Installing stone in your home or outside your home can be a great way to decorate your space both inside and out. But natural stone can be very expensive to ship and install, preventing many of us from having this beautiful look in our homes. By using artificial stone or cultured stone in your interior design, you can still have the look of stone, without the costs. Use this guide to install cultured stone and you’ll be sure to get the most out of your stone design.

Preparation work

The space needs to be prepared to accept the stone before starting. A coat of scraping is required to accept stone on most surfaces. It is a simple layer of mortar that is roughened to allow the stone and mortar to adhere to the surface. You need to place a wire or fiberglass winch in the gap. Nail the lathe directly to the studs behind the wall. Nail about every four inches along the studs to make sure it never comes off your kitchen wall or studio layout.

Next, mix a little mortar to the consistency of pancake batter. This part is tricky and tricky, but it can be done. Use a trowel to spread the mortar over the lathe so that the lathe is covered with approximately ½ inch of mortar. Allow it to harden enough that you can drag a sharp stick through the mortar and leave a permanent scratch. Do this in one direction until the entire surface is scratched.

Design

Once the scratch coat has hardened overnight, you can cut and place the cultured stone in front of the area you plan to install. Stack the stone on the ground, just as it will be placed on the wall. Cut chunks of stone with a wet tile saw as needed. Stack one row at a time in front of the space. After you’ve finished a few rows, you can place them one row at a time on the wall in your kitchen or bedroom layout.

Buttering and back installation

Each separate piece of cultured stone should be buttered before applying it to the wall. A large piece of mortar smeared to the back of the stone is all that is needed to make it stick. Starting with the bottom row, butter and stack the cultured stone pieces in place according to the pattern you created on the floor. Stack a row on the wall and then create another row on the ground. Make sure there are no joints lined up with the other rows and your stone will look real. Once finished, let the stone dry for a few hours, then use a stiff bristle brush and clean any excess mortar from your kitchen, bedroom or bathroom stone design. Clean with a damp sponge and allow to dry overnight.