Stacked Stone Veneer

[bholler]

Cement board AND lath? That sounds like overkill, no? Then again I am not the expert.

Any preferences on Durock vs Hardibacker?

We use lath on just about all of the stove veneer we do sometimes with cement board to never over drywall

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Stop thinking about vapor barrier and just do it. You’re already there. It’s peace of mind in my opinion.

 

[bholler]

Stop thinking about vapor barrier and just do it. You’re already there. It’s peace of mind in my opinion.

Yes it is cheap and easy no reason not to.

 

[Hogwildz]

2x4 walls? That's a bummer.

 

[billfred]

Almost have mine done. I was going over unpainted sturdy brick. Scratch coat over the brick and then lick and stick.

 

[TheIndian]

Ok Guys LOL vapor barrier it is. Will install before hardibacker.

Curious about where moisture will go though. Moisture from inside house that gets absorbed through stone and eventually reaches vapor barrier...is there a potential for it to drip down to my sole plate/bottom plate and eventually rot it? Or am I over-thinking this?

 

[TheIndian]

Almost have mine done. I was going over unpainted sturdy brick. Scratch coat over the brick and then lick and stick.
View attachment 226127

billfred...looks great! I just ordered the MSI Golden Honey Pencil stacked stone panels...can’t wait to get it done.

 

[TheIndian]

As far as my hearth pad goes, my Dad had some left over bluestone that he gave me which I think will work out nicely as it is about the exact square footage that I need. I made templates out of some scrap plywood and placed it on floor so I would know how wide to frame out for the hardibacker and stacked stone veneer.

After framing it out, I put up insulation.

Tomorrow I might put up backer board on right side. Am leaving left side open for stove installer....of course it looks like a stud might be in the same spot he puts stove pipe through wall. Shouldn’t be a big deal.

You guys have been a big help and I really appreciate it. If I can be of any help to anyone doing a similar project, happy to help with any questions.

 

[TheIndian]

Here’s a pic of the bluestone...which I will have to cut to fit eventually.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Here’s a pic of the bluestone...which I will have to cut to fit eventually.

Have youmade a cardboard template of your hearth and laid it on the bluestone you have? You are going to loose stone when you start cutting it fit so just make sure you actually do have enough.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Here’s a pic of the bluestone...which I will have to cut to fit eventually.

You can resurface the stone with an acetalyne torch after cutting it if your edges will be visible

 

[TheIndian]

Have youmade a cardboard template of your hearth and laid it on the bluestone you have? You are going to loose stone when you start cutting it fit so just make sure you actually do have enough.

Well I actually did it in reverse...made a template from the bluestone. This allowed me to determine how wide the stacked stone veneer will extend from the corner on each side. I should have just enough bluestone for the stove to sit a few inches in from the edge of the hearth pad and still keep my clearances.
All I really have to do is cut the corners off the bluestone so the pieces will fit diagonally into the corner. I will be mindful of your suggestion though and make sure not to cut off any excess. Thx.

 

[TheIndian]

You can resurface the stone with an acetalyne torch after cutting it if your edges will be visible

Interesting. Never heard of that. Unfortunately I don’t have access to an acetalyne torch.
Now that you mention it, I might be able to arrange the bluestone in such a way so that the cut edges are not visible. Thank you again

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Interesting. Never heard of that. Unfortunately I don’t have access to an acetalyne torch.
Now that you mention it, I might be able to arrange the bluestone in such a way so that the cut edges are not visible. Thank you again

I’ve done it with map gas too. It just takes forever this way. Sponge your cut edge first and let the stone suck up some water before you put heat to it. And wear safety glasses and long sleeves.

 

[Hogwildz]

I resurfaced the edges of my hearth stone with a brass wire wheel. The brass gave it a neat color and blend.

 

[TheIndian]

So far things are coming along. I put up one piece of hardibacker, am waiting for an air register to come in the mail before I put up another. I also spent some time this past weekend cutting out the bluestone I had. I placed it in the corner to see how things will fit/look and so far the pieces I cut are fitting well.





I still have to cut/fit in the corner piece in the back and another 4foot piece across the front. In the next picture, I used a couple spare pieces to get an idea of overall size/look. As I mentioned previously, the front piece will be one solid piece going across the front, not three pieces as shown in the photo.



And the fourth and final photo is associated with a question I have. When I adhere the stones to the subfloor (a self leveling concrete I laid down two weeks ago), should I keep room for expansion joints or can I butt them up together as close as possible (which is what I prefer)?



Thanks!
Chris

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I space all of my mortared bluestone 1/2” for grout. I suppose you could set them butted up tight. There shouldn’t be to much of a temperature swing from summer to winter to worry about it. What you might find when tapping the stones down in your mortar bed is each piece is going to want to walk away from the previous one you laid. Then when you go to push it back where you want it it’s going to jam mortar between the two pieces. If you can get your mortar bed damn near perfect so you are only doing minimal tapping you might get lucky and keep the stones touching.

 

[TheIndian]

Thanks Randy. Wound up using an adhesive to fix bluestone in place.

Getting closer to hearth be finished. Stove install 6/25!

 

[begreen]

In general adhesives should not be used for a hearth or on the walls. You are probably ok on this hearth if the stove has a bottom heat shield.

 

[TheIndian]

Hmmm.
Thanks for heads-up Begreen. Didn’t use the adhesive on the stone veneer but I did use it on the front two pieces of bluestone.
F3CB...bottom heat shield? Will research.

 

[TheIndian]

I should be good

 

[Hogwildz]

You should be ok

 

[huauqui]

That is going to be a crazy nice looking install.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I like it man. Very nice. The thick blue slate is a nice touch. I don't know why, but I like slate.

 

[TheIndian]

Thanks for the kind words boys! Can't wait to have stove in so I can get veneer finished up to ceiling. Was surprised how easy the veneer tiles were to cut. Mostly marble. A heck of a lot easier to cut than porcelain tile.