# Please vote on this picture! All Welcome! Applied Veneer!



## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

Ok I need some help here. In order to keep all things fair I will not comment on these photos and my purpose for posting until after the votes have been tallied. 

Please vote on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being absolutely grotesque to 10 being Taj Mahal (i.e. incredible craftsmanship). Do not take into account that the project is not finished! If you strongly lean one way or the other please note in the comments as to what you see!

Any other comments are appreciated as well!


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## TNGHomes (Apr 27, 2007)

I dont think that looks good at all, It looks like someone took the pallet of stone and pressed it against the wall..I give a 1.5


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## tzzzz216 (Dec 25, 2005)

Not only does the brick work look bad, but it looks like a bar b que grill or is it ??, 10 for effort, 1 for looks .


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

I will refrain from voting a just post my views.

I am not sure what "type of look" someone was going after, and what a "good" job looks like.....so my views are only my views.

The stones are not level in some places, this drives me crazy.

The seams are not staggered enough, several are almost in a straight line.

The little filler pieces look bad, really bad.

I would need to see the finished pictures to really judge.

my 2 cents.

BYW, none of this really matters, when you BBQ you llok at the food, the fire, the girls, the beer............


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

The rock itself isn't very good looking, the jumpers don't match the pattern, and they obviously forgot their level at home. That rock is only suitable for grouted joints, it looks like to me.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

P.S. Why are there mortar joints on the Firebrick?


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## jmic (Dec 10, 2005)

Egads, it looks gastly! Horizontal bonds way off, verticalbonds look to stacked. Must have been done by a home owner. Give it a 2 for effert.


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

2.

I've seen better.

Everywhere I've looked . . .


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

I'd give it a 10!:thumbsup: 

I especially like this part:_ "Yes, I think I need a nice stone right there...."_


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

At what post count or time will we find out the answer?


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

Now you're not going to come back and tell us this was some Make A Wish project that a dieing kid with cancer did are you?


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## GregS (Oct 1, 2006)

Flintstones.. meet the Flintstones..


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## Chris G (May 17, 2006)

I hate brick veneer. 

That's probably why I think it looks okay. It doesn't have perfect lines, so it doesn't look like veneer. The small pieces are a bit odd though.

If this was an outdoor fireplace, I'd say it's not bad. But the stack at the top looks rediculous. Plus, considering the rest of it isn't in line, the top looks weird being so level. 

Kind of half way between rustic and.....um something.


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## PressurePros (Jul 3, 2006)

It makes me feel tilted and dizzy.


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

are those fire brick,or buff colored mods?they look like they have a texture to them that i havent ever seen in fire brick.


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

Wouldn't put my name on it. I give it a zero. It takes no more time and no more material to do a job correctly. The person who did this A) is incompetent, B) is unconcerned with quality, and C) has no eye for design. 

I vote, done by a homeowner who took a Saturday afternoon class at the local diy store. The brickwork in the hearth looks good (except that it shouldn't have mortar). I would guess the guy who did the funnystone was a different guy than the one who did the brick.


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## Subia29 (Feb 18, 2007)

"Magnificent''said the Blindman.New post .''More pictures of butchered phoney stone jobs please.'' Its definitely entertaining.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

Even though I would not claim it, it that is pretty typical of what I see applied, both commercial and on residential applications. While it is far from ideal, it is not bad enought to tear off, and an average HO wouldn't even think it wasn't perfect (with some cleanup on the thinset). <shrug>


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## JRf Masonry (May 7, 2007)

I'm sorry but i have to agree with the other guys. Pretty much looks like the stone was just slapped up. I point of advice I always take a tile trowel and cut grooves in my backplaster. The grooves help to lock the mud from the stone to the backplaster.


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## Dik Redi (Apr 18, 2007)

Mike Finley said:


> I'd give it a 10!:thumbsup:
> 
> I especially like this part:_ "Yes, I think I need a nice stone right there...."_


lmao missed that stone first look,, i give this a , 0 ,,no concept of stone wrk,, even tho fake could have ben done way better.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

Tscarborough said:


> Unlike laying brick, all you want your fire clay/refactory cement to do is ***** the narrowest gap you can create. Neither fire clay or refactory cement is "mortar", they are simply chinking material. Refactory cement is much better than fire clay, which has no bond or actual set. You can scratch out fire clay with your finger no matter if it is a week old or a hundred years old. Refactory cement is designed for a 3/16" or less joint because of shrinkage, but does have a (heat) set and a good bond strength..
> 
> You did the right thing by re-laying the rock, but I would seriously consider not attempting a drystack with that particular stone. Show us a picture of the final!


All right thanks for the good info on the fire clay refractory cement question. 

Now when you say you would not attempt a drystack with that particular stone what do you mean? The problem with this stone as I see it is that many of the stones vary in their widths by an inch or more making it very difficult to keep a straight horizontal joint. 

In looking at the manufacturers website and the examples that they post I don't really see the pieces similar to what I have, specifically those that vary so much in their width.

Here are some examples from the manufacturer website. Notice the nice uniform easy to lay stones. If you go back and look at the original pics I took you notice many stones that are not exactly uniform, never minding of course that many of them are stuck on crooked.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

If the stone in those pics is the same style that your guys laid up, I will chalk it up to being laid poorly, rather than the stone being unsuitable for drystack, although only the first and second pics are laid in drystack.


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## masonking02 (May 13, 2007)

looks a little cramped


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## masonking02 (May 13, 2007)

house looks good but the outdoor fire place looks cramped , grout them joints


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## kevin087 (Feb 2, 2007)

It is perfectly acceptable to be critical of this work, but the context is quite important. For example, is this a stand-alone piece that is essentially finished, or is there more coming? If there is a solid thick cap and a mantel of contrasting (to this work) natural stone material, the imperfections may well become less obvious. Although I'm not particularly concerned with the "levelness" of individual pieces, would consider adding some imagination to the overall shape of the structure - it appears top-heavy and awkward. Agree with the comments on the vertical lines, see no reason for the lack of stagger in many cases. In my mind it should get higher ratings if done by a non-professional, and it may indeed be acceptable, depending on the context. If the shape could be modified, perhaps with a narrower top, and an inlay of some sort applied to the center above the (imaginary at this point) mantle, it may distract from the flaws.


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## kevin087 (Feb 2, 2007)

oh yeah, forgot this biggy... the brick paver fireplace is quite unattractive - lots of better alternatives given this choice of rock.


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## Dik Redi (Apr 18, 2007)

kevin087 said:


> It is perfectly acceptable to be critical of this work, but the context is quite important. For example, is this a stand-alone piece that is essentially finished, or is there more coming? If there is a solid thick cap and a mantel of contrasting (to this work) natural stone material, the imperfections may well become less obvious. Although I'm not particularly concerned with the "levelness" of individual pieces, would consider adding some imagination to the overall shape of the structure - it appears top-heavy and awkward. Agree with the comments on the vertical lines, see no reason for the lack of stagger in many cases. In my mind it should get higher ratings if done by a non-professional, and it may indeed be acceptable, depending on the context. If the shape could be modified, perhaps with a narrower top, and an inlay of some sort applied to the center above the (imaginary at this point) mantle, it may distract from the flaws.


 You find them vert joints acceptable??? didnt they teach you in English class no run on sentences?? same with this the stone work here (( over kill out door fireplace pic )) just busten on the english thing but i hate run on joints got to stagger on face veneer,, blue stone patios dfrnt story my rule of thumb is 3 in row max ,, depending size maybe 1 lol


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## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

Sorry, but that is a not very good done job.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

kevin087 said:


> It is perfectly acceptable to be critical of this work, but the context is quite important. For example, is this a stand-alone piece that is essentially finished, or is there more coming? If there is a solid thick cap and a mantel of contrasting (to this work) natural stone material, the imperfections may well become less obvious. Although I'm not particularly concerned with the "levelness" of individual pieces, would consider adding some imagination to the overall shape of the structure - it appears top-heavy and awkward. Agree with the comments on the vertical lines, see no reason for the lack of stagger in many cases. In my mind it should get higher ratings if done by a non-professional, and it may indeed be acceptable, depending on the context. If the shape could be modified, perhaps with a narrower top, and an inlay of some sort applied to the center above the (imaginary at this point) mantle, it may distract from the flaws.


Well Said!


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