How to Do a Rock Wall for a Wood Stove

A wood stove can add a cozy feel to an interior space without the drafts and maintenance associated with a wood-burning fireplace. It can also provide a heat source to augment electric or gas furnace heat, or to provide emergency heat during a power outage. Building a rock wall behind a wood stove increases the aesthetic value of this heat source, giving your living space a rustic feel. Stone veneer allows you to create a rock wall without tearing out drywall or reinforcing the wall and floor joists.

Stud finder
Chalk line
Cement backer board
Utility knife
4-inch wood screws
Electric screwdriver
Thinset mortar
Trowel
2-by-4-inch lumber
Rubber mallet
Grout
Grout float
Sponge

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the wall studs that will support the rock wall with a stud finder. Snap a chalk line on the drywall over each stud.
- 2
  Determine the width and height of the rock wall behind the wood stove. Score sheets of cement backer board with a utility knife and snap them on the corner of a work bench to fit the width and height of the rock wall. Secure the backer board to the drywall with 4-inch wood screws, using an electric screwdriver, along each wall stud at 4-inch intervals.
- 3
  Spread thinset mortar on the back of a section of stone veneer with a trowel. Place the stone on the bottom of the wall at one corner. Place a section of 2-by-4-inch lumber over the stone veneer and tap it into place with a rubber mallet.
- 4
  Continue installing stones along the bottom of the backer board to complete the first course. Add additional courses until you have completed the rock wall.
- 5
  Press grout between the seams of the stones, and along the edges of the cement backer board, with a grout float. Wipe away excess grout with a damp sponge.

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