# Stone veneer over foam board.



## rfjm58 (Jan 8, 2007)

I am a big DIY'r. I recently remodeled (no, still remodeling) my house & have a covered front entry that I want to install either cultured or real stone veneer. The rest of the house has siding which I installed 1/2" foil faced insulation board under. I've continued the insulation into the entryway. First can I install over the insulation? If yes do I need roofing paper over the foam? The existing sheathing seems to be 1/4" +/-. Should I put another layer of 1/4" over it? Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks in advance for the help.


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## Big Dave (May 17, 2006)

Real stone yes, cultured stone no. Real stone is laid up like brick and supports itself with only a need here and there to be tied off to the wall to keep it steady as it's going up.

Cultured stone needs to be attached to a wire mesh which needs to be nailed to a plywood base with tar paper on top between the plywood and wire mesh. The stone is stuck on with grout spacing in between and then the spaces are filled in later with a mortar mix.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

It would be unlikely the house is sheathed with 1/4" plywood. I believe 1/2" is the minimun you could have, by code.
Agree with previous post about the wire lath/mesh and would add that real stone needs a base solid enough to support the weight. You can't just pile stone on a wood porch and expect it to stay.
Ron


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

What exactly is your sheathing composed of, and how is it attached to the studs over the foam (i.e. is the foam between the studs or over them?).

The issue will be securing the base material when using any adhered veneer product, man-made or thin sliced natural. You most likely will not be able to use dimensional (4" thick) mortared stone.


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## rfjm58 (Jan 8, 2007)

I checked the dim's of the sheathing. It's 3/8" plywood. This house was a simple ranch used for a rental property so the construction was to a minimum. If need be I will forgo the insulation & glue & screw another layer of sheathing to strengthen it. The support is not a wood porch but a new full block foundation w/a 6" poured concrete top. I haven't done the surface yet so I was going to screw a steel angle to support the veneer above the deck. Can I secure the wire lath over a tar paper base installed over the foam. If I need to I will forgo the foam & glue & screw another layer of sheathing to make it more stable. I don't want to go any more than the 1/2" foam because the veneer will project to far past the new front entry system. I am not sure which way I will go (real or cultured) so I want to make sure I can do either.

Thanks


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

You must distingush between "real" (full thickness 4" thick stone), or "real" (natural stone sawn thin).


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## rfjm58 (Jan 8, 2007)

I am not sure which size I will be doing yet. I would rather prep it for worst case then decide in stone type later. This area is only a small part of the house plus it is covered. There won't be much loss in the winter & no heat gain in the summer, so if I loose the insulation it won't be a major problem. If I do loose the insulation, do I need to remove the Tyvek before installing roofing felt?


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