I had a big blank wall that I needed to do something with, so I built a fireplace! I framed out where I wanted the fireplace to be, wrapped it in OSB and added a scratch coat of mortar before I started applying my stone. This was my first time working with veneer stone, and I'll admit I was a little nervous. BUT I didn't let that stop me, and I am so glad I went for it because I love how it turned out.

This stone came from Centurion Stone of Iowa and it is their Oak Park Summit Blend. It is a very thin lightweight veneer stone.

To apply the stones, I mixed the mortar on the thinner side so it is a little runny. You want to make sure you get enough mortar on there, and if it is a corner stone, make sure you get the side of it as well. One you place the stone make sure you do not break the seal because it creates it's own little suction to keep it in place. If there is any mortar that squeezes too far beyond the cracks, you want to make sure you clean some of it out. I am using a different color grout than the mortar, so I really didn't want any excess showing through.

When it comes to the pieces I needed to cut, I used my tile saw to cut the backside of the tile. I made sure not to cut all the way through the tile because I'm trying to avoid it being a perfectly straight cut. Once I got it cut, I determined which side of the tile I was keeping and using my hammer I knocked the other side off. If the tile was still too straight, I used my hammer to chip away at the cut edge to make it look more natural. When I applied the stone to the fireplace, I made sure the factory edge was on the outer side and the cut edge was on the inside so it was less noticeable.

So... I did have an inspiration picture and I made the mistake of not referring back to it before I started applying my stone. Once I got the bottom of the fireplace done, I realized that I did more of a brick lay pattern, which was a little too cabiny for me. I knew I would be happier if I re applied the stone in a more straight pattern, so I did end up removing what I had already place and started over on the front of the fireplace. While it was more work than I intended on, I am really happy I decided to do it because I love the layout of the stones now. I will say, that stone was not very easy to remove, so I have no concerns of them falling off!

To mix the mortar I used a bucket, my drill and an attachment on the drill. I started off adding less water, because it's easier to add more water as you're mixing than it is to add more grout. The consistency should be like a pancake batter.

Once I got it to the right consistency, I got to grouting! Annnnnd that was quite a workout for my hand! I gave the grout a little time to set and went back in with a gloved hand and smudged all the edges to fill in any gaps and give it an over grouted look. If you have gaps, they cause cracks, and we don't want that!

Finally, I went over the fireplace with a masonry brush so get rid of any loose bits and everything felt smooth.


I hope you found this helpful and you feel inspired to take on a project you may be scared to start! Make sure you subscribe for more DIY home projects and tutorials!



LINKS
Stone: https://centurionstoneofiowa.com/prod...
Mortar: https://www.specmix.com/masonry/portl...
Tile saw: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt7in...
Grout bag: https://amzn.to/3R2d8m0
Drill: https://amzn.to/3pJ3wkM
Drill attachment to mix mortar: https://amzn.to/3CCeUX0

You can find me on instagram @crystelmontenegrohome for more DIY projects, tutorials & daily life!

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