape of the image.

2. A method according to Claim 1 wherein the covered wall is treated with a releasing agent prior to the application of the image.

3. A method according to Claim 2 wherein the releasing agent is sand.

4. A method according to any preceding Claim wherein the covering material is impregnated with at least one pre-selected pigment.

5. A method according to any preceding Claim wherein after application of the image the wall is repointed.