DIY Network

Stone Veneer Bar: Setting Stone Corners and Leads From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-112

With the prep work complete, it's time to begin with stonework. Here, Derek and Dean demonstrate the setting of stone corners and leads.

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	Before: A boring basement bar
	After: Dean and Derek have created a Rock Solid focal point, and an attractive area for entertaining.

Materials:

Drop cloths
Plywood
Measuring tape
Pencil
Utility knife
Staple gun or hand-stapler (and staples)
Electric drill
1 - 1-1/2" drywall screws
Wire snips
Chipping hammer
4" grinder with diamond blade
Safety glasses
Protective gloves
Dust masks
Small trowel
1/2" jointers (one for each person jointing)
Inexpensive paintbrush
Mixing buckets
Wheelbarrow (optional)
Mixing hoe with holes
Sponges
Shop vacuum or broom and dust pan
No. 30 asphalt felt (enough to cover your project)
Metal lathe (enough to cover your project)
Mason sand
Type S mortar cement
Robinson Rock flats and corners

The stone for this project comes in corners and flats – measure the project before hand, take those measurements to your local distributor and they’ll help you determine how much of each type of product you’ll need.

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

1. Begin setting stone by first laying out all of the stone (figure A) for the project. (With all of your stone laid out, it will be easier to get an even range of colors and sizes when setting out the product.)

2. Mix the mortar for your project in a wheelbarrow or in buckets. The mortar mixture for this project is a 2-to-1 ration of sand to cement. Dry-mix the sand and cement before adding water to ensure that the sand and cement are evenly spread throughout the mortar mixture, then add water and mix to the consistency of peanut butter (figure B). Throughout the setting process, your mortar should keep this peanut butter consistency, so add more water as needed to maintain.

3. In all stone or brick work, the first stones set should be the corners or lead edges of the wall. Choose a larger stone for the first corner (figure C). Spread about a 1/2" of mortar on the back of the stone using your trowel -- if you are starting with a corner; make sure to get the mortar into the corner of the stone. Press the stone onto the wall, holding until it doesn’t move. If you want your stonework to sit slightly off the floor, you can secure it by placing a shim underneath the stone for support.

4. Build up your corners or edges a bit before beginning to set the rest of the stonework. Corner stones are less prone to move or fall than flats because they are supported on two sides rather than one. To secure flats, add stone shims for support (figure D).

5. Once you have your corners and edges partially constructed (figure E), begin building the body of the stone work.

RESOURCES :

Robinson Rock
Product: Tuscany (color)
Robinson Brick Company
1845 W. Dartmouth Ave.
Denver, CO 80110
Phone: 800-477-9002
Web site: RobinsonBrick.com