Stone veneer installation in Hilo HI - a new face on a wall that drains
Plain block or a tired wall you'd like to dress up? We set real or manufactured stone over a wall prepared to shed water.
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- Stone veneer installation
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- (808) 229-1042
What tells you a wall needs stone veneer work?
A plain block wall
A gray block or concrete wall can make the front of a house or yard look unfinished, but the wall itself is usually sound and only needs a face. Have it looked at before you pick a stone, so the prep is planned in from the start and not discovered halfway through.
Stones that rock or crack
On an existing veneer, a stone that moves or a crack running around it usually means the bond has let go, often because water got behind it. Every rain after that puts more water behind the face, where it can rust the lath and soak the wall.
Stains or damp inside
Dark streaks running down from the stone, or soft, damp drywall on the inside of that wall, usually point to water trapped behind the veneer with no way out. Cleaning the stain won't stop it, and the longer it goes, the more of the wall behind it has to come out.
What does stone veneer installation in Hilo involve?
Stone veneer installation in Hilo puts a face of real or manufactured stone on an existing wall, so a block, concrete or framed wall gets the look of stone without building a stone wall. On a framed wall the stone goes over building paper or felt and a metal lath, and on any wall the prep underneath decides how well the face holds up.
Most calls start with a plain block wall, a worn front wall or an addition that should match the rest of the house. The price moves with the size of the wall, the choice between real and manufactured stone, and how much prep the wall needs before stone can go on. The schedule turns on that prep and on any design work a tall wall needs. For a figure on your own wall, I measure it, check what's causing any trouble and put the scope in writing. We do this work in Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park and the cities around them.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough height and length of the wall
- What the wall is built from
- Any cracks, stains or damp spots
- Photos of a stone look you like
How we handle stone veneer installation
What's behind the stone matters as much as the stone, so I start with the wall itself. I check what it's built from, whether it's sound and how water will get out from behind the face, because new stone over a wall that traps water only hides the problem until it shows up inside. Then we go over real and manufactured stone together, so you can weigh the cost against the look on your house. Once you've chosen, our crew cleans and roughens the wall or puts up lath and a scratch coat, sets the water barrier and drainage path, lays the stone, finishes the joints and cleans up. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
If the wall isn't built yet, we can build it. We put up concrete block walls for yards and property lines, and on a new home or addition we handle the foundation block wall installation, so the stone goes on work we laid out ourselves.
Work that often comes before the stone
Concrete block walls
Need a new garden or property wall to carry the stone? A solid, straight block wall gives the veneer a sound base from day one.
Foundation block wall installation
Adding a room or building on block? The foundation wall has to be level and true before any stone face goes on top of it.
What happens when you call about stone veneer in Hilo?
Call or send the form
Call (808) 229-1042 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. I'm the one who looks at your wall and writes the estimate.
I look the wall over
I measure the wall, check what it's built from and look for where water gets in or would get trapped before I put a price on anything. One stone maker's guidelines call for a registered design professional on high walls and multi-story work, so if yours is one, or if a permit is part of the job, I tell you then and that design comes before any stone goes up.
You get a written scope
The estimate spells out the stone, the prep the wall needs and how water drains from behind the face, so you can see exactly what drives your price. You can also hold it up line by line against any other bid.
Our crew builds it as written
Our own crew does the work the way the estimate reads, with me running it on site. When the joints are finished and the site's cleaned up, I walk the wall with you before we call it done.
Questions about stone veneer before you book
Is manufactured stone cheaper than real stone?
Yes, manufactured stone, also called simulated stone, is a lot more economical than real stone and easier to install, so it's the lower-cost way to get a stone face. Real stone costs more to buy and more to set. I'll show you both so you can weigh the look against the price on your wall.
What does stone veneer cost per square foot?
Across the US, stone veneer installation usually costs about $15 to $45 per square foot installed. That's a national figure and not our price, and where your wall lands depends mostly on the stone you pick and how much prep the wall needs. For a number on your own wall in Hilo, I measure it and write up the scope at the estimate.
Can stone go straight onto my concrete wall?
Usually yes, because manufactured stone can go straight onto concrete or concrete block that's clean and rough, which typically means power washing or blasting it first. If the wall won't hold a mortar bond, a lath and a scratch coat of mortar have to go on first, which adds steps. The same installation guide rules out bonding manufactured stone to clay masonry such as brick, so on that kind of wall ask any installer what base they plan to use.
Does the installer need a Hawaii contractor license?
Yes, in Hawaii anyone who contracts to do residential construction, alterations or improvements generally needs a contractor license, and we're licensed and insured. A job is exempt only when the whole contract price, counting labor, materials and taxes, is $1,000.00 or less and the work needs no building permit. You can also do the work yourself after registering as an owner-builder with the county building department, as long as you supervise it, hire only licensed subcontractors and don't sell or lease the house within a year of finishing.
What causes stone veneer to fail?
Water getting behind the stone is the usual cause, since adhered stone veneer failures follow rain and show up most where walls take the most of it. Building science guidance says walls in places with more than 20 inches of rain a year shall have a drainage plane, a clear path for water to run out from behind the stone. Ask any installer how your wall will drain, and on wood sheathing outside, whether the bid includes the two separate water-resistive barrier layers the installation standard requires.
How long does stone veneer installation take?
The wall prep sets the pace more than the stone does. On walls that need lath, one lath maker reports that stone makers require the scratch coat to cure for 48 hours before any stone goes on, so plan for that wait. I lay out the order of the work in the written estimate so you can plan around it.
Get a written stone veneer estimate for your wall
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done at your property, where I measure the wall, check how it's built and put the scope in writing. There's no pressure to book.
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Get your stone veneer wall priced
Have the wall type, rough square footage and a few photos ready when you call or send the form, and I'll arrive already knowing what to look for.