Water Damage

Here is a job that was done by someone who did not know how to properly apply stone. The job is about 3 to 4 months old. This is new construction. Notice the dark brown area of the wood? This is the start of wood rot. Flashing was incorrect, the wrong moisture barrier was used, The metal lathe was not coated with mortar. The installer broke so many cardinal sins concerning water control. If this problem was not revealed at this time, this home would have had to be rebuilt.

If you plan on applying stones or any exterior siding, get some professional advice or let the pros do what they do best, install the product. This is what I call "the price of non conformance." What would be the total cost of the home if you had to build it twice?

Full Stone Arch

This stone arch is around the corner from my home. This is an entrance to an office setting. Each one of the stones are loose. No mortar was used or any re bar. If you notice two metal rods with the flat bars on the end. This is what is holding the arch together. Notice how the top stones are tapered, wedge shaped. The wedge shape is what keeps the stone from falling through. The top of the arch stone is wider than the bottom of the arch stone. Have you ever noticed man hole covers in the street? Every man hole cover is round. This is for a reason. The cover can not fit through the hole, so it can not fall through and hit a worker in the hole. The forces on the arch are straight down and outwards to the sides. The bar keeps the columns from falling outwards. If the arch and columns were in a wall section, the metal rods would not be needed to hold the arch together. This is a great entrance for the office, and it is very neat to pass by and look at daily.

Correct Stone Application

Today I stopped by a job site where the stones had to be removed due to poor installation. The pictures above shows the back of a stone that has been applied to the wall and has been removed. The back of the stone was struck with mortar around the edge of the stone. This creates a dry cup in the center of the stone. This causes two major problems using this technique. Number one, the stone does not become a solid piece with the scratch coat. When you tap on the stone you will hear a dull, dead sound. This is not a 100% adhesion with the scratch coat. The send major problem is the center void will act like a cup. When water (rain) is running down the wall, water will gather in the cup. Now, if the cup is full of water and the temperature just happens to drop below freezing, need I say anymore? Some people say by having the void on the back of the stone, this will create a suction to hold the stone on the wall. I agree, but, do a full mortar bed on the back of the stone and use your trowel to create a small divot and apply the stone to the scratch coat using a wiggle motion and pressure. The mortar will spread out around the edges. After a little practice one can master the amount of mortar to be applied to each stone. Ideally the edge mortar from each stone will join to form a good seal around the stones. This will ensure no water will get between the stones and the scratch coat. Whenever dealing with exterior siding, always think like water. Like Chevy Chase says, "see the water, be the water, feel the water, na na na na na naaaaa." The number one enemy to your home is moisture, so lets keep it OUT!!!

Ferncliff Development, Artistic Stone

Here is another fine job by Teger Stones. The builder is Ferncliff Development. The job is located in Chesapeake, VA. You can see how JP is using a circular pattern and fitting the pieces together. They will fill the joints with mortar using a grout bag. Then they will rake the joint half the depth to give texture to the edge of the stone. This technique helps to give character to the stone. The colors of the stone are rich in earth tones. Great job Teger Stones.