DIY Network

Installing a Manufactured Stone Fireplace A fireplace goes from drab to dazzling with an artificial stone treatment. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-208

Derek and Dean create this stone backdrop and install a new mantle to dress up an ordinary fireplace.

There's no better way to welcome someone into your home than by greeting them with a stone fireplace. Old fashioned fireplaces once required elaborate staging and costly materials. Now they're a relatively simple way to revamp a bland room. You can put them up over dry wall and use homeowner-friendly manufactured stone.

For this project, stone masons Derek Stearns and Dean Marsico replace an ordinary mantel on an existing fireplace to transform a plain white wall into into the focal point of the room focal. They do so by fashioning a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace using manufactured stone. They wrap the corners to add dimension and install a new wooden mantel that complements their stone creation. Follow these steps and tips, and you'll be ready to take on this Rock Solid project yourself.

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The fireplace before the stone upgrade.

Tools:

crowbar
chisel
stone hammer
cordless drill with screwdriver bit
utility knife
hammer stapler
stud finder
snips
gloves
two-foot level
mixing hoe
wheelbarrow
clean buckets
float
hawk
trowel
grinder with diamond blade
shovel
paintbrush
newspaper
painters tape
drop cloths
safety glasses

Materials:

manufactured stone
cement board
tarpaper
metal lath
1-1/2 inch roofing nails
masonry cement
sand
bonding agent

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Demolition and Removing the Old Mantel

Dean and Derek begin by removing the existing mantel from the wall. For this particular mantel, they use a crowbar, hammer and chisel. For your job, use whatever tools works best for the material you're removing. Since they're throwing the old mantel away they don't need to be too careful. If you plan on keeping your old mantel for use elsewhere, take your time to avoid damaging the wood or other materials while you're working.

For this project, we also remove the tile hearth. We begin by first removing the wood trim enclosing the wood hearth (figure A). Use a wood chisel, work carefully, and put it to the side if you want to replace it once you're done with the fireplace revamp.

Removing the tiles requires a chisel and a stone hammer. Break the grout joints first, and then pop up the individual tiles (figure B). We also removed and then replace the durarock under the tile. You'll want a new and secure base regardless of the type of masonry hearth you decided on.

Safety Alert: If your project requires you to break up stone or tile into pieces, be sure wear safety glasses.

After you've removed your tile and mantel, make sure that you're demolished surfaces are sound and level. Dean and Derek removed a chunk of the drywall while they were working. To patch this, they take a piece of concrete board (figure C), cut it to size using a utility knife and secure it to wall studs with masonry screws.

Installing Drywall and Tarpaper

For this design, Derek and Dean are wrapping the corners with about twelve inches of the manufactured stone to create the illusion of depth for the fireplace. With the design finalized, they create a moisture-resistant surface the exact size of the wall that will hold the stone and mortar.

Tip: If you're working with a high wall like the one featured in this project, you can create temporary scaffolding to allow you to get to the height you need. Dean and Derek simply spanned a heavy duty wooden plank between two sturdy buckets.

• First apply a layer of 30-grade (heavy grade) tar paper to the wall. The tar paper will serve as the moisture barrier. Use a hammer stapler to attach it and make sure it's tight. (For this application, a hammer stapler makes the job much easier than an ordinary stapler.)

• Once the tar paper is secured, use a stud-finder to locate and mark the studs.]

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