# Any tips on stone veneer tiles on cinder block?



## kgphoto (May 9, 2006)

I have a client with a 24 inch tall retaining wall made of cinder blocks (CMU) that runs 35 feet and then turns and runs 3 more. She want to cover with stone veneer and cap with salt finished bull nose concrete caps, similar to pool coping.

There are weep holes at the bottom of the wall and the wall abuts the pool decking. There is about 8feet of dirt behind this wall that climbs to about four feet in height where it meets the 6 foot high block demising wall to the neighbors property. Both walls have existed since the home were built 20 years ago. It is a planter with minimal water via rain or sprinklers.

The stone veneer is various widths of bevel edged stone epoxied to form 6" x 24 " "tiles."

The guys at the "Masonry Club" suggested directly applying the veneer with Spec Mix Stone Veneer Mortar. She has 5 94 pound sacks. She was told to apply the mud and start at the bottom and work her way up and over butting the tiles together.

The ground falls along the length of the wall and the height changes about 1.5-2" along the length. I expect to run a string, build to that level height and then fill the top with mortar to screed to the tops of the veneer and then add the cap. I will put a soft sill roll at the bottom to hold it off the slab and then caulk that joint later.

Should the joint between the cap and the veneer be a soft joint as well or just mortar?

Do you agree with the use of just mortar or should I insist on diamond lath affixed to the CBU?

I am thinking of using a 1/2 x 1/2 square notched trowel, or is that too much?

Since we are applying to a vertical surface, how do you keep them all in the same plane as well as keep them from sliding down?

I expect the stacking them one on the other addresses the sliding element.

I always liked the uniform ridges of the trowel helping to establish a uniform height.

Do you allow the first course to set up before you set the next one on top of it?


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## send_it_all (Apr 10, 2007)

Brace yourself for the birrage of "call a pro" responses.


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## tkle (Apr 15, 2006)

Some of that stuff has a cement backing and tends to fall apart when cutting,also inspect all boxes before accepting it for broken up pieces.I just use fortified thin set.Never caulked top or bottom.Set the caps first.Bond it out or lay from the top down,covering the bed joint of the caps.The top courses should stay up long enough to get the bottom one in keeping them from sliding.A small notch trowel works fine.


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