4/5/2024 0 Comments Lowes concrete blockIt is a manufactured cement product made to look like brick, stone, etc and has the necessary thickness to make it easy to apply. They make a fake stone veneer that is used as a type of siding on the exterior of houses. If you are putting up anything more than thin veneer, the stones will need a good strong support base or they may settle, and cracks are likely to form in the mortar. One other thing that comes to mind is that stone, bricks and blocks are really heavy. Then I try and what a slow struggle to get it "just so". They know how to "butter" the bricks or blocks and make it look real easy. Watching a good mason is like watching an artist. I've worked along side a few experienced masons on some household projects involving bricks and concrete block but never stone. I don't have much to add after reading Cosmic's "all about mortar' guide. Some pixs of exactly what the work area looks like and products being used helps a lot. It usually is some type of latex based product. Some even use stuff like a drywall compound looking mud they sell in 5 gallon buckets. Some of those fake stone products might have their own adhesives they recommend. The stone will want to slide down a vertical wall with thinset and you either need to set the first row and let it set up or use some type of bracing to allow it a firm ledge to sit on while setting the rest of the wall surface. Thinset is normally applied with a notched trowel like setting tile. We need a better description of exactly what you tried to use. You want somebody that moves their stock of product fairly quick. Thinset and the milk also have a sort of shelf life, those folks like HD and Lowes can sell some horribly old junk if you are not careful. Then it is sounding like you didn't follow instructions properly once you got some milk. Maybe you used thinset without any admixture at first. If is difficult to tell from your question exactly what you tried to do. Usually if you have the smaller jobs, might use thinset. It is better than mortar but more expensive. Without the milk it will not harden properly or have enough strength. You mix it up using water and an admixture of latex called "milk". This is a cement like product that comes in a bag. It should stick well to the stone.ĭepending on how much surface is involved, you can also use thinset. I like to go a bit stronger on the mortar and actually judge the right mix based on how it "Clings". Usually a ratio of 3 parts sand to one of mortar. The mortar comes in like 70 # bags and is a mix of cement and lime. They will have both the mortar and sand cheap. You want to go where the professional bricklayers go. The sand is very fine, usually you look in the Yellow Pages under masonary supplies. In using a standard mortar method, you have to get real mason's sand and motar. You never use any of that premixed crap for motar / sand like you buy at HD or Lowes. Both can be used, natural rock requires a real good selection process to get it all within the proper thickness to make it look fairly good. You also do not say if this is the fake manufactured stones usually used for veneer surfaces on the outside of a house or real stone / rock. So for that purpose you do not use concrete but a motar or thinset. Sort of like setting ceramic tiles only with some stone. I guess you mean you would like to attach flat rocks in a veneer like manner over the exterior foundation. I guess that is why you have failed at your "Attempt at masonry". Even the use of the terms sounds like a mess. Your question is confusing exactly what you are trying to do. Why have I failed at all my attempts at masonry? I tried a more expensive 'Mason" concrete. I tried mixing in some white milky fluid they sold me. The rocks could be pulled off with fingers. When dry, you could scratch the new concrete off. I mixed some concrete last summer and hung the flat rocks. I would like to put some flat rocks on part of my exterior foundation.
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