Faux lava rock wall step by step?

After having read this thread - http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=9252&forum=7&start=0 - I see that several people have created faux lava rock walls. I understand it can involve concrete, wire mesh and paint, but I was wondering if someone could post a step by step "how to" for doing this.

For example, there are different types of concrete, how do you apply it, what color paint and how do you apply that?

I have a flat concrete wall in my basement that I would like to change to a 3-d faux lava wall. I'd even be into the idea of a faux magma vein added into it.

But I really don't know where to start and some of you have already done it.

Thanks!

--SBiM

... use eps insulation foam (bead or extruded), spray black krylon on it to disolve the foam and create the texture... finish with flat black latex paint... glue to wall..

... the foam is cheap as is the paint...

... experiment...

..I did a job for a couple in their tiki room involving a faux volcano look.....build a framework by attaching various lengths of 2x4 to the wall to build up various formations for the rock "look". next, staple screen over the entire area....then I used plaster instead of cement....get it real thick and then slap it over the screen, smoothing it out and over your wood and screen formations till you get it to where it looks good...let it dry then go back in with a rasp or power sander to knock down areas that look weird or too high-you can build up areas that need it with more plaster...also get rid of any loose or hanging blobs of plaster as these will break off anyway. ..to paint, i used regular flat black housepaint from home depot...use a brush to get into the nooks and crannys....I used black spraypaint to get into hard to reach areas too...finally, while the paint was still wet, i threw very fine silver glitter over it, but just a dusting, so that the wall slightly glimmers, like the basement walls of the old kahiki....don't over do the glitter....

if you use cement, they have dyes(black) now that you can mix into the cement and save yourself having to paint it...

These are both excellent suggestions. Thanks!
--SBiM

... remember, you can get billet eps (48" x 48" x 110"+/-)... shape & skive it yourself with your home-made ni-chrome wire bow cutter... with hot wire you have less mess and faster results...

here's a couple more ways to do this.

one is to do the 2x4/chicken wire/diamond metal lath support structure as previously mentioned in other posts, then use hypertufa as the 'concrete'.

hypertufa is a mix of portland cement (not pre-mixed concrete), sand and peat moss. the mix ratio varies depending on what you want to do. this is lighter weight than regular concrete, but very durable. also, as it starts setting up, you can use a wire brush and dislodge the peat moss from the mix, leaving voids similar to volcanic rock. once dry, you can paint to suit.

I used this method for a volcanic flow feature in some landscaping. if you ever made mudpies as a kid, you can do this.

here are some good links and mix ratios:

http://blkrose.8m.com/yard/hyperlinks.html

http://www.whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/hypertufa.htm

http://www.webspace4me.net/~mikehill/pages.aux/pond/hypertufa/hypertufa.html

http://www.webspace4me.net/~mikehill/pages.aux/pond/construction.html#mason

read thru these, then get some material and try it out. it's one of those things where you just have to do it. use wire brushes, trowels, etc to get the effects that you want.

take a look at these lava flow photos to get an idea of how, well.... lava flows.

http://www.arnottslodge.com/hvn.html

Another way to get a rock-like effect with lightweight and low-cost materials is what Halloween prop-designers call "Monster Mud"; a 5 to 1 ratio of joint compound and paint over burlap. Again, you build your support structure, then cut large pieces of burlap (purchase at a Home Depot or Walmart) to fit the structure, mix 1 part base paint (whatever base color you want your rockwork to be) to 5 parts joint compound, then dip the burlap in the Monster Mud mix. apply the burlap to the wire mesh (attach with small wire ties to hold in place), then slap on more Monster Mud until you achieve the desired effect. (wear rubber gloves and be careful of sharp points on the chicken wire, or especially diamond metal lath). once dry, you can paint. the nice thing about using burlap is that you can crease it and fold it however you want to make fault lines or flow lines, etc.

here's a link for the details of MM and the mix:
http://terrorsyndicate.com/Terror_Syndicate_Monster_Mud_History.html

I used this method to make two 4-foot tall snow-covered 'mountains' for a Christmas display. For those, i built a 2x4 perimeter base, drilled into the 2x4's and attached rebar, and bent it to the general shape of the mountains, then covered it with chicken wire, then coated in burlap and Monster mud, painted and urethaned. they came out pretty good.

God I love this board. :)

--SBiM