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Thin Veneer Quick Reference Install Guide

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

Congratulations on your choice of Artisan Masonry Stone Thin Veneer. Artisan provides your new construction and remodel projects with the distinctive look of natural stone. Artisan Masonry Stone veneer products offer quick and easy installation for both interior and exterior applications. This lightweight aggregate stone also provides unmatched strength and durability not typically found in stone veneers.

Estimating Materials

Artisan Masonry Thin Veneer is sold by the square foot. To estimate the quantity of material needed for your project take the total area to be covered minus any openings (windows, doors, fireplace etc.). Artisan Masonry Thin Veneer does not require special corner pieces, corners are constructed by overlapping standard pieces in a woven pattern.

Preparation

In the most typical Artisan Masonry lightweight installations you will be installing the product on an exterior non-masonry surface. In this type of application, two layers of water resistive barrier (WRB) is required. The WRB should be installed in two separate layers starting at the bottom of the wall and working upward. The WRB should overlap horizontally 2” to 4” and vertically a minimum of 6”. Inside and outside corners must be overlapped a minimum of 16”. The most common WRB is 15# felt. Wrapping the corner with WRB layers is very important.

Corrosion resistant metal lath should be applied next over the WRB layers in a horizontal fashion and overlap 1”to 2” at both the horizontal and vertical seams. The lath also needs to wrap inside and outside corners a minimum of 12”. The lath should be fastened every 6” and should penetrate the framing members a minimum of 1”. Never leave a seam on a corner. It is very important that the lath wraps the corner in a continuous fashion.

Type S or Type N mortar complying with ASTM C270 is generally recommended for use with Artisan Masonry Stone products. A ready mix mortar, Amerimix Mortar Type S, or similar can also be used. A masonry trowel or notched tile trowel can be used to spread the mortar over the entire lath approximately ½” to ¾” thick. After applying the scratch coat, no lath material should be visible. A stiff bristle brush or scratch rake may be used in horizontal motion to create a rough surface.

Application

Before installing Artisan Masonry Stone Thin Veneer, lay out several layers of stone from the pallet to ensure good color blending. If your job is large enough, make sure to pull product from multiple pallets during install. When installing the veneer, be sure to water mist the scratch coat and the back of the stone, especially when warm temperatures are present.

Apply mortar to the entire back surface of the stone to ensure 100% adhesion to the project surface. DO NOT apply mortar in a ring or donut pattern, this limits bond strength. When installing product, be sure to firmly press the veneer onto the scratch coat and slide the product back and forth slightly until mortar squeezes out around the outside of the stone. If a stone is disturbed to the point in which the bond to the wall is broken, it is important to clean the mortar off and restart the installation process. Installation should occur at the corner first, working your way horizontally down the wall. When installing stone on an inside corner, stones can be woven or ship lapped with product alternating courses.

Artisan Masonry Thin Veneers can easily be snapped with a guillotine blade. Since the color is throughout the product, snapping the material does not show unsightly aggregate or generate any dust. A power saw with diamond blade may also be used. The edge of a masonry trowel can be used to rough up cut edges which will restore a natural look to the stone.

Features and Benefits

Artisan Masonry Stone Thin Veneer is different than most stone veneers because of the increased durability and product dimensionality.
1. Color is throughout the product not just surface
2. Increased freeze thaw resistant /low water absorption rate
3. Product is designed to fit which quickens install time
4. Product is dimensionally tolerant and avoids unwanted flanges on back of stone
5. PSI (pounds per square inch) is 5,000 to 6,000 which is 2-3 times stronger than other options
6. Product is manufactured with an integral water repellant
7. Increased resistance to salt damage
8. Easily cleaned/ color will not rub off

Required Tools

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