Read the directions. They work. That’s not even a smart aleck comment. Their directions will get the job done. As to the skill with which it’s done, that depends on you. If you’re good with the mortars and materials, then it’s pretty easy. If you aren’t, it’ll be harder to get a good-looking result. I cut the stone with a diamond blade. I also paid attention to keeping straight lines and tight joints. Relevance of that depends on the style of Cultured Stone you’re using.
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The most common way to make your own parging mix is to use either Type S mortar for block or Type N for brick and add a concrete bonding additive.
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I used a circular saw. Blade big enough to cut through. Dusty, so do it outside. Not the safest proposition...trying to hold the stone while lifting the blade guard, etc. I used the dry-stack ledgestone, and the edges were prone to breaking if I held it in a vise. With another stone type, a grinder might be just fine.
Smart man, watching pros do the job and learning from them. Welcome to Breaktime. Hope you enjoy yourself here.
[Note to JFink or Brian: Ya see what this guy said? First time here and he got a useful answer!!! Where's my hat?!?!?! Ha ha ha!]
Cloud.........Big thanks to you for your help w/my Cultured Stone questions.....Finished my project (took about a week w/allowing the scratch coat to cure and "help" from my 2yr old twins) Really pleased w/the results, and you are right, follow the instructions! Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to you!
Thanks for getting back to us. Post a picture if you get the chance. Would love to fawn all over your work. Peace.
After putting in 120 feet of wall and capstones, here's my $.02:
1) The color finish is only skin deep, so chips and cuts will show unless you are using a color that's close to grey concrete. Treat the pieces gently. Contrasting mortar color is nothing but trouble - use a color that's close to your selected pattern.
2) The scale of some patterns only works (i.e. doesn't look fake) for large areas. Patterns that look great on a large wall may look terrible on a fireplace because the repeats are too obvious. Try to find a photo or sample in the same scale as your project.
Thanks a bunch for your help and input w/my Cultured Stone project....Big help! I made a chalk-outline in my garage and "pre-set" all of my stone first....Huge time saver and, ultimately, made the whole thing "flow" better....Merry Christmas to you and yours and a very Happy New Year!
Hey BigKraut,
We cut quite a bit of cultured stone with a chop saw and hand grinder. Both worked great. You can touch up the edge a bit with the hand grinder to give it a curved, more natural, look rather than the straight cut.
As Cloud Hidden said, just follow the directions and you should do fine. Be sure moisten the stones and scratch coat a little, but don't make them too wet.
kestrel
Thanks. I even thought about using a dremel to help give it "natural look" Happy Thanksgiving!
Just wanted to drop a dime and say "Thanks" for the input....I finished my fireplace and all I can say is WOW...Super easy and it looks great.....The wife is pleased, and ultimately, that's what counts! Changes the whole dynamic of the room...Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Hi BigKraut,
Thanks for the update. Post photos if you can. We would love to see it too.
kestrel