So, the wall is made up of 2 rows of cement blocks with a cap on top and covered with stacked stone? Very good looking.. I think this wall will improve the value of your house.

That looks lovely. Don't you find that work just murder on your hands? When I did brick/mortar work, my hands were the most dried out they've ever been. I'm not much for gloves, though.

That looks great!

Yeah, although I am letting DH do most of the thin set. I am just the, 'find me one that fits' gal! ") Or 'hold this till I get a shim' But I am glad it is turning out OK. I will have to find a before shot.

Here is the before we did anything
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Here is after the cement block and cap

Now you can see the difference. This is the same angle as the first pic
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We had a party not to long after putting the caps on, and without saying anything it was used as a seating wall! Just what we wanted. Now I just need to get more soil for the planter and get some new plants!

Fabulous! It looks great. And you say it is functional too. Win/Win.

The wall looks good, and what a project!

Is the stone stacked or veneered? You mentioned thin-set. Also, what does the blue tape do?

As you can see from the first few pics, the stone is a veneer, that is in pieces that we stack! The blue tape is holding it in place until the thinset sets.

It is a process. We did about half the wall about half way and used other pieces to brace up. Then we went back to were we started and finished. Lots of shims and small pieces to hold up. But it works.

Will post more as we get more done.

OK, I wondered. When I posted last night, my window was minimized, and I didn't see the end of your photo with your husband sticking a piece on the wall. lol I can see now that the stone is an engineered veneer. I could not figure out what the tape and thin-set were for because we had stacked stone before and no mortar was used at all. We just stacked the stones on top of each other and they were wide/heavy enough to hold each other in place.

Isn't it amazing what these engineering companies are coming up with in the way of building products! What brand are you using? I saw an "easy to build garden pillar" project in the paper yesterday that I would like to try. The pillar was made with brick pavers, topped with a concrete stepping stone, but I think that the stone veneer might work as well if I could pick and choose the correct pieces that I would need. :) This project requires no concrete at all!

So you had to basically try and find different pieces of stone that would fit together? Or are they "engineered" to fit rather nicely? Is it real stone or a manufactured stone?

It look wonderful. Definitely a good idea and upgrade to your area.

Good job. It looks very nice. Congratulations on this project. This is not an easy job. I have done this more than once.

That looks great! Did you have to score the concrete to get the thinset to bite? Is there a special type of thinset for exterior use?

Has anybody ever use landscape block adhesive for natural stone? Seems it would be easier (uses caulk gun) than thinset/mortar.

Ok, now you can come to my house and do my walls! Great job. I love the look of stacked stone, and the stone you used is much nicer than a lot I've seen around here lately. The trend is to do a 'stone' face on homes and it looks so cheesy & fake.

Aja's...I used Liquid Nails to adhere a concrete plaque to a stone block pillar. I did it about 3 years ago and it's still holding strong. I think tho, for a big project that thin set will work better (and be cheaper). Plus the thinset provides more of a moisture barrier.

Thanks all! It is a concrete product by Coronado Stone. I am sure there is a pattern somewhere, we just haven't found it yet! Since we have such a small area to work with, only 15" high, we just have to go with what looks good and what fits. The stone came on a pallet, no instructions or anything, so it was just go for it! They are all different sizes and shapes, it is like putting a puzzle together.

We are just using regular thinset/mortar, bought from the tile aisle. No scoring, but I realized we do need a rubber mallet. Some of the pieces are big and it takes 2 of us to get them in good.

So off to Lowes today for that!

L

Just beautiful! I'm familiar with the faux stone veneers and the good ones *definitely* improve the appearance of walls like yours was. Really great and improves the function too -- what's not to love? :)

(might want to pick your husband up some gloves at Lowes too--there are thin ones that don't impede detailed work but will take the 'edge off' the roughness of the stone)

And re thinsets: the manufacturer probably has specific recommendations -- but there are latex-fortified thinsets and non fortified thinsets, thinsets (or medium sets) for particular materials, vertical applications, etc.

Out of curiosity (I'm a mosaic/tile addict) I went to the Coronado stone website and found these installation specs for your kind of installation:

Bonding Agent: As recommended by simulated stone manufacturer for direct bonding of simulated stone to masonry or concrete substrates when not using metal lath.
F. Water: Potable.
G. Mixing: Use thinset with acrylic additive in accordance with thinset manufacturerÂs recommendation.
1.
Thoroughly mix mortar and grout ingredients in quantities needed for immediate use. Mix grout to ASTM C 270, Type S proportions and mortar to ASTM C 270, Type S requirements.

Are you all using latex-modified (or adding latex yourselves) thinset? Just trying to make sure your beautiful work will be as strong as possible. Probably regular would work but if you aren't using modified now, you might want to try a sack of it if you run out of the regular...

Here is a link that might be useful: maybe you try the front of your house next? :)

Thanks Fly, I may pick up some of the additive when I am at Lowes!

I actually suggested this for the small stone wall we have seperating our yard from the one next door in the front, but was overruled! We have mostly brick in the front and I did add slate to the porch. So this will be a back yard project!

We aren't going to grout, but leave it as a dry stack look. I really think it will be OK, we are in So Cal, so no extreme temp changes. At least not cold wise. We can get hot!

L

OMG, that is Wonderful!

I don't dare show this post to hubby....he's wanted a short seating wall for as long as I can remember and yours would fit right in with our back yard.
It's just perfect!

I do know about the scooting on the butt-ox with bucket o' cement to build a raised rock planter.
And I too don't like wearing gloves of any kind when in my garden but the last planter I made really did me in...my hands looked like road kill that had been out in the sun for days!

I finally went to Ebay, purchased some great non-latex gloves. They are surgical type gloves so I can feel everything. I bought them in 'small' and they fit, well, like a glove. :)

I know it was hard work for you and hubby but looking at your pics, it sure was worth it....good job and beautiful!

Oh I just love the looks of that!!

We dry stacked flagstone for some of our gardens in our last house. Now, working on the clean slate we have in the new one, I'd love to add something like you're working on for our back.

parma - I was just at the library, check out July 2009 issue of Fine Homebuilding. It has exactly this - a sitting wall!

looks great!