Hello Friends,

 

Thank you for coming by my office to discuss thin veneer stone.  I hope the time was well spent for you and welcome any additional questions you may have.  The following is a few notes/suggestions
that I have from our meeting:

 

*	Natural thin veneer stone would probably be the best choice for your project.
*	I suggest avoiding light colors as they readily show dirt and also avoid dark colors as they will show water precipitates (salts).  That said there are numerous choices in the middle
that can be selected.  Here are a couple of manufactures that I would recommend considering:

*	Robinson <http://robinsonbrick.com/products/rock/> 
*	Alamo Stone <http://www.alamostonecompany.com/index.htm> 

*	We discussed the typical installation patterns that can be used:

*	Random
*	Ashlar – most popular
*	Ledgestone – typically dry stacked (no mortar joints)

*	We discussed the typical cuts that can be used:

*	Quarry Chopped – least expensive
*	Sawn Top and Bottom – most popular
*	Sawn on all four sides – most expensive to produce

*	The advantage of natural stone is that it can be power washed to remove dirt and graffiti without affecting its appearance.  On other masonry projects cleaning often adversely affects
the finished surface.
*	There was some concern regarding the possibility of the wall becoming too monolithic.   There is usually enough variation in the stone blends to avoid that and possibly landscaping
my offset some of that appearance.  Also you may want to consider the use of a thin stone “water table” (strip) and a contrasting stone to break up the wall.  You may also want to consider
using two different installation “patterns”
*	It wasn’t discussed, but you may want to consider a cap placed on the top of the wall.  This has an aesthetic purpose, but also will help minimize water penetration.
*	Installation:

*	The stone can be installed directly on clean concrete, which eliminates the need for metal lath and eliminates concerns about the lath rusting.
*	The Rocky <http://veracreek.com/downloads/RMMIinstallGuide.pdf>  Mountain Masonry Institute’s Installation Guide
*	Laticrete <http://www.laticrete.com/>  manufactures mortar additives that you may want to consider

 

Please let me know if you would like to see more samples or if need anything else.

 

Best regards,

Bob

 

 

 

Bob Baumann

 

214.206.1111 tel                 4310 Wiley Post Road, Suite 104

214.621.0070 cel                Addison, Texas 75001

214.774.4832 fax             www.veracreek.com