The lightweight quality
of Big Rock Stone Veneer allows for quick and easy installation, with no structural modifications, or wall ties required.
Using stone veneer saves both time and money. Labor costs are less than they would be with
real rock, as the installation time is reduced.
Stone veneer does not require the
expensive, heavy equipment needed to move and to place natural stone.
Interior wood, drywall etc. need only
metal lath, whereas exterior wood requires a waterproof vapor barrier, the metal lath, and then the mortar and the veneer.
Moss Rock installation on concrete
SETTING THE STONE
Using a mason's trowel, apply abut ¾” thick even
layer of mortar to the entire back of the stone.
Then press stone firmly into place on the prepared wall, squeezing
the mortar out around all edges.
Using a gentle wiggling action while pressing
the stone, will ensure a good bond.
Right after setting
each stone, use a mason’s trowel or a margin trowel to remove any excess mortar and to fill any voids.
This serves not only
to help seal the stone edges but also allows for tighter fitting of following stones.
Just prior to setting each stone, apply
a thin bead of mortar with a grout bag to the edges of all previously installed, adjacent stone.
If any mortar accidentally gets on the stone
face, do not try to wipe it off as it will smear and stain the stone.
The mortar should be allowed to set until dry and crumbly, and
then brushed off with a dry whisk broom.
OVER
SHEETROCK, WALLBOARD, PANELING, PLYWOOD OR OTHER RIGID WOOD-RELATED SHEATHING: Cover the wall surface with a weather-resistive barrier. The barrier shall be equal to that provided for in the U.B.C.
Standard No. 14-1 for Kraft waterproof building paper or asphalt-saturated rag felt. The building paper or felt shall be applied
horizontally with the upper layer lapped over the lower layer not less than 2 inches. Where vertical joints occur, the felt
or paper shall be lapped not less than 6 inches. Then install a 1.75 lb. diamond mesh
galvanized expanded metal lath. Exterior applications will require a galvanized metal lath; however a non-galvanized black
metal lath may be used for interior applications. Overlap lath sides by not less than 1/2" and lath ends by about 1".
Attach the lath using galvanized nails or staples 6" on center vertically and 16" on center horizontally;
penetrating studs a minimum of 1". (Be sure to attach the metal lath with the small cups pointing upwards.) Continuously
wrap metal lath a minimum of 16” around all outside and inside corners. Then apply a 1/2" thick scratch coat of
moor-tar over the metal lath and allow it to set.
OVER OPEN STUDS:
Apply paper-backed galvanized 3.4lb, 3/8" rib expanded metal lath to the
studs using galvanized nails or staples every 6" vertically on stud centers with a minimum L" penetration. Overlap
lath sides by not less than 1/2"and lath ends by not less than 1 inch. For metal studs use corrosion-resistant self-tapping
screws (Tapcon) with a 3/8" head that pro-vides 3/8" minimum penetration beyond the inside metal face. Then apply
a 1/2" thick scratch coat of mortar over the metal lath and allow it to set 48 hours.
OVER METAL
PANELS: Surface preparation is the same as for “over
sheetrock, wallboard, paneling, plywood, or other rigid wood related sheathing”, (see above) except the metal lath should
be attached using self-tapping screws with a 3/8" head that provides 3/8" minimum penetration beyond the inside
metal surface.
OVER CLEAN (UNPAINTED, UNSEALED, UN-TREATED) BRICK, BLOCK, CONCRETE OR OTHER MASONRY SURFACES:
No surface preparation is necessary, however you may, for added insurance to
minimize cracking or bond failure, use a metal lath and scratch coat. Newly poured concrete surfaces should be examined closely
to ensure the surface does not contain form oil or other types of release agents. A method to determine their presence is
by spraying surface with water. If water beads up or runs off the wall, the presence of a release agent is likely. If a release
agent is present, acid etch, wire brush surface, or use a metal lath and scratch coat. It is imperative that the concrete
surface is free of form release contamination if lath and scratch coat is not used to ensure a proper bond. OVER PAINTED, SEALED OR TREATED
BRICK,
BLOCK, CONCRETE OR OTHER MASONRY SURFACES: The surface must
either a) be cleaned back to the original surface by sandblasting, water blasting, acid etching or wire brushing or b) have
metal lath attached using corrosion-resistant concrete nails with a scratch coat applied over the metal lath.
OVER
RIGID INSULATION BOARD: Surface
preparation is the same as for “over sheetrock, wallboard, paneling, plywood or other rigid wood related sheathing”
except the spacing for nails or staples should be 6" on center vertically and 16" on center horizontally, penetrating
studs a minimum of 1"
PROPER USE: Carefully follow these recommended
installation instructions. Big Rock Stone Veneer should only be applied to structurally sound surfaces incorporating good
building practices. It is important to divert water run-off away from stone surfaces by using cant strips, gutters and flashing.
Run-off or splashing may stain the material. Water run-off combined with severe freeze-thaw conditions can result in surface
damage. The use of a cap stone can be used to provide adequate run-off protection. Retaining walls must be water-proofed at
the fill side and incorporate provisions for adequate drainage. Big Rock Stove Veneer should not be used below water level
or in applications that subject the material to chlorine or chemicals that may discolor the stone.
LAYING OUT
THE STONE: Before you begin, lay out a quantity of stone (25 sq.ft. minimum)
near the work area to give you a selection to choose from, When installing stone, try to achieve a balanced pat-tern of shapes,
sizes, colors, thicknesses and textures by selecting and mixing the various stones. Select and mix stones of different sizes
and shapes throughout the installation.
STARTING: For standard
installation procedure, Big Rock Stone Veneer is applied from the top down. This helps to keep the stone clean. For Jointless/Dry-stacked
installation, stone is applied from the bottom up. Install the corners first for easiest fitting. Corner pieces have along
and a short return. These should be alternated in opposite directions on the wall corner.
FITTING STONES:
Stones should be installed with uniform size grout joints. A consistent 1/2"
or less space around the stones is desirable.
TRIMMING STONES: For
best fit, stones can be cut or shaped using a hatchet, wide mouth nippers or a mason’s trowel edge. Straight cuts can
be made with a diamond or carbide saw blade. Cut edges must always be covered with mortar. Mortar should
be mixed to a firm but workable (not too wet, not too dry) consistency.
WETTING THE STONE AND SUBSTRATE: Under certain conditions the stone and substrate may need to be wetted. If the stone is being
installed onto a very hot/dry surface or in a hot/dry climate, the stone and wall surface should be wet to prevent excessive
absorption of moisture from the mortar. This can be done by spraying water onto wall surface and back of stone (you may also
dip stone into a container of water). In either case the stone and the wall surface should be allowed to dry for a few minutes
after wetting to eliminate excess surface water. For Jointless/Dry-stacked installations it will be necessary
to wet the stones regardless of the weather conditions.
GROUTING THE JOINTS: There are three distinct grout techniques, each with their own unique look: Standard
Joints (Raked), Dry-Stack Joints and Over grout Joints (Historically referred to as a sack finish). These three joint finishes
play a major role when it comes to finishing a job that has the look and feel of real stone.
A Standard Joint
(Raked) is achieved by laying each stone roughly one finger width apart from each other, and then a grout bag is used
to fill the joints with mortar, forcing grout into any voids. Be careful not to smear grout onto the face of the stone. Any
mortar that accidentally gets on the stone should be allowed to set until dry and crumbly, and then brushed off with a dry
whisk broom.
Dry-Stack joint stonework is accomplished by “dry”
fitting each stone prior to installation. Each piece can be laid with virtually no joint. Even though you’ve used mortar
to set the stone to the surface, when complete, the finished look will appear as though no mortar was used to install stone.
However, it is sometimes desirable to do touch-up grouting to fill noticeable voids and to conceal cut or broken stone edges.
Over-grout, an increasingly popular way to achieve an old-world
look is a technique that tends to make the stonework appear rustic and aged. The grout overlaps the face of the stone, widening
the joints and making them very irregular. It’s important that the joint’s mortar be applied without air pockets
and are filled completely to the substrate. Overfill joints when applying grout. Mortar should be right between being too
wet and too crumbly. The over grout technique uses almost every stone shipped because broken edges can be hidden by grout.
FINISHING THE JOINTS:
When the mortar joints become firm
(normally 30-60 minutes), use a wooden or metal striking tool to rake out the excess mortar to the desired depth while at
the same time forcing the mortar into the joints so as to thoroughly seal the stone edges. Be careful not to work the joints
too soon or the mortar will smear. After working the joints, use a whisk broom to smooth the joints and clean away any loose
mortar from the joints and stone face. Loose mortar and mortar spots which have set for only a few hours clean up easily and
should never bellowed to set up overnight.
CAUTION: Do not use wet brushes or sponges to wipe
the joints or clean mortar off the face of the stone as it will smear and stain. Also, never use wire brushes or acid on the
stone surface.
