Stone Wall

Wanted something natural and different for the cottage master bedroom.  With my hubby in agreement we went to a local landscape/hardscape and picked out stone.  This is natural stone from a mountain range from TN/AL area. 

All though it isn't complete due to life getting in the way; thought I'd share the technique so others could try it.  It isn't that difficult; just time consuming...end result will be so worth it!

1.  Prep the wall. 
After insulating your walls appropriately for your area.  We used 1/2" plywood and covered it with tar paper just like the stuff used for roofing.  Roofing nails used to hold tar paper in place.  Next place a wire meshing over the tar paper.  It comes in a 4'x2' sections.  Nail this over the tar paper.  Use plenty of nails because this is what the stone will adhere too.  Then mix cement over mesh.  Using a trowel, apply a thin layer over the metal mesh.  Allow to dry.  I work from top to bottom due to the mess.  This can be a bit messy, so protect your floor. 


 This is approx. the consistency used for the wall.  Make it a little thicker when applying the stone on the wall itself.

 

2.  Apply stone. 

Mixing cement in another container and use gloves, because cement is harsh to the hands.  This is the fun part, but then I enjoy a good puzzle.  Puzzle the stone to fit the wall and get the desired look.  Before applying stone wash it gently with water and soft brush to remove the dirt.  Allow stone to dry before applying cement to the back side.  Because this stone is smaller than the field stone that has to be split I was able to start from the top and work down.  This also keeps the stone cleaner without having excess to drip over the stone.  You decide how big of spaces you want between stone.  When placing each stone on the wall I held it into place for approx. 30 - 40 seconds to ensure a good adhesion before moving onto another stone.

3.  Grout.

Using the same quickcrete as the wall and putting up stone mix it a little thinner.  Place cement into a heavy duty plastic bag.  Found this one at Home Depot.  Just like decorating a cake, squeeze cement between stone.  Don't get to ahead of yourself with this technique, because you have to have time to smooth it out.  You can buy dyes to tint the grout to give it a different color.  I chose not to.

 

This is a little blurry, but this should give you an idea on how to squeeze cement in between stone.  This project is indoors so I gave more depth of the stone shown.  However, if this was to be outside, the grout should be more flush with the stone to keep moisture from loosening the stone over time. 

Grouting tools.  Had a friend make these.  You can use the handle of a spoon and manipulate something to work.

This is smoothing grout manually.  Be patient.  It is a bit tedious.

The above half of the picture shows grout dry.  The lower half of the picture shows grout still wet.  Hope you enjoy doing something a little different.  Save money on a contractor and DIY.

 

One of these days I will get it finished and show off the whole room.  We only started the master bedroom last fall.  Wouldn't want to rush these things.  Do you hear the sarcasm.