Veneer Stone Installation — DIY

What Is Veneer Stone?

Whether you’re looking to add a French-country flair to your home’s exterior or updating your contemporary-style backsplash with sleek, urban stone panels, veneer stone is your go-to DIY solution.

Veneer stone is a versatile and enduring option to decorate the surfaces of walls. From natural stone veneer cut and shaped into lightweight slabs to the mosaic and cost-effective selection of manufactured stones, they make an excellent inclusion to refresh and highlight the feel of a space.

What’s more, veneer stone installation can be applied to nearly any base surface in any corner or segment of the house, with a stunning variety of stone types to choose from.

Planning Your Veneer Stone Project

Any good do-it-yourself project is remiss without proper planning. Luckily, you have only a few boxes to check to properly install your stacked stone veneer. As one of the most straightforward aesthetic applications you can implement, it only takes a little foresight and a few intuitive questions to holistically plan your stone project:

• Application location. Veneer stone creates an attractive focal or accent point almost anywhere in your house. Its range of layouts, detailing and overall hardiness also makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor application, from front-porch columns to redoing the face of a living-room fireplace. Wherever your eye craves a decorative and time-tested pop, veneer stone will shine.There is one thing to note, though. You might encounter a few extra steps depending on the base material you’ll be applying your quality stone veneer to. For example, installing veneer stone over exterior drywall or exterior wood walls must begin by placing a moisture barrier before your metal lath sheet. When installing veneer stone over exterior cement walls, concrete and masonry — internal or external — you’ll only need the metal lath.
• Aesthetics. How do you want the finished product to look? Do you want thick stones, thin stones or a mix? Large or small cuts and trims, dark and lighter shades? Rounded, European-style stones or horizontal, contemporary stacks? All must be mixed and matched ahead of time to create the visually engaging veneer-stone surface of your dreams.
• Material type. You won’t be bored when it comes to selecting your stone material type. From full natural stone veneer cuts you mortar and place one by one to stone horizontal panels you lay in stacked sheets, you can be confident you’ll find a veneer material that matches your aesthetic and your comfort level.
• Material measurements. Just how much veneer stone do you need? Simply multiply the width of the surface you’ll be veneering with its height. Then, subtract the square-foot surface area of any windows, doors or corner pieces contained within that desired surface. To be safe, add an additional five to 10 percent square feet to your order. This allows measurement wiggle room, as well as for you to have some fun if you choose to personally cut and trim certain stones.
• Calculations. Along with calculating your material measurements, be sure you know the cost of your stone veneer order plus tools and project materials. Allot a timeframe for your installation. Interior projects, such as installing veneer over a fireplace, can be achieved within 24 hours, while larger DIY-exterior installations may take a weekend.

Installing Your Veneer Stone: DIY Steps to Follow

With tools in-hand and a vision in mind, you’re ready to take on the DIY-task of installing veneer stone. Follow these steps exactly, and you’re sure to have a one-of-a-kind veneer surface you can be extra proud of:

1. Surface Layering

First, prepare your project and lay out all your tools and equipment. Ensure the base area where you’ll be installing your stone veneer is clean and dry.

• Apply a moisture barrier, if needed. Depending on your base material, you’ll need to first apply a moisture barrier to be building-code compliant. Waterproof building paper should be nailed or stapled in a siding, or horizontal, fashion, with each sheet overlapping in all directions by a minimum of six inches. If you’re unsure whether you need a moisture barrier, don’t hesitate to consult your veneer retailer or specialists. Smaller, handmade veneer regional companies made up of craftspeople themselves will often go the extra mile to ensure you have all your material questions serviced from the get-go, especially if you’re a DIY customer.
• Attach your metal lath barrier. Use a minimum of an 18-gauge, galvanized metal lath sheet. Attach the sheet to the wall using galvanized nails or staples, spacing them no more than six inches apart. Make sure the nails penetrate the metal studs at least an inch thick
• Mix and apply your scratch coat mortar. The scratch coat is the overall, major layer of mortar your veneer stone will be stacked into. Properly mixed mortar will be a firm consistency and will stick on your trowel even if you flip it ninety degrees on its side. Use your trowel to spread the mortar across your metal lath layer, approximately .5-inches thick, until the entire surface is evenly covered
• Scrape horizontal grooves into the scratch coat before it’s fully dry. You can use a common rake to apply these long, horizontal lines across your scratch coat. This scoring is an important step for proper mortar moisture, aeration and installation composition
• Let this scored scratch coat set until firm. This usually takes 24-36 hours, depending on amount and conditions.

2. Install the Stone

Arrange your stones by laying your stones out on the nearby floor or ground, mosaic-style. This gives you a big-picture review of your veneer stone arrangement before you stick them into your scratch coat.

• Trim and shape your stones. Using your mason hammer or angle grinder, trim any imperfections on the stones. Shape and smooth the edges to your exact finished look, if desired. This kind of fine-tuning is usually only a process required with purchases from big-box retailed stones. Most handmade regional producers enact finely tuned custom stones into your initial order.

• Clean your stones. Wipe away excess dust, residue or oils from your stones. Use your dry set of brushes to lightly clean the entire stone’s surface area to avoid scratching or denting.
• Mix your veneer mortar. Ensure the same even, firm consistency as your scratch coat. This mortar will be used on the backside of your individual stones as its bond coat.
• Dampen the backs of your stones. Use your designated wet brushes or a sponge to lightly dampen the back side of the veneer stones. This prevents water from being drawn out of your bond coat, which is essential to maintaining a strong and solid mortar foundation between your wall and your individual stones.
• Back butter the stones to build a bond coat. Take your trowel and place a good dollop of mortar on the back of your veneer stone, i.e. the side you intend to press into the wall. Spread the dollop evenly, roughly .5-inch thick. This is an important and sometimes overlooked step, even for seasoned installers. Back buttering ensures you have the strongest adhesion possible between veneer material and base, be that base drywall, concrete, wood paneling and more.
• Begin hanging your veneer stones. Start at your wall base and corners. Press the veneer stones firmly into the scratch coat until mortar begins to squeeze out around the stone’s edges. Feel free to tilt and jimmy your stones a little bit into place, as this helps move out excess air and seal in necessary binding moisture.
• Place the rest of the stones, working from the bottom up. Ensure the joints, or space between individual stones, are no more than half an inch thick as you continue to stick and place. Keep these joint widths consistent throughout your wall, taking momentary pauses to step back and assess your layout.

3. Apply finishing touches

Fill in the joints with a grout bag to slowly and carefully fill in the joints between stones with extra grout. When the grout has dried most of the way — but not completely — use a joint tool to chip out excess grout bulbs or chunks.

• Smooth and clean the overall surface. Brush away excess dirt or mortar that’s leaked onto the visible face of your veneer stones. You want to do this while your mortar is still semi-wet, as congealed mortar will need a lot — and we mean a lot — of muscle to chip away. Use brushes and joint tools that are completely dry.
• Consider a sealer. Adding an extra layer of protection for your stones will increase their longevity and resistance to wear from water, salt, dirt and other stains. However, some sealers may affect the color of your stones, as well as add a gloss or sheen.