The Fireplace Stone is Finished!

The stone veneer for the fireplace is completely finished. I had just a few more pieces to put up and then I gave the entire stone a treatment of stone enhancer.

As it turned out I ordered exactly the amount of veneer I needed. Not like the stuff cost billions of dollars it was just none of it could be returned. This was a special order product which means they ordered it from their warehouse in Syracuse. The tile store's policy is they do not take returns on special order items. To me a special order item would be one that was custom in some way (ordered from Italy, cut to fit, a color made especially for me). I would have like to return the four I have left over as I have no need for them anywhere in my house.

Today I was able to clean the stones and then apply a stone enhancer. The stone enhancer was called One and Done. I applied it with a stain brush and worked it into the cracks and crevices. I had to make sure the get under the stones that hung proud and on the sides of stones. The directions state the product should sit on stone for a few minutes and then the excess wiped off.

The picture below shows the difference between the enhanced and the natural look. I think the enhancer really brings out the colors in the different stone and pushes back the grey stone colors. I really like all the golds and reds in the stones.

The second picture shows the finished stone project.

In the coming weeks I will be building the mantel. We are still deciding whether to go with a white painted mantel or natural cherry. Either way the plan is to build the mantel so it wraps around becoming the top to bookshelves I will build. I'm hoping to make the bookshelves removable so I can get access to behind the fireplace, just in case I need to for some reason.

Stone Veneer For the Fireplace

This week I will be working on the stone veneer for our fireplace. To begin this project my wife and I had to settle on the type of product we wanted to use. We wanted a product that had a stones with various colors (greys, reds, oranges, browns). Many of the products at Home Depot or Lowes had tan shades. We were interested in a product from Lowes, from the name brand Stone Craft. This type of stone is traditionally used the exterior as siding. It rages in width from one inch to two and one quarter inches. It must be installed, stone by stone. We found a pattern we liked but I decided to check a few tile stores to see what they had to offer. The second tile store had a stone veneer with all the colors above. The veneer is a stone product that ranges in widths from one and a quarter to half an inch. The stones are epoxied together to make a ledgerstone. It cuts like tile and installs like tile. See the pictures below.

To attach it to the wall I put up a board to represent the mantel. That will give it support has the mortar dries. The mortar is a polymer blend recommended by the manufacturer. I mixed it to a peanut butter consistency or until it wouldn't fall off my trowel easily.

The manufacturer suggests using a 1/2 inch notched trowel on the wonderboard. They also suggest back buttering each piece. I started by installing one entire row, the row that would be just above the mantel. The corners are created with a special type of the rock product. The corner stones have rough edges. I cut the corner tiles in half and over lap them on the corners.

Installation of the product was a lot like regular heavy tile. Professional would have started from the top and worked their way down. This is done to avoid dropping mastic on the finished part. I wasn't confident in how the bottom would turn out if I started at the top. As it happened, the top was uniform and straight. I left a gap at the top that will allow me a space to add drywall for the ceiling (ceiling should have been down first but we are still living in this room so..).