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

(Continued from page 2)

Figure L

Setting the Stone

Dean and Derek use homeowner-friendly manufactured stone. Manufactured stone is modeled after real stone, but it's created from concrete cast and colored in molds. For this project they use a ledge stone variety that comes in flats and corners.

• Begin by taking all of the stones out of their boxes. Separate the flats from the corners. By laying out the stones, you'll be able to easily mix color, character, and ratio as you apply the stones to the wall.

• With the scratch coat dry, remove the gas insert cover and, if necessary, chip off extra scratch coat around the edges before setting the stone. Start with your corners and work inward (figure L).
  

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• Apply about a half-inch thick layer of the mortar mix (the same you used for the scratch coat) to the back of the stone. Spread it evenly and cut the edges back with your trowel to prevent the mortar from oozing. Apply the stone to the scratch coat and hold it in place firmly for 20 to 30 seconds on the wall to allow the bonding agent to activate.

• As you reach the area where your mantel is set (figure M and N), you may want to protect it from mortar and stone with plastic sheeting. Once you've set all of your stone, go back and fill in the joints with mortar to prevent the lath from showing through. You can do this using a jointer. Finish the jointing by smoothing it with a paint brush.

  Figure M

  Figure N

  
  

• As you work, tooth the stones – this means alternating stones with long and short faces to prevent continuous joints. If the length of a stone matches one set near it, move it and get a longer corner stone. Also, set stones in various shades (figure O).

• Lastly, if you are working with a partner, switch sides at some point (figure P). Everyone sets stone in a different way. Switching off helps provide variation for blending the two styles together.

  Figure O

  Figure P

  
  

  	Figure Q
  	The final stone.

Eventually, you may need to cut stones for a better fit. Mark the cut with a pencil and use a chipping hammer to trace that line. Weaken the ends first and then trace along the front and back. Make the final cut with your hammer on the end (figure Q).

If you need a more detailed cut, you can get it using a four-inch grinder with a diamond blade. Mark the cut, then score a line with the grinder about three-quarters of an inch deep. Finish by tapping the cut with your stone hammer.

Setting the Hearth Stone

After you've finished the wall, move on to your hearth. Derek and Dean have chosen a hearthstone with a raised and exposed edge. The process is the same as setting the fireplace: lay down tar paper first, then metal lath, and follow that with a scratch coat. Finally, lower your hearth stones on top of your layer of mortar and tap them into place with a rubber mallet.

The images below show the dramatic difference that a stone surface can make in transforming an ordinary fireplace to create a truly inviting space.

Before

After

1 | 2 | 3

RESOURCES :

Stone: Designing Kitchens, Baths and Interiors with Natural Stone
Author: Heather E. Adams, Earl G. Adams
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (2003)
ISBN: 1584792906
Order this title from Amazon.com.

Building Fireplace Mantels: Distinctive Projects for Any Style Home
ISBN: 1561583855
Author: Mario Rodriguez
Order this title from Amazon.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com

Stone product featured in this project:
Old Country Ledgestone®
Coronado Stone Products
www.coronado.com