A fireplace is a cozy way to spend fall evenings.
And installing thin stone veneer on your indoor or outdoor fireplace is full of great benefits, such as:
The best part is that installing thin veneer stone on your fireplace is quite simple to do – even if it’s a brick fireplace.
There are two types of stone brick veneer for you to choose from:
Whether you’re installing authentic or artificial stone veneer to your brick fireplace, the process more or less remains the same.
First, though, you’ll need to clean the surface where the stone will be affixed and remove any:
If you’re planning to install thin stone veneer directly into a brick or concrete fireplace, you can apply it directly to the surface.
Then, apply a scratch coat (about ½” think) of mortar to the surface and let it cure for 24 hours.
Usually the mixture is two parts of washed masonry sand to one part of cement.
Stir it up for a minimum of five minutes until the mixture is both think and creamy.
If you need to trim the stones to fit your backyard fireplace, you can use a masonry hammer or masonry saw from Grand River Natural Stone.
After you’ve cut the stones to fit, you’ll need to remove all dust, dirt and loose particles from them.
If necessary, you can even wash them with water.
However you’ll need to wait for them to dry before you install them.
Once dried, you can moisten their backsides with a masonry brush, which will help strengthen the bond between the stone and the mortar.
Then, press the stone to the fireplace wall.
While you’re pressing it, rotate the stone slightly in order to force some of the mortar to squeeze out around the edges of the stone.
Before the mortar has finally set, remove any extra from the surface of the thin veneer stone with a rag or brush.
When all of the stone veneer elements are in place, grout any large gaps between the stones.
Once four weeks have passed, you may wish to apply a high-quality sealer to the stone veneer.
Applying stone sealer on a regular schedule is completely optional.
Remember: the sealer may change the colouring of your thin veneer stone, so make sure you test it out first in an area of the fireplace where it won’t be noticed.
And since stone veneer is easy to clean, just wash off the sealer with a hose if you aren’t happy with the results. Just make sure you do this within minutes.
Now that you know how to install thin stone veneer to your backyard fireplace, it’s time to make it happen.
And Grand River Natural Stone can help. We’re your source for everything you need to get it done, including:
Just contact us for a FREE quote or to speak with any of our product or building experts.
We’ll answer all your questions and give you the guidance you need to get started.