How to Face a Chimney With Field Stone
While the modern version of installing stone on the face of a chimney is using veneers, you can still use field stone to accomplish the same task, just like the traditional way. The overall methods are the same, but the physical labor involved with field stones is far greater, making facing a chimney with real stone a tedious, time-consuming project. If you have the physical strength and the spare time to do so, you can create a rustic-looking chimney that will last for years to come, but it isn’t a task you can simply jump into and finish over a weekend. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Work gloves
- Safety glasses
- Dust mask
- Felt paper
- Utility knife
- Wire Mesh
- Metal shears
- Hammer tacker
- Wheelbarrow
- Shovel
- Concrete mix
- Mason trowel
- Rubber mallet
- Nails
- Wire
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Ladder
- Grout bag
- Grout jointer tool
Instructions
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Cover the installation surface in a layer of felt paper to act as a moisture barrier and a layer of wire mesh to hold the mortar in place. Cut the felt paper with a utility knife and the wire mesh with metal sheers. Staple the felt paper on first and the wire mesh on top of that with the hammer tacker. Layer the pieces from bottom to top.
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Dump a bag of concrete mix into your wheelbarrow and add an appropriate amount of water according to your particular brand and size of bag. Mix it with a shovel. Apply a coat of mortar with your mason trowel along the base of your chimney to cover the wire mesh in at least a half inch of mud. Apply at least another half inch of mud onto the backs of each piece of stone.
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Press the stones into the mortar on top of the wire mesh. Start at the bottom of the chimney and work your way up row by row. Install the bottom row, then the row on top of that and so on and so forth. Help hold larger stones in place with a nail tacked into the chimney wall with a hammer, and a piece of wire tied around the stone and attached to the nail.
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Grout the entire installation in one segment. Grouting in segments will create different colored sections. Remove any nails and cut off the wire ties holding larger stones in place. Mix up some more mortar in your wheelbarrow. Fill the grout bag with a comfortable working amount of grout. Use it like a cake bag for icing. Place the tip into the joints between stones, squeeze, and fill the joints. Wait an hour and then smooth the joints over with a grout jointer tool for a finished look.
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Tips & Warnings
Work in 3- to 4-foot high segments to avoid too much weight pushing your lower stones out of the mortar. Allow each working segment 24 hours to dry before you start a new one. Break stones into smaller segments with a hammer and chisel. Use a ladder for higher sections.
Wear safety gear when working on home projects.
Resources
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