All about brick slips for indoor use

Stone strips, or stone wall panels, have been used in Europe for centuries as a way to clad the exterior of buildings. Today, this type of cladding is gaining popularity in North America and Europe for use on interior walls. Read all about interior stone strip panels in this blog post.

What are stone strip panels?

Stone strip panels are made by gluing thin slices of natural stone onto a backing panel. We also see stone strips made from slices of brick. We then call them brick slips. The wall panels can be used to create an industrial and unique wall finish that is both beautiful and durable.

Another form of stone strip panels are panels on which strips of ceramic tiles are glued. These can be ceramic tiles with the look of natural stone, brick or even wood.

What types of stone strips are there?

When you want to buy wall panels in the form of stone strips, you will come across all kinds of options during your search. Stone strips have different names. Many of these names refer to the same product. For example, we also know stone strips as 3D wall panels, natural stone strips, brick slips, stone wall panels, and a number of other terms.

It comes down to small strips of stone being glued onto a panel. You attach or glue these wall panels to a wall so that your wall looks like a real stone wall. In this paragraph, we list the most popular stone strips for you.

Stone strips for indoor and stone strips for outdoor use

Before we start listing the most popular stone strips, we distinguish between stone strips for indoor and stone strips for outdoor use. Indoor stone strips are made of stone strips approximately 2 to 5 mm thick.

Outdoor stone strips are often made of stone strips approximately 10mm thick. In this blog post, we will only discuss indoor stone strips. In a later article, we will highlight outdoor stone strip wall panels.

Self-adhesive stone strips and regular stone strip panels

First of all, almost all types of stone strips are available in two variants: self-adhesive stone strips and regular stone strips. Self-adhesive stone strips for indoor use have a sticky backing, allowing them to be directly attached to the wall. Regular stone strip wall panels require concrete mortar or special adhesive to attach them to the wall.

The main difference between the two types of stone strip panels is how they are attached to the wall. Self-adhesive panels are easier to install because you don't need to use mortar. However, they are not as strong as regular panels and can come loose over time.

Mortar is more difficult to apply, but it does provide a stronger bond between the panel and the wall.

Natural stone strips

The most popular stone strip panels are natural stone strips. We are talking about wall panels made of real natural stone, not the imitation variant. Natural stone strips are made by cutting slices of natural stone into rectangular strips and attaching them to a panel. Natural stone panels are available in various types. We briefly highlight the most popular natural stone strips.

Marble natural stone strips

Most people are familiar with marble. It is the most common type of natural stone we encounter indoors. Marble is widely used to make flagstones. These flagstones often appear in tiled floors of large public buildings or in residential villas. In addition, there are marble-look tiles.

Today, we also see marble appearing in interior design in a different way. Unpolished strips of marble are glued onto panels. These marble stone strip panels are placed on a wall in your home.

Sandstone strips

Sandstone strips are made from strips of sandstone. Sandstone comes in different colours and varieties. These are usually brown tones, earthy tones and sand colours. Sandstone strips are perfect for houses where a rural, natural atmosphere has been chosen. The stone strips exude warmth and are robust. This appearance is also the reason why sand-look tiles are gaining enormous popularity.

Slate strips

Slate is widely used for roof tiles, as loose stones in the form of gravel, or for natural stone tile floors. You can also make beautiful natural stone strips from it. We are seeing these more and more often. The black color creates a cool, modern industrial look.

Stone strips from other natural stone types

In addition to stone strips made of marble, sandstone, and slate, there are many other types of natural stone strips. Think of basalt, limestone, quartzite, granite, and bluestone. Always thoroughly investigate the possibilities in terms of stone strips to find the perfect one for your interior.

Brick slips or stone strips made of brick

Strips of brick or masonry stone

Besides natural stone strips, we frequently encounter a second variant: brick slips, or stone strips made from strips of brick. For these brick wall panels, literal strips of brick, 2 to 5 mm thick, are sawn off. These brick slices are then attached to a backing panel. The size of most bricks is 21 x 10 x 50 cm. However, there are all sorts of sizes. If you want stone strips that resemble real bricks, keep in mind these actual brick dimensions.

Brick slips with and without joints

Sometimes the brick strips on these panels are pre-grouted, and sometimes you can buy brick slips that you have to grout yourself. The advantage of this second option is that the wall panels are cheaper and you can choose a grout that suits your taste.

Different colours of brick slips

Brick slips come in various shapes and colours. For example, brick slips are made from traditional red bricks, but we also see black brick slips, grey brick slips, yellow brick slips, and other coloured brick slips.

Looks of a real stone wall with stone strips

With brick slips, you can create a wall in your home with the look of real masonry. You don't have to tear down half your wall to create this effect, as you would with real internal brick walls. You can easily buy ready-made brick wall panels and stick them over an existing wall.

Brick slips, or 3D wall panels, create a tough, industrial look.

Brick slips are also available for floors

Do you want a floor in your home made of baked pavers, like those you see in the centers of old cities? This is possible without having to place real thick stones and sand in your home. There are also stone strips suitable for floors. Just like with wall stone strips, these are panels with strips of baked pavers. This way, it looks like you have a paved floor in your home, without all the hassle of laying real pavers or grinding off strips of pavers yourself.

Ceramic stone strips

The versatility of ceramics

The last popular type of stone strips we will discuss in this article are ceramic stone strips. With modern techniques, we can now print any desired pattern on ceramic tiles. Ceramics are made from fired clay with a top layer that provides the appearance. We can artificially create this top layer to our liking. Ceramic tiles are known for their extremely high quality and lightweight.

Ceramic imitation stone strips not the real deal

We also refer to ceramic stone strips as imitation stone strips. With ceramics and the modern techniques for treating ceramics, we can recreate any look imaginable. For example, ceramic tiles are made with a wood look, ceramic tiles with a concrete look, ceramic tiles with a brick look, and so on.

Despite these modern techniques, you can clearly see that the looks are imitated. Ceramic stone strips with a brick look are not nearly as beautiful as real brick slips. Ceramic tiles with a natural stone look also do not come close to real natural stone strips.

However, it is a lightweight variant that is easy to install, very easy to clean, and relatively inexpensive.

The advantages and disadvantages of stone strips

Now that we have discussed a few types of stone strips, we want to briefly but powerfully inform you about the advantages and disadvantages of stone strips. In this way, we hope to give you a clear insight and show you whether or not you should purchase these stone strip wall panels.

The advantages of stone strips

Durable and a huge choice

Firstly, many stone strips, with the exception of the ceramic variant, are made of natural materials. This makes them extremely durable and no complicated production processes are involved. Stone strips are available in a wide range of colours, stone types and textures. This way you can easily find a stone strip that matches the appearance of your building.

Stone strips are space-saving

Secondly, stone strips are extremely space-saving. Stone strips are thin and ideal for giving an existing facade or interior wall a new look. Compared to whole bricks, stone strips save you as much as 8 cm in wall thickness. This creates more space for insulation, for example, and you lose little living space.

Stone strips are easy to install

Installing stone strips is quick and easy. Especially with self-adhesive stone strips, you'll be done installing the strips on an interior wall in no time. The variant that needs to be attached with concrete mortar is also quick and easy to install. Because the panels are ready-made, you don't have to place stone by stone and still create the look of a stone wall.

Stone strips are almost indistinguishable from a real stone wall

Do you like the tough, robust, and industrial look of a brick or natural stone wall? Then don't unnecessarily demolish walls in your house to reveal the masonry. This is a very time-consuming job and often not easy. With stone strips, you can create a stone wall that is indistinguishable from the real thing. Yet it is not an extremely expensive solution and is easy to install.

Installing stone strips on insulation panels or plasterboards

Interior walls often consist of insulation panels or plasterboards for finishing. The advantage of stone strips is that you can attach them directly to these. This way you save a lot of time and money.

Stone strips are good for insulation

Stone strips are an excellent insulator and can help reduce energy costs. Stone wall panels also provide sound insulation, which can be particularly beneficial in urban areas, with small children or noisy neighbours.

The disadvantages of stone strips

It might be just us, but we can't think of many disadvantages when it comes to interior stone strips. Two things you could consider, if you really had to, are the price compared to wall paint or wallpaper, and the fact that they are not easy to clean.

Price of stone strips

If we compare the price of interior stone strips with wallpaper or wall paint, then it can certainly be called expensive. However, if we compare stone strips with real natural stone wall tiles, ceramic wall tiles, or for example, wooden panels, the price is not bad at all.

Maintenance of stone strips

Stone strips are not flat but robust. Their irregular shapes can cause dust or other dirt to settle on them. You cannot remove this dirt with a cloth because these walls are too sharp and awkward to clean. Stone strips can be cleaned effectively with a vacuum cleaner or a brush.

Stone strips can be sharp

If you have small children or pets at home, or if you're a bit clumsy yourself, be careful with the sharpness of some stone strips. Stone strips are often made from real natural stone or bricks. This material can feel unpleasant if your bare skin comes into contact with it.

Why choose stone strips for indoors?

Stone strips come in all sorts of stone types, colours, and looks. The strips are easy to install, and you can relatively easily and affordably create the look of a real stone wall in your home. Stone strips look beautiful, for example, behind a fireplace or on a wall in the living room. With stone strips, you create a tough, robust, and industrial appearance.

Inspiration for Stone Strip Wall Panels

Now that you know more about this option for interior walls and are aware of its pros and cons, you might opt for a stone strip wall in your home. We hope you can make the right choice and realize your dream home or dream project.