Frequently Asked Questions


Questions by Category

 


All About Stone Veneer Questions and Answers

 

Trying to decide on a color for your fireplace.

Trying to decide on a color for our fireplace that will be built this spring….I was wondering if you would have any pictures of fireplaces done in Greenwich Gray in either ledge or ashlar or a mix, that you would be able to send me? You will find pictures of Greenwich Gray in ledge and

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Adding a Control Color to Boston Blend

A customer writes… In your showroom you have a fireplace (see below), with a lot more tan colors than the Boston blend in the other samples. Is this random based on when you get the stone, up to the mason to pick and choose stones, or something else? If you would like your Boston Blend to

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What You Need to Know About Stacked Stone Panels

 Industry sales of stacked stone panels have been rising steadily each year for the last five years. While we cut and split individual natural thin stone from New England – all day every day – we see customers from every region of the country choosing stacked stone panels. Here are the pros and cons of these

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How do I calculate my stone footage?

Use our online stone footage and square foot calculators to determine coverage or send us project details and plans using our contact form.

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Does Stoneyard™ Thin Veneer come in panels or individual stones?

Our natural thin veneer stones are individual stones. We also have stone panels.

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How much does natural stone building veneer weigh?

Building Veneer is 4 times heavier than Thin Veneer weighing in at 60 lbs/sf. Use our thin veneer material calculator for estimating.

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How much does natural stone thin veneer weigh?

Stoneyard® Thin Veneer 14 lbs/sf or less (average of 13 lbs). Use our thin veneer material calculator for estimating.

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How does thin veneer differ from building veneer?

Building veneer weighs about 60 lbs per square foot. Thin veneer weighs about 15 lbs per square foot, the same look with 1/4 of the weight. Thin veneer is attached directly to walls.

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How do I order samples of thin veneer?

We would be happy to mail some pieces out to you. Order samples on the individual product page for the stone you are interested in. Seeing the actual stone will help you compare color and texture. You will find all stone veneer choices here.

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What are the ASTM specifications and physical properties of your stone?

For architects, designers and builders, please review our technical specifications for complete information.

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Can you blend or mix different colors or shapes of thin veneer?

Yes by purchasing in increments of 5 sf or 168 sf. If you are ordering crates of Stoneyard® Boston Blend™ Thin Veneer, for example, you can order an additional crate (168 sf) of Greenwich Grey or Colonial Tan to add more grey or tan to the mix to achieve the desired color blend.

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What is Stoneyard™ Boston Blend? Is it a specialized blend? Controlled blend?

It is a generalized mix of dense quartzite conglomerate and granite natural stone found in New England. It is by far our most popular natural stone thin veneer. By using a blend of colors, it goes visually with many adjacent colors and is the perfect stone blend to choose if at some point in the

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How is thin veneer packaged?

Stoneyard Thin Veneer Packaging for Flats and Corners Stoneyard® Flats are packaged in 168 square foot crates or 5 square foot boxes. Stoneyard® Corners are packaged in 150 linear foot crates, 75 linear foot crates, or 5 linear foot boxes. More information about how our products are shipped to your job site and estimated shipping

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Is Stoneyard Thin Veneer real stone?

Yes. The stone was formed in New England and the East Coast of the U.S. during the last ice age. It is as real as it gets. Harsh Climate Approved for Interior and Exterior projects.  

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What books are available on working with stone and stone walls?

Yes, here are a few we recommend: “The Granite Kiss: Traditions and Techniques of Building New England Stone Walls” by Kevin Gardner, et al, available in book stores and at Amazon.com. “Ten Landscapes” Stephen Stimson Associates ISBN # 1-564-96-858-8 $25.00 Available at Amazon.com. See more book recommendations on our book page.

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Installing Stone Veneer Questions and Answers

 

Have a question regarding the drainage system behind a thin stone veneer?

I work for a GC and we’re installing this on the outside of a new bank we’re building. There are two methods of drainage behind the stone veneer – either a stick on vapor barrier or a cavity for water to drain through. I’m not sure if you will be able to help me with

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How do I determine the weight of a block of stone?

The best way to accurately calculate the weight of a slab of stone is to use our Stone Weight Calculator. For estimating any natural stone project, use one of these stone calculators.

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What is the proper thickness of the Laticrete Air & Water Barrier?

Use this a tool like the Bon Tools Wet Film Gauge. Watch this instruction video for more information. Laticrete MVIS is our recommended installation product.  

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Can I add thin veneer to a painted foundation?

A customer writes: “I’m hearing various answers from masons as to whether this product (Laticrete Hi-Bond) can be applied to a foundation that is painted.” The answer directly from Laticrete: The short answer is no it cannot. The paint would be acting as bond breaker. We only recommend installing stone with any of our adhesives

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Does ashlar thin veneer install tighter than ledge thin veneer?

The “tighter” ashlar stone displayed in our showroom was in fact more carefully crafted for a dry-fit installation by our stonemason resulting in tighter joints. What we try to show in our showroom – beside the differences in stone types and colors – are the differences between installation techniques.

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Can Natural Thin Veneer Be Used Outside?

Stoneyard Thin Veneer is a natural product, not man-made from concrete. The stone is at least one million years old, has been through countless freezes and thaws so there will be no problem with expansion and contraction, and will not fade. Unlike man-made faux stone, it is the same color throughout. The stone is cut and

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What is All Natural “Real” Stone Veneer?

All natural stone veneer is “real” stone that has been split and sawn to be approximately one (1) inch thick. It is used as a wall covering for exterior and interior surfaces. Our Thin Veneer is crafted from natural stones that are native to New England. Stoneyard Thin Stone Veneer is perfect for interior or

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How to Create a Thin Stone Veneer Mockup

David Croteau, owner and mason at Stoneyard™, explains the steps needed to create a full-scale mockup for customer approval prior to installing thin veneer in this 4-part video series on how to create a Thin Veneer Mockup:

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How warm does it need to be to install Thin Veneer outside?

The temperature needs to remain at 40 degrees or higher for 72 hours to cure. We can recommend Laticrete Hi Bond Rapid which will speed up the cure time, but 72 hours is still advised. There is a simple rule to follow when the temperature is low during installation: The 18º (8 ºC) Rule –

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Does the Thin Veneer need to be installed with a masonry shelf?

No masonry shelf is needed. Stoneyard™ Thin Veneer can be installed directly on cement board or brick.

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Can thin veneer be installed on exterior applications?

Stoneyard Thin Veneer can be installed on exterior application using  LATICRETE MVIS Premium Veneer Mortar.  

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Do I need to point in between stones in a dry-laid application?

With the LATICRETE system you do not need to point.

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What installation system do you recommend?

We recommend Laticrete MVIS Hi Bond Watch this video for instructions and tips.

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What kind of blade/tool do I need to cut your stone?

A diamond blade on a right angle grinder or wet saw. We recommend installation by a Certified Thin Veneer Installer.

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How do I cut Thin Veneer when trimming is necessary?

The fastest way to trim thin veneer is with a steel base and a carbide tip hammer. David Croteau demonstrates how to use both.  

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How much waste/trimming is involved when installing thin veneer?

See: How to Calculate the Amount of Material Needed for Thin Stone Installations and How to Calculate the Expected Waste Factor for Thin Stone Installations

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How many square feet do thin veneer corners cover?

For each linear foot of corners installed you will get approximately 0.75 SF of coverage. Use our thin veneer material calculator for estimating.

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Do I need corner pieces when installing thin veneer?

If you are covering a corner with stone then…yes. Our natural stone thin veneer corners give your project the appearance of full thickness stone. 

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How do I bond thin veneer stone to metal, such as a metal fireplace surround?

Use stone epoxy such Latapoxy 310 from Laticrete. David Croteau goes over the process of attaching thin veneer stone to a metal fireplace surround.  

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What stone installation tools should I use for natural thin veneer?

Watch as David Croteau of STONEYARD® demonstrates the use of some amazing new Thin Stone Veneer installation tools: Thin Stone Veneer Hammer and Steel Base Splitter.

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How do I install Thin Veneer?

Please read Installing Thin Stone Veneer for more information. In this video,  David Croteau explains how to install New England Fieldstone Thin Veneer.

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What is the size difference between natural stone Thin Veneer and Building Veneer?

The difference is the thickness of each piece of stone. Thin veneer is between .75″ and 1.25″ thick. Building veneer is 3″ – 5″ thick.    

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Stone Walls Questions and Answers

 

Using the Right Tools for Stone Walling

Brian Post of The Stone Trust demonstrates the use of tools to shape stone for dry-fit stone walls.

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How do I build a dry laid fieldstone retaining wall?

In this video David Croteau, a stone mason and founder of Stoneyard.com shows the step-by-step process and considerations as you gather, choose and place stones for a New England fieldstone retaining wall.

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U. S. Green Building Council Questions and Answers

 

What is Leed?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. LEED is a third-party certification

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Is New England Fieldstone a Green Building Material?

Stoneyard.com’s New England Fieldstone was created by Mother Nature, making it one of the greenest building products available. In addition, all of our stone comes from within a 75-mile radius of our Littleton, MA location, reducing the amount of shipping and thereby leaving a small carbon footprint. Gathering the stone does not damage the beautiful

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