How to Face a Prefabricated Fireplace in Stone

Apply a stone facade to make a fireplace look rustic.

Stone fireplaces add warmth and homeyness to any room, but installation by a professional mason can be costly. One solution is to add a facade onto a prefabricated fireplace, which will add a rustic quality to the room without costing you a fortune in the process. Installing thin stone tiles over the prefab fireplace instead of full stones also allows you to successfully create a stone-faced fireplace using only a few materials and minimal experience.

Things You'll Need

• Medium-grit sandpaper
• Paintbrush, 2-inch flat
• Fine grout
• Trowel
• Grout rake
• Stone tiles

Instructions

1. Sand the surface of the prefabricated fireplace using medium-grit sandpaper, which will remove any areas that are uneven or rough.

2. Brush off any dust and debris from the fireplace caused by the sandpaper using a 2-inch flat paintbrush.

3. Spread a 1/2-inch thick layer of fine grout over the entire surface of the prefab fireplace where you want the stones placed using a trowel.

4. Run a grout rake over the surface of the grout-covered fireplace to scratch or roughen up the surface. This enables the stone tiles to adhere more readily onto the fireplace.

5. Press 1/4-inch thick stone tiles halfway into the grout-covered surface, spacing the stone tiles 1/4-inch apart. The excess grout will be pushed up in between the individual stone tiles.

6. Scrape the trowel over the edges of the stone tiles to remove the excess grout and to create smooth creases.

7. Allow the stone prefabricated fireplace to dry for 12 to 18 hours before use.

Tips & Warnings

• Select stone tiles with a straight edge for a more clean, even look, or select stones with a rough, uneven edge for a more rustic-looking stone fireplace.

References

• The Mold Store: How to Install Manufactured Stone Veneer to a Wall