# stone veneer on fireplace



## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm looking at re-facing my existing fireplace with a cultured stone, is it necessary to re-enforce the floor below over the basement. Thanks in advance!


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

No. Cultured stone is an adheered veneer. It's load is carried by the walls, unless there are execeptional circumstances. How big is the fireplace, and what is the surface currently?


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm coming up with about 14-16 sqft. of surface, It's about 4'high without the mantle and about 5 '1/2ft. wide. I'm thinking about framing it up to the ceiling and adding stone to that as well to make it a larger focal point in the room.The chimney outside is massive, but you hardley notice it, I'd like to eventually re-face that as well. (big dreams!)


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

Is the wall sheetrock presently?


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

No, it's 1/4'' paneling over 3/8'' plywood and the wall studs are 16"OC.


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

You have 2 possible routes. You can strip the paneling and install either metal lath and a scratch coat or you can strip the paneling and install 1/4" Hardi-backer (concrete board). The cost should be similar, but your skill set may be more suited to one or the other. If you know how to lath and plaster, go that route. If you have basic carpentry skills, use concrete board.

Any national manufacturer will have complete installation instructions.


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm going to need to build a frame first, the brick of the fireplace is not recessed into the wall. It comes off the wall the width of the brick, 4". I think the concrete backer board sounds better, but do I need to worry about any weight issues pulling on the wall?


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

Is it brick or is it paneling?


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

*fireplace pic*

I don't know if you'll be able to get an idea of what I'm talking about from this photo, but take a look and see what you think. Thanks for taken the time!


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## panthony (Dec 16, 2007)

You will need to frame veneer over the existing brick all the way to the ceiling. Can't just do the upper half if you are going to apply veneer stone all the way. Differing materials underneath will show a crack in the stone later on when the heat moves the materials around.

Here is the tough part...at the firebox you will not be able to have any combustalble within 11" of the firebox opening. This includes the framing underneath the veneer stone which is only about 2-3" thick. So what you will need to do is step the stone out from the firebox 11" than step over the framing.


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

Truthfully, I would not rock that fireplace.


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

Tscarborough, are you saying you wouldn't go over the brick or are you saying you wouldn't do veneer period? And why? panthony, The framing sounds do-able but why can't I put a scratch coat over the brick and build the frame from the mantle up so the stone appears to go right through the mantle(which I want to replace with a timber or something) on up the ceiling?


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

The problem is that the scale of the room is wrong. There are only a couple of styles that would work, something like Profit by Cultured Stone. Most of the styles have some large rocks, and can overpower a room. As for the framing, you can lath over the brick, fur over the paneling and proceed. You will certainly want to case the entire edge and make sure you reinforce for your new mantel.


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## panthony (Dec 16, 2007)

Dissimalar materials. You should never span one type of material over two others as the place where the two differing material types move differntly with the seasons so you'll get a crack right near the location of the two dissimalar materials.


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

That is correct as a rule, but in this application it shouldn't be a problem. Especially if you use a drystack pattern.


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

Drystack is actually the look I prefer since I do a lot of dry stack walls when I'm landscaping. I'm trying to turn an ugly L-shaped ranch into a craftsmans style bungalo.Hey Tscarborough, what's up with the other thread about stone veneer, I think from jeenkinz(sp?). It sounds like he had a similar situation?


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

For some reason my last post didn't go through on that other stone veneer thread. Anyway, in the other thread you said I needed to bring everything into the same plane: do I need to follow the same guidelines that panthony suggested? I want to make sure this thing is safe and correctly built.


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

To get it back to this thread:

Casing bead:

"Used to effectively terminate plaster edge and/or to separate stucco from all other structural membranes at doors, windows and other openings; also when plaster/stucco meets dissimilar material. Expanded flange provides excellent stucco embedment at the junctions of the bead and metal lath."


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

so, is the casing exposed? Is that why I might not be interested in doing it that way


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

Yes it is. You have a 1/4" metal edge around the entire stone surface.


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

can it be creatively hidden by wood trim?


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## Jeekinz (Jan 29, 2007)

I'm totally confused by the previous posts. Is it a solid brick fireplace or a steel insert?

If it's solid brick, you'll have to attach the veneer with cement because the brick will transfer the heat to the surface. If it's an insert you can rough up the painted surface or attach plywood with screws and use adhesive to apply the veneer. Where your mantel protrudes out will be an issue. Either chip that off or cut the stones to fir the same contour. Above the mantel I would screw 3-4 2x3's FLAT to the wall on existing studs and cover with 1/2" ply, then use my method to attach the veneer. This way the base of the fireplace below the mantel stays prowd of the upper part. But the whole thing will be stone from floor to ceiling.


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

Timber, I either paint it or ignore it, no one else ever notices it.


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## timber (Nov 30, 2007)

Thanks for all the help with this, I appreciate your patience in dealing with all the questions. There's obviously multiple ways of doing this and I just need to decide which is best for my application, what I can afford and what I think I want to tackle. I'm fanatical about doing things so that their built to last,sometimes I over do it! I would like to see your pictures Jeekinz.


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