How to Face a Concrete Block Wall With Stone

Houses were once built with thick stone walls. Today all stone walls on houses are veneers, stones applied as facing over walls of wood or concrete blocks. There are three stone facing options: natural stone, like fieldstone, which is thick and actually can add some structure support to a wall; thin stone veneer, natural stone sliced into thin sections with even backs, or manufactured stone, made of concrete to resemble natural stone. Apply any of these with mortar to a concrete block wall.

Tape measure
Stakes and mason's twine
Line level
Mortar
Mixing bucket or container
Trowel, flat or pointed
Sponge or sprayer
Stiff brush
Grout bag
Grout

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the wall to get the square footage and order enough stone to cover it; add about 10 percent to cover mistakes, problems or bad stones. Buy thin stone veneer for easiest installation.
- 2
  Check for a concrete ledge, normally poured as part of the footing for a concrete block wall. If there is none, dig a trench about 4 inches deep and 4 inches wide and fill it with concrete (skip this step for manufactured stone).
- 3
  Lay the stones out to decide on a basic installation style. Arrange stones in a pattern if using quarried stones that are cut into regular blocks. Mix stones by size if using varied sizes, as in natural sandstone. Stretch a guideline of mason's twine about a foot off the ground, using stakes at each end of the wall and a line level to level it; this will serve as a guide to keep stones level and straight. Move it up as you work.
- 4
  Mix a batch of mortar in a bucket or similar container according to directions on the package; don't mix more than you expect to use in a half hour, so it does not dry out. Dampen the wall work area with a wet sponge or water sprayer.
- 5
  Spread mortar about 1/2-inch thick on the wall with a flat trowel or pointed trowel. Put a thin layer of mortar on the back of a stone, and press it into the wall mortar until mortar starts to squeeze out the edges.
- 6
  Start at the bottom of one corner of the concrete wall, and work up in a triangular pattern. Lay several horizontal stones, then add stones above, always keeping a base level wider than the stones above. Set regular stones in a pattern, install varied stones by mixing sizes and shapes to cover the wall and keep joints from lining up.
- 7
  Knock off any mortar that spills out of the joints with the tip or edge of the trowel. Work in small sections, mixing fresh mortar as needed. Stop when mortar starts to get dry or crumbly; discard that batch and mix fresh. Mix mortar solid enough to stand on its own, but soft enough to spread easily.
- 8
  Cover the wall. Use a brush to knock off any mortar that spilled onto the stones and dried.
- 9
  Fill a grout bag, similar to a baker's decorating bag, with a metal tip with fluid grout. Squeeze it out of the tip into the joints between stones. Don't overfill joints, just bring grout up to the level of the stone faces.

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