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Cowracer
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 12:08pm - Edited by: Cowracer
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I wanted to do a ledge-stone veneer on my corner fireplace, but I didn't want the weight/cost/hassle of doing real stones. Doing stone is one of those things that if it is done right it looks awesome, but it's really easy to make it look like crap.
I found this product called Go-Stone from a company called Native Custom Stone. It is a "manufactured" stone made on a rubber base made out of shredded used tire. All the reviews on the stuff that I can find are very positive. Normally, stone needs a backer board, felt paper, a metal lath, a "scratch coat" of mortar, and then the rock is mortared into place. These stones are light enough to be able to be set directly on cement board or drywall with mastic tile adhesive. Cost is about $6.50 a square foot.
I ordered 9 boxes (5 sq ft per box) for my fireplace. They came very well packed. Each box was placed inside a larger box and packed with foam peanuts
Inside the main box, every other stone tile was wrapped in bubble wrap, this kept any two stones from touching.
I appreciate the effort they made to minimize shipping damage. The tiles come in 3 sizes 8x4 12x4 and 16x4. Each box has 5 of each size. Most of the short edges are 'staggered' so that seams are less noticable, but you get 40 linear inches of flat, finished edges in each box.
The stones do feel just like real stone, albeit much lighter than expected. They have really nice coloration and shading on the front face.
You can also see the notched small edge here. The side edge shows a little of the cast nature of the stones with some pinholes and bubbles, but these are hidden when installed.
Also notice the variation in depth of the stones in the tile. This is the look I was wanting. I didn't want a "flatter" look with less depth.
The back edge is pebbled and should give the adhesive a good surface to bite into.
It will take me a couple weeks before I can put them up, but I have no patience, so I laid 4 sections out on my kitchen table to see how a bigger section looked
I think they look awesome just sitting there. I noticed that they must have 15 or more molds to make these. No two tiles in the box were the same. I decided to use Hardi-Board (cement board) as a base, and I got that all installed yesterday.
I'll have under $300 in rock on this fireplace when finished. I'll put up more pictures when I am done. Or you can follow my construction blog for more pics/details URL
Tim
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Jabberwocky
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 12:59pm
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That looks very nice. Much more authentic than the next-best alternative - faux stone panels.
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KelVarnsen
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 01:44pm
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I did a very similar stone on my home fireplace last year. Mine was "Cultured Stone". I wanted to get the stones tight with no visible mortar joints so I beveled the back edges a bit with a diamond wheel in an angle grinder.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 04:30pm
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Quoting: KelVarnsen I did a very similar stone on my home fireplace last year. Mine was "Cultured Stone". I wanted to get the stones tight with no visible mortar joints so I beveled the back edges a bit with a diamond wheel in an angle grinder.
That's really good looking. I've been thinking about what to use for the hearth ledge. I like what you did. They look like about 15x15 stones. where did you get them?
Tim
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KelVarnsen
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 04:36pm
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The hearth ledge is Cultured Stone also. The hearth stones can be found here. They have a colour guide which you can use to find complementary colours.
Good luck with your project. I'm sure it will look great when you're done.
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hattie
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 05:10pm
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Cowracer - can't wait to see the project when you are done. Those look really nice!
KelVarnsen - Your fireplace is amazing!! Great work!!!
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OutdoorFanatic
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 07:50pm
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WoW! That is wicked nice. Goes perfectly with the floor too. BTW, what kind of flooring is that?
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KelVarnsen
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# Posted: 31 Dec 2015 11:31pm
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The flooring is a "luxury vinyl plank". It is a click together vinyl plank flooring. Centura Dura Contract Click (Milo Colour) 8x48. We really like the flooring and it is very durable. I put it all down myself and we are more or less happy with it. The click mechanism is a bit lacking and I've had to tighten and glue a few edges due to expansion and contraction.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2016 01:27am
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I did something similar.
Screwed down some 1/2" cement board and applied the fake stone on it. Filled with mortar, done!
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rmak
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2016 11:16am
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I used a similar product as well. I don't have the box anymore to give it a name, but I bought it at Lowe's. The company who manufactured it has two different kinds of adhesive. One is made specifically for heat applications. I had to redo the job since I didn't wait long enough for the adhesive to set, so some stones fell off. Other than that, they are great. Maybe a little too modern looking. I like Toyota's stones better.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2016 12:24pm
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Cow racer- the cultured stone looks nice and easy to install. Is it combustible, being made of rubber? If so, I'd be concerned about proximity to the fire. Does the manufacturer address this issue?
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2016 03:09pm
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Quoting: bldginsp Cow racer- the cultured stone looks nice and easy to install. Is it combustible, being made of rubber? If so, I'd be concerned about proximity to the fire. Does the manufacturer address this issue?
Yes they do. Via the FAQ from their website:
Can Go-Stone be used to back a wood burning stove?
Yes, While Go-Stone is not flammable we do recommend that you leave adequate space between the installation and the stove. You will want to follow the stove manufacturers recommendations of adequate spacing from the floor and walls. Always use the protective materials provided by the stove manufacturer.
Can Go-Stone be used around the fireplace?
Yes, Go-Stone is very heat tolerant. We DO NOT RECOMMEND exposing Go-Stone to direct flames. It is suitable to be used as a decorative veneer for your fireplace.
It looks to me that the process they use to make them is to place some sort of mortar or cement into a mold, let it set for a bit to firm up, add the rubber crumbs, and then fill the mold all the way with the cement. The rubber is just a "filler" to save weight.
Tim
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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2016 04:12pm
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I used AirStone from Lowes... looks good also.
It was easy, but took longer than expected. I'll edit the post with a pic in a bit.
After I had finished.... I wondered if it would be possible to make a QR code with the stone color patterns. The embedded URL could be a "treasure map" on the property for kids/visitors to find.
Just thinking ahead for when I have grand-kids and want something fun and memorable.
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OutdoorFanatic
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2016 08:22pm - Edited by: OutdoorFanatic
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Quoting: KelVarnsen The flooring is a "luxury vinyl plank"
Thanks much Kel, put it in my favorites folder. My cabin floor is just painted plywood and I kinda like it that way but after seeing your pics I'm thinking about changing to that design of flooring.
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rayyy
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# Posted: 2 Jan 2016 08:26am
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I was very pleased with this stuff too.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2016 12:08pm
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Well, It looks like I might get to work on the fireplace this weekend after all. With the way I am doing the stone, I really need the mantle in place first.
The wife and I looked at a bunch of options, and picked a Pearl Mantles Shenandoah distressed beam mantle. However... everyplace I looked online said the 60" version was sold out till at least the middle of February. That kinda bummed me out as I am just itching to finish up the fireplace.
Still, persistence pays off, as I found a place that had the mantle available with 2 day shipping for only an extra $4.95. Done!
The mantle came in yesterday. I didn't snap any pictures of it yet, but this is what it looks like from their website.
You can install it without the corbels, but I am most definitely gonna put them on.
Look for pictures on monday!
Tim
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 9 Jan 2016 09:21pm
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Got most of the fireplace rock done. I got a later start that I wanted, and I had to stop and go get another grinder, as mine refused to work. That cost me over an hour. One more easy day and it will be done.
Heres a look at the fireplace now:
I'm shooting for a dry stack look, due to stone being stone (even manufactured) there are a few small gaps here and there. I'll pipe some grey mortar into those just to keep you from seeing all the way to the backer board.
There is a bit of grout boogers on the stone, it is recommended to let it dry and then break it off, rather than smear it while its wet, so those you see will be gone in the final "all done" pictures.
Tim
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KelVarnsen
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2016 11:07am
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Great job! Looks fantastic. Now you've got me wanting to replace the brick behind my wood stove at my cabin. Another project to add to the ever growing list.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 17 Jan 2016 07:42pm
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Finished up the veneer on the fireplace today. I am SOOOOooo pleased with how it turned out. It turned out almost exactly how I was hoping it would.
I gotta admit, this is probably the one thing I am proudest of with this cabin build. I relied heavily on some great friends for a lot of the work, but this is one thing me and my wife did totally by ourselves. We have just a touch of cleanup, and I gotta get some hearth stones, but the big part of the fireplace is finished.
Funny, but over 2 years ago, I used Autodesk HomeStyler to layout the cabin, and I generated some renderings of the final product including a shot of the fireplace.
It's not exactly how the fireplace wound up, but it's awesome to see my renderings from long ago finally showing up in real life.
Tim
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rick32
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2018 02:51am
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Tim, it looks nice. And where did you get your Go-Stone? I've ordered a smart ethanol fireplace from https://www.store.planikausa.com/ and now I want to get my wall decorated. Please, give me contacts of the stone producer or store where to buy it.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2018 12:17pm - Edited by: Cowracer
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I got them from Home Depot. You have to order them, either at the store or online. URL
They are made by a company called Native Custom Stone, and these stones are sold under the brand name "GO-Stone"
link here URL
Tim
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Bushwhacked
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2018 06:29pm
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For people around the Pacific Northwest, there is a company called Mutual Materials that carries a wide selection of that stuff. I find it nice just to run down and throw it in the truck vs ordering and waiting. They also have samples at the store (at least the one I go to) where you can see before you buy.
https://www.mutualmaterials.com
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2018 10:05pm
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Quoting: Cowracer I had to stop and go get another grinder, as mine refused to work
Hey, maybe get one of these for cutting stone.
https://culturedcleancut.com/
Hand operated unit.
Just so happens, I can get a brother in law deal on these. In fact, my brother in law owns, designed and builds these. 
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