7 Things To Know Before Installing Stone Veneer Siding

Are you looking to boost your home's curb appeal without rebuilding your entire exterior? Stone veneer siding is one of the most effective ways to increase property value and give your house a fresh, sophisticated look. It offers the beauty of natural stone without the heavy weight or the high price tag.

However, installing stone veneer is not as simple as peel-and-stick. Whether you plan to hire a contractor or tackle this as a DIY project, you need to understand the process to ensure it lasts. Improper installation can lead to water damage, cracking, and stones falling off the wall.

We want your home improvement project to be a success. Here are seven essential things to know before starting a stone veneer siding installation.

1. It Is Lighter Than Natural Stone (But Still Heavy)

Many people also know stone veneers as "manufactured stone" or "architectural stone." This concrete goes into molds that mimic the texture of real rocks, creating lightweight concrete. Because of the lightweight material, it weighs significantly less than natural quarried stone.

Why This Matters

• No footings required: In most cases, you do not need to pour new concrete footings to support the weight. You can apply stone to existing walls.
• Easier handling: If you are doing this yourself, carrying boxes of veneer is much easier on your back than hauling real boulders.
• Lower cost: Because it is lighter and easier to manufacture, both the material cost and the shipping costs are generally lower than natural stone.

2. Water Management Is the Most Important Step

The biggest mistake people make with stone veneer is neglecting the moisture barrier. Stone veneer is porous. It absorbs water. If that water gets behind the stone and touches the wood framing of your house, you will eventually deal with rot and mold.

Before you put up a single stone, you must install a weather-resistant barrier (WRB). First, start with a high-quality house wrap and then you can also add a layer of heavy-duty builders’ felt (tar paper) over the house wrap for double protection.

You must install a weep screed at the bottom of the wall. This is a piece of metal trim that allows trapped water to drain out rather than pooling at the foundation.

3. The Lath Is Your Foundation

Since you aren't stacking heavy rocks on top of each other from the ground up, the stone needs something to grip onto. This is where metal lath comes in.

Expanded metal lath is a wire mesh that you nail to the wall over your moisture barrier. It acts like a skeleton for the mortar. When you apply mortar to the wall, it squeezes through the holes in the mesh and locks in place. Without lath, your mortar has nothing to hold onto, and your beautiful stone wall will fail.

Installation tip: Make sure you install the lath right side up. The little cups in the mesh should face upward to catch the mortar. If it feels smooth when you run your hand down it, you installed it correctly. If it feels rough, it is upside down.

4. You Need a Scratch Coat

You cannot stick stone directly to the metal lath. You need to create a flat, cement surface first. This is the scratch coat.

To create a scratch coat, you cover the metal lath completely with a layer of mortar. While the mortar is still wet, you use a special rake or comb tool to scratch horizontal grooves into it.

Why Scratch It?

These horizontal grooves create friction and surface area. When you later apply the mortar to the back of your stone and press it against the wall, the two layers of mortar lock together. This creates a bond that is incredibly strong. You must let this scratch coat dry (cure) before you start hanging stone.

5. Not All Mortar Is Created Equal

Don't just grab a bag of standard concrete mix from the hardware store. Installing stone veneer requires a specific type of mortar that is sticky enough to hold the stone on the wall while it dries.

Look for:

• Type N or type S mortar: These are standard masonry mortars. Type S is stronger and better for exterior use, where the stones will be exposed to wind and weather.
• Polymer-modified stone veneer mortar: This is a premium product designed specifically for this job. It has additives that make it stickier and stronger. It costs a little more, but it prevents stones from sliding down the wall while you are working.

6. Layout Is Key to a Natural Look

If you take stones out of the box one by one and stick them on the wall, your project might end up looking patchy or repetitive. Manufactured stone comes in boxes, and sometimes one box has many similar colors or shapes.

You can avoid a bad pattern by opening multiple boxes of stones at once, so that it isn’t so uniform and you can mix them up. From there, just watch the lines each stone is creating so that you don’t have any long vertical or horizontal lines across your siding.

You want the stones to look random and interlocking, just like a natural rock wall. This is what makes options like the Tando stone siding so great, since you can ensure the pattern looks natural and adds a great addition to your home.

7. You Need the Right Tools for Cutting

You will inevitably need to cut stones to fit around corners, windows, outlets, or the roofline. You have a few options for cutting stone veneer, depending on your budget and comfort level.

A handheld angle grinder with a diamond masonry blade is the most common tool for the job. It is portable and effective. However, it creates a massive amount of dust. Always wear a respirator mask and safety glasses.

If you are doing a large project, renting a table wet saw is a smart move. The water keeps the dust down and makes cleaner, straighter cuts. For a more rustic, jagged edge, you can use a mason's hammer or chisel to break the stone. This takes practice but looks very natural.

Protect Your Investment

Installing stone veneer is a significant project, but the results are worth it. It transforms the look of your home and adds a layer of durability to your exterior. Using these seven points, you can ensure that you install your stone veneer siding correctly and enjoy it for decades.

If you are ready to get started, we are here to help. At Forward Distributors, we have a wide selection of stone veneer styles and colors to match any home design.

Check out our current inventory and sales on our website, or give us a call at 251-751-4044 if you need advice on choosing the right product for your home. We’re here to help! Give us a call today.