How to Install Manufactured Stack Stone
A stacked stone wall gives your home, yard or garden a natural look. Manufactured stacked stone is virtually indistinguishable from and less expensive than natural stone. It is made from molded concrete with stone pigments added to mimic the look of natural stone. Manufactured stacked stone can be used on interior or exterior walls and garden walls or on interior features such as a fireplace mantle. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Work gloves
- Goggles
- Pick
- Flat, square shovel
- 4-foot level
- Gravel
- Gravel tamper
- Flagstone
- Rubber mallet or hand sledge
- Rock hammer
- 3/4-inch chisel
- Whisk broom
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Use a pick to loosen the dirt in your building location if you are building outdoors. Dig an 8- to 10-inch trench, slightly wider than the base of your wall. Wear work gloves throughout the project to protect your hands from blisters and scrapes. If you are building indoors, skip the first three steps in this section. Instead, simply make sure your floors are level and can support the weight of stacked stone.
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2
Pour a 2-inch layer of gravel into the trench. Use a gravel tamper to tamp the gravel into a solid layer.
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3
Use a level to ensure that the gravel is completely flat. Add or shift the gravel as needed, tamping down and rechecking the level after each change.
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4
Lay out your stones near the building site so you can see the face of each stone. Rearrange them until you have an aesthetically pleasing arrangement. Keep in mind that you want a random, natural look. Place the stones such that they will abut firmly with the surrounding stones.
Stack the Stones
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5
Choose stones that are slightly larger or less attractive than the rest for the first layer. Since these will be partially buried in an outdoor wall, or below eye level in an indoor installation, appearance is not as important. Lay these stones in a single layer on the gravel in the trench or directly on the floor. Use a rubber mallet to knock the stones together so that they abut with the surrounding stones.
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6
Build up the wall or interior feature in layers. Chisel the stones or use smaller fragments as chink stones to ensure a solid fit, if necessary.
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7
Check the level of your wall or indoor feature frequently as you build. While it should have a random appearance, even a slight deviation in the plumb of the wall will give it a lopsided look and could damage the structural integrity of the finished structure.
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8
Use a single chink stone rather than several smaller stones if you need to fill in gaps. This will give a more pleasing aesthetic look and better structural integrity.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Work across the entire structure before you begin another layer of stone. This will ensure a level appearance.
Always wear protective work gloves and boots when stacking stone to minimize cuts, scrapes and other injuries.
Wear protective goggles any time you chisel or chip stone.
References
- Photo Credit stone wall image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
