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Cultured Stone is a
practical way to remodel
any fireplace.
Fireplace makeover from
dressed fieldstone. |
When I
think of an easy and cost
effective design solution for a
house, cultured stone or
manufactured stone veneer will
immediately come to my mind.
There are a staggering variety
of patterns and colors to choose
from and a multitude of ways to
enhance any interior space. In
this article I would like to
share some of the steps we took
to transform an old 18ft high
fireplace into a truly elegant
center piece of the room.
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This fireplace was built
into the corner of the
lobby of a house, that
is located at Parkland
Broward County, Fl. The
fireplace was framed and
hidden behind the
drywall and had a wooden
shelf with a large size
mirror in middle. The
owners of the house
called us for some
guidance on the choice
of the material and for
some advice on the
design. The fireplace
was impressive in size.
It measured 18 ft in
height and it was seven
feet wide. When I
arrived we went through
the brochures, discussed
some design ideas and
decided that the most
cost effective way to
re-beautify this
outdated fireplace is
using cultured stones.
After sorting through
the sample boards and
searching for the right
pattern, the owners
decided to use the bit
rugged looking cultured
stone called dressed
fieldstone from Owens
Corning. After careful
measuring I determined
that we would need
around 179 sft of
cultured stone for the
fireplace. |
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This fireplace also had a
relatively large sized heart
that we needed to wrap-up with
the same type of cultured stone.
The dressed fieldstone in the
Aspen color seamed the perfect
fit for the house. I took care
of the ordering of the cultured
stones and started working on
the fireplace. The first step
was to take down the huge mirror
that was above the fireplace
shelf. The owners didn’t want to
keep it so we decided that the
easiest way to get it down is to
put duct-tape on it and break
it. (I guess if you deliberately
break a mirror the seven years
of curse doesn’t count).
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After getting rid of the
mirror we needed to
install 1/8th of an inch
cement backer boards on
top of the drywall for
better adhesion for the
cultured stones.
Although, manufacturer’s
recommendation is to
install wire lath on top
of the drywall with a
scratch-coat of mortar,
we simplified this step
and used backer boards
instead. It not only
provides the proper
adhesion but saves
considerable amount of
time on the labor. After
the installation of the
boards we applied
bonding agent on the
area where the
manufactured stones were
to be installed. The
next step was to figure
out the best pattern for
the trim around the
firebox.
It needs to be somewhat
distinctive, perhaps
equally sized square
stones stacked upon each
other with a bigger
keystone in the center.
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If you wish to install
cultured stones on your
own I would advice you
to lay out a good
selection of different
sizes of stones on the
ground. This will make
it easier to find the
right size and achieve
the best blend in color.
Always mix the different
sizes of stones. Also
alternate or stagger the
joints wisely to create
a pattern that is
pleasing for the eyes. A
good rule of thumb is to
break up each vertical
and the horizontal
joints as often as
possible (no longer
joints than two feet.).
When you decide on the
design of your fireplace
keep its proportions in
mind. Don’t install too
large size stones on a
small fireplace because
it may overwhelm the
design. On the contrary
if you have a high
fireplace like the one
on the pictures try to
break the pattern either
with some interesting
design or a wooden
shelf. |
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Installing a mirror, a painting
or a flat screen TV on the
middle of the fireplace is also
a wise solution. Since there was
a large sized wooden shelf above
the firebox we decided to divide
the large area above it with two
small shelves. After
finishing the installation of
the cultured stones we started
tuck-pointing the joints with
mortar. There are several ways
to do this but if you wish to
save some time and you have a
large fireplace like this one I
would recommend using the thing
called grout-bag. Mix up your
mortar to a sour-cream
consistency and start squeezing
the mortar to the joints. It
requires some practice but after
a few minutes you will get the
hang of it.
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On
that note be careful not
to have small rocks in
the mortar because it
can get stuck and block
the flow of the mud.
(Mortar). After
jointing, smooth the
mortar with a whisk
brush. This will give a
smother finish and takes
care of the little holes
and cavities in the
joints.
One
important advice; Try to
keep your cultured
stones clean and free of
mud, it can stain the
stones and it is a
headache to clean. If
you happened to drop
some mortar on the
cultured stones wipe it
off with a wet sponge
immediately. |
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However, the best is to
keep the stones clean as
possible. It not only
will save time but
ensures a stain free
installation. After
finishing the front of
the fireplace we wrapped
up the fireplace heart
with the same cultured
stone and stained the
shelves to oak color.
The owners were very
satisfied with the
project. In fact, so
satisfied that they
decided to install two
arched doors from rustic
southern ledge stones
to complement the
fireplace.
Does it have a price?
At this point you are
probably wondering
how much this cultured
stone fireplace
remodeling cost.
Well I can tell you
exactly how much if you
click the link above↑. |
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Wish to do it on your
own?
Go to our
detailed guide on how to
install manufactured
stone veneer and
cultured stones
page. At this page you
will find how to tips,
time and money saving
recommendations and
entertaining videos on
how to install any type
of stone veneer.
Not a DIY?
Don’t feel to install
cultured stones on your
own? Fear not, if your
project is located in
our Florida service area
just send us an email
and we will give you a
free price quote
on any sized job. |
We will provide you with the quality
you expect on a reasonable price. We
will complete the stone
installation work in the shortest
time possible.
You will
know the whole upfront cost before
we start the job. No surprises later
estimates. 100% Quality Guaranteed.
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We can install cultured
stones and Eldorado stones
on arches, columns, walls,
planners, fireplaces, fences
and more. Whether it is dry
stacked, or jointed we know
all the techniques that can
dramatically increase the
look of any cultured stone
wall. We also install all
types of cultured stone
accessories, such as heart
stones, trims and other
accents. |
Our crews
may also work on weekends to fit
into your busy schedule.
We provide a
minimum of one year warrantee on all
of our completed jobs.
We guarantee
the highest quality craftsmanship
and provide the professional and
personal service
you deserve. Cultured stone
installation
We offer a 100%
satisfaction guarantee on all of our services!
Whether, you
are planning on installing Eldorado
stones on the rear wall, or cultured
stones on stone wall, our cultured
stone installers are ready to help
you with any project you have in
mind. Our experienced stone veneer
installers are serving the Miami
Dade and Broward county area.
Related articles and pages:
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learn more about our company please
check out our about us page.
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information on
what services we provide please
click here to check out what
other type of construction projects we
can help you with.
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veneer, natural stone, Eldorado stone
and stone veneer installation Miami.
