I decided to get creative one Saturday afternoon! With the help of my sister, I installed stone on the backsplash in my kitchen! #WomenBuildStrong

From prep to clean up it took us about 6 hours to complete the project! Some masons might laugh at that timing, but hey, we enjoyed ourselves by blasting music and having fun finding pieces that fit together and looked best! The thing that took the most time overall was mixing the ThinSet. We used almost an entire bag and mixed it in small increments as we needed. We could have mixed the entire bag from the get go and added water as needed, but ya live and ya learn!

This fireplace is over 20 feet tall, and is the perfect height for the tall ceilings in this cabin. The windows on the back wall make you feel like you are in the tree tops of the mountain! Rent this cabin for your family HERE.

Ok my fellow DIYers! Let's do this! Here is a list of materials you will need to best install your stone from Zion Stone.

STEP 1: We do not recommend our manufactured stone veneer (MSV) to be placed directly onto dry wall/ sheet rock. MSV needs a solid, strong foundation. 
If you want stone to be where dry wall currently is, you can...
1. Remove the dry wall and replace it with DUROCK (0.5") or concrete board. 
2. Remove the dry wall and replace it with plywood and lath.
3. Build out the wall with 2x4's, then cover with either duroc or plywood/lath. 

STEP 2: Stone must adhere to the wall with mortar. We recommend Type S mortar (also requires sand), or ThinSet (Floor Tile, around $6 per bag from Lowe's; each bag can cover around 40-50 square feet).

STEP 3: You may also need these materials:
- Nails to apply duroc and plywood. (Our masons may use screws with a drill, or nails with their nails gun.)
- Nails to drill in lath to plywood. (Our masons typically use 1 1/4" or 1 3/4" galvanized coiled nails with their nail gun.) 

Need mortar to be brown, darker gray, or maybe even red? We have dry pigments that you can mix in to change the color of your mortar! 

Tucked away in Iron Mountain is a cabin you will want to call home!

Our East TN Ledgestone, Summitt, and Fieldstone styles were mixed together to create textures that mimic the rugged feel of the mountains. The color of choice is Dark Sahara.

Open the front and you will find a 20 feet tall fireplace that stretches 2 stories! The long firebox at the base adds a clean cut look that balances the various rugged textures it surrounds. In the bottom floor, another fireplace is planted in the background of a game room and theater room!

This gorgeous house sits right on the lake! We were honored to have our stone showcased from the front entry way, and the back lake view! 

We covered the front gable, steps, front door, and more in stone! The steps were also poured in place concrete that we colored to match the darker tones in East TN Ledgestone: Appalachian.

Sills lined the beautiful dark gray and white windows and French doors,
​opening up to a stunning view of the lake!

One of the best ways to accent the exterior of your home is to add stone to the chimney! These robust structures really help set your home apart from the neighbors!

Ok, fellow DIYers: are you ready to lay your own stone? Pinterest makes DIY projects look easy breezy, but sometimes a project requires a little more work than originally anticipated! Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself before you dive in.

1. MONEY: According to Remodeling's Cost vs. Value Study (link), manufactured stone veneer (MSV) has consistently remained in the top 3 highest return on investment of home remodeling projects, returning over 97% of its cost. MSV is typically half the price of "real" stone, and a lot easier to handle. You could save a lot of money upfront and in the long run by choosing MSV.
2. BEAUTY: Yes, we CAN make our homes look like those Pinterest houses! So why choose stone to do the Pinterest-worthy trick? Stone adds texture and natural color in places that would otherwise be dulled by standard construction materials, like dry wall. It brings the roots of our earth into your home and simply looks stunning.
3. TIMELESS: Shiplap is beautiful, but it is a trend (yes I just said that!). Stone has been in the foundations of earth for centuries and will never fade away. Depending on your color choice, stone truly is timeless.

The first time I laid 5 square feet of stone, it took me about 3 hours. Masons reading that line will laugh! But it takes time to properly construct the foundation your stone is going on, prepare and gather the right materials, and lay out your design. It does get much easier as you go along, but it will take time and energy up front. Plus, it is a messy process! We actually have an Installation Guide available 24/7 on our site, and can recommend various YouTube videos!

Your small fireplace could take you 2 hours, or 2 weeks, depending in your pace. There is no race and no competition for your unique project. We have a 30 year warranty on the color of our stone, so it is meant to last for generations. Once stone binds with mortar, it's extremely difficult (though not impossible) to remove from the original surface. At the end of the day, no matter how long it takes you or how many times you want to change out the color and style, will you be happy once it's complete?

I want to understand why I am doing something before I do it, and want to know the true impact of what that thing will have on my daily life. I hope these questions have helped shed some light on the reality of this DIY project. Whether you are ready to start laying your fireplace this second, or you want to wait a little bit longer, please know that you CAN do this! Even roses take time to bloom! We are always here to help so please feel free to contact us any time!

It's amazing to see a project go from plywood, to perfection!