How to Build Faux Stone Columns
- 1). Choose the type of "stones" the columns will appear to contain. Columns can be made of individual round "river rock" or "cobble" stones or flat-faced "flagstones" that appear to be mortared together. The columns can also look like they have been constructed from large blocks of solid stone. Blocks of stone can be left smooth, or "dressed" with vertical flutes like classic Greek and Roman columns.
- 2). Design your columns to the proper dimensions and scale. Use a roll of Kraft paper to make floor-to-ceiling column shapes and tape them to the wall. Stand back and evaluate this test. If the column looks too thick and squat, trim the width until you find a shape that is pleasant to the eye. Plan how many columns you'll need. Remember that columns are supports for something. You'll need at least two columns to pull off the visual trick, and something to support between them, even if it is only the room's ceiling.
- 3). Gather the faux column materials. The best product for sculpting faux stone is rigid urethane. Rigid urethane is a hard "Styrofoam" product that can be ordered in eight foot by 24 inch thick bricks. It has a low "crumbling" factor. Rigid urethane is easily shaped with hand rasps and files, however, and your final rocks or columns will be very durable. An acceptable secondary product is poly bead foam insulation. Poly bead comes in two inch thick, four by eight sheets at most home improvement stores. Be aware that poly bead foam crumbles more easily than rigid urethane and should not be used where it is more likely to be bumped by pedestrians. Sandwich the poly bead with construction adhesive to form thick blocks out of thin sheets of poly bead. Sculpt the poly bead surface with hand rasps or files. Both of these foam products can be scratched with tools to create "flute" patterns too. Carve individual river rocks or flagstones and glue them to a Styrofoam column base with construction adhesive, or carve rocks and flagstones into the column itself.
- 4). Seal the sculpted column. Prime the rigid urethane directly with a flat latex primer. For poly bead sculptures, cover the column with cheesecloth dipped in a solution of water and wallpaper paste or white glue, and then prime the piece with paint.
- 5). Paint the columns. Have a pallet of various "stone" colors available, using latex paints and various brushes. Build up layers of paint with a base coat, a contrasting second coat, and highlights in dark paint or tones of white paint.
