3 Tips to adding exterior stone

Adding an exterior stone veneer to your wall at home adds aesthetic value and beauty to your home. Although it may seem like a long and tiring process, it is actually quite easy to install with the right tools, equipment, and accessories. The stone veneer can be manufactured or natural stones. They are easy to maintain once installed. Below are some of the tips on how to add exterior stone:

• Prepare the surface. The surface preparation will vary depending on the type of wall. If it is a wooden wall or a non-masonry surface, you will be required to apply a moisture barrier. The moisture vapor barrier will cover the surface to prevent dampening when applying mortar and ensuring that it actually sticks. It is easy to install since it has a peel-off surface that is stack onto the wall. You should then create a lath metal barrier using nails. The nails should be utmost 2 inches long and 6 inches apart. After this, the surface is covered with a scratch coat using mortar. The mixing of the mortar will depend on the manufacturer’s instructions but should be consistent throughout. Scrape the scratch coat horizontal before it dries up.

• Back buttering and layout. You should have a drawn layout of the final look of the wall according to how you want it to be. Secondly, you need to prepare another mixture of mortar. The mortar should have a mashed potatoes texture, not too fine and not too coarse. Fine mortar will not hold the stone firmly and too coarse will be impossible to do the finishing and due to its quick drying nature and it may crack the stone. The stones are cleaned and damped before smearing them with mortar. The back buttering should be done even with up to half an inch in thickness. Make sure you are careful not to get any mortar on the face of the stone since on drying; it will be difficult to clean the face of the stone.

• Installation. This is done immediately after back buttering the stones to avoid it drying up. The stones are installed starting with the cornerstones as they are the guidelines. Squeeze in the stones with a little twist to ensure they fit in perfectly. Brush off the excess mortar that may be forced out when fitting the stone. Ensure the joints are according to your layout and are consistent in wideness for a good job. Upon finishing installing the stones on the whole wall, fit in the joints with a grout bag and clean the faces and the joints. Allow the wall to dry checking up on any repairs and fixtures that need to be done.

When choosing the type of stone to add on your exterior wall, you should do a good research as there are many varieties. There are also many frauds out there with fake stones of poor quality. However, manufacturers such as Deco Stones are known and highly rated for their fine and diverse stones that are weather resistant, maintenance free, and durable.