Stone veneer installation in Cupertino CA - a stone face built to keep water out
Plain wall that needs some character? We check the wall behind it first, then set stone over layers made to keep water out.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
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What goes into stone veneer installation in Cupertino?
Stone veneer installation puts a thin layer of stone, usually manufactured stone cast to look natural, over an existing wall of your Cupertino house or yard, so you get the look of stone without building a stone wall. The stone carries no load, so most of the job is the wall behind it and the layers that keep water out.
Most people who call me have a stucco wall, a block wall or a chimney face they're tired of looking at, and they want to know if stone will work and what it'll take. The price moves with the square footage, with whether you pick manufactured or natural stone, with how many corners and edges need trim pieces, and most of all with how much repair the wall behind needs. The schedule turns on that same repair work and on the curing time between coats, and my written estimate tells you what we'll do and why.
Is stone veneer right for your house?
Plain stucco you're tired of
A sound stucco wall can take a stone face once we've checked what's underneath it.
Block walls in the yard
Concrete block garden walls take veneer well, giving you a stone look over a solid core.
Chimney or fireplace face
Veneer adds the look of stone to a chimney or fireplace without the weight of solid stone.
Base of the house
A band of stone along the bottom of the house covers plain concrete and handles scuffs near the ground.
How we handle stone veneer installation
I start by checking the wall behind the stone, because veneer is only as good as what's holding it, and coming from framing I'd rather find a soft spot or a leak now than after it's under new stone. If the backing needs repair, we do that first. Then we put on the water barrier and the flashing, which are the metal and membrane pieces that turn water out at edges and openings, fasten the lath, a metal mesh the mortar grips, and trowel on the scratch coat. Once that coat has cured we set the stone, fill the joints and clean up. Most of our care goes into those layers behind the stone, because trouble with veneer usually starts when water gets in behind it, and missing flashing or a torn barrier is how it gets there.
Sometimes the wall under the stone is the bigger job. If you want a new yard wall with a stone face, we build it first as one of our concrete block walls, and if the base of the house needs new block, that's foundation block wall installation, done before any stone goes on.
Manufactured stone veneer
This suits most house walls, chimneys and wainscots, because it's light and comes in a lot of shapes and colors. It goes up over a well-prepared wall without the extra support solid stone would need.
Natural thin stone veneer
This is real stone sawn thin, for owners who want the color and texture to vary the way quarried stone does. It takes more cutting and fitting, so I usually suggest it for a spot people see up close.
What happens when you call about stone veneer in Cupertino?
Call and set up a visit
Call (669) 215-2127 and I'll set up a time to come out myself. We walk the wall together, and I'll ask what you've noticed, like cracks, damp spots or stucco that sounds hollow.
Get a written estimate
You get the estimate in writing, saying what we'll do to the wall, the layers behind the stone and the stone itself, and why, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts. If the city needs to sign off on the work, we handle that before we start.
Build it and walk it
I'm on the job with our crew from the backing repairs to the last joint. When we're done, we walk the wall together again so you can look it over with me.
Is a rainscreen worth it behind stone veneer?
On a wall of the house, I usually think so.
A rainscreen is an optional way of building the wall that leaves a path behind the stone, so stray water that gets past it can drain out and the wall dries faster. It adds a step and some material, so it adds a little to the cost of the job.
I lean toward it on the house itself, because water trapped behind stone is the very thing this whole job is built to avoid. On a block garden wall with nothing behind it that can rot, it matters less, and I'll tell you that when we walk it.
Examples of masonry work
Take a look through these examples of masonry work, from stone faces and brick walls to paving, to get some ideas for your own project.
Get a written estimate for your stone veneer
Send a few photos of the wall and its rough size in square feet, and I'll reply within one business day to set up a free look at your property. The estimate comes with no obligation.
Why Cupertino homeowners call D&R Cupertino Concrete and Masonry for stone veneer
I look at every wall myself
I come out to see each job and write the estimate, and then I do the work with our crew of masons. The person who judged your wall is the one standing at it when the stone goes up.
Doing masonry since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and I learned the trade next to an older mason who made me redo a joint until it was right. We're based in Cupertino and work across the cities around it.
Licensed and fully insured masons
We're licensed and fully insured, and it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job. To talk through your wall, call (669) 215-2127 or use our estimate form.
Stone veneer questions we hear
How much does stone veneer installation cost in Cupertino?
Installing stone veneer across the US usually costs about $25 to $40 per square foot. That's a national figure, not a Cupertino price and not ours, and the work your wall needs behind the stone moves it the most. My written estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
Is manufactured stone veneer cheaper than real stone?
Usually, yes. One lath maker says manufactured stone is significantly more economical and easier to install than real stone, which makes it the lower-cost way to get a stone look.
Can stone veneer go over my existing wall?
It can if the wall is sound. Industry guidance says stone shouldn't go over a wall that's deteriorating or one covered with EIFS, a synthetic stucco over foam insulation, so the wall behind decides whether your project goes ahead as planned. If it isn't sound, we fix the backing first or talk through another way.
What license does a stone veneer contractor need in California?
In California, the C-29 Masonry Contractor license from the Contractors State License Board covers installing natural and manufactured stone. Ask any installer what license they carry before you sign anything.
How long does stone veneer installation take?
Plan around one fixed wait. One lath maker says stone makers require the scratch coat, the first coat of mortar over the lath, to cure for 48 hours before the stone goes on. The rest turns on the size of the wall and how much repair the backing needs, and I'll lay that out when we talk through your estimate.
How do I know if a stone veneer installer is doing the water barrier right?
Ask them how they lay it. On wood-framed walls that need a water barrier, trade guidance calls for two separate layers, lapped like shingles from the bottom of the wall up, so water running down lands on the outside of the layer below. If an installer can't answer that plainly, keep looking.
Thinking about stone on a wall?
I'll come look at the wall myself and give you a written estimate that says what we'll do and why.
Other work that pairs with stone
What to check before stone veneer installation in Cupertino
If your stone work is part of a major remodel, find out first whether your property sits in a fire hazard severity zone. Once a Cupertino property is designated, owners doing major remodels or building new homes have to meet specific building code standards for construction and fire code standards for managing plants. You can view the city's fire hazard map in person at the Permit Center in City Hall, or call the Building Division at (408) 777-3228 with questions about your own property. California law also puts special requirements on home improvement contracts to head off common problems, which is one more reason we put the whole job in writing before we start. If you're not sure what the city needs for your project, ask and we'll check with them.
Around here we put stone on a lot of stucco houses and block garden walls, and the first question is what shape that stucco or block is in. We see the same mix on jobs in Sunnyvale and Saratoga, and we check the wall the same way there.