Stone veneer installation in Fort Lauderdale FL - stone bonded to a well-prepped wall
Got a plain block wall, column or stucco front you want faced in stone? We check and prep the wall first, so the stone holds.
Book a look at your veneer wall
Call (754) 228-0031 any day of the week, from 6 AM on weekdays and 7 AM on weekends until 9 PM, or use the form.
What does stone veneer installation involve?
Stone veneer installation in Fort Lauderdale puts a stone face on a wall you already have. It's usually manufactured stone, which is made from concrete but looks like natural stone, so you get the look of a stone wall without building one.
Most calls start with a plain block wall, a column, a fireplace surround or a stucco front you'd like to look like stone. The price moves with the wall's size, how much prep it needs before mortar will grip, the stone you pick and how many corners and openings we have to work around. The schedule turns mostly on that prep and on the weather, because a wall that needs a base coat first takes an extra step and hot, breezy days call for extra care with fresh work. The estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
Why homeowners call J&R Fort Lauderdale Concrete & Masonry for stone veneer
The owner on every job
I started this business in 2023 after learning masonry under an experienced mason, and I'm on site with our crew while your stone goes up. I measure, check and write things down as we go.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. The industry's installation spec calls for a certified installer or one who can show experience on similar projects, so ask any installer about walls like yours.
Permits handled with Fort Lauderdale
When a job needs a permit, we apply with the city's Building Services division and schedule its inspections. That office is also where you can ask whether your wall needs one.
Stone is only as good as the wall behind it, so tell us about yours and I'll come out to look at it.
How we handle stone veneer installation
I start by checking the wall, because paint, sealer or a slick surface can keep the mortar from bonding, and we prep it to suit what we find. That can be a good cleaning, or it can mean fastening lath, a mesh that gives mortar something to hold, and troweling on a scratch coat, a first layer of mortar raked with grooves for the stone to grip. Next we lay the stone out on the ground to mix colors and sizes, butter the back of each piece and press it on from the bottom up, corners first. We finish the joints, cover and protect the fresh work on hot, breezy days, and clean the face before we pack up.
Sometimes the wall needs work before any stone goes on. Our crew builds new concrete block walls for yards and property lines, and handles foundation block wall installation when veneer will dress a new foundation or knee wall.
Manufactured stone veneer
It's made from concrete to look like natural stone, and it suits most block walls, columns and fireplace surrounds. It comes in set shapes and colors, so the finished look is easy to plan.
Grouted joints
Mortar fills the joints between stones for a traditional mortared look. It suits homeowners who want a wall that reads like classic laid stone.
Dry stack look
The stones fit tight with little or no mortar showing, which gives a cleaner, modern face. One veneer guide says dry stack can be used indoors or in warm climates where it doesn't freeze.
How do you know a wall needs stone veneer work?
Stones coming loose
A veneer stone that rocks under your hand or has dropped off usually means the bond behind it failed. Wait, and the stones around it tend to follow.
Paint peeling on block
Peeling or chalky paint on a wall you want faced in stone means prep comes first, because mortar won't grip paint. Skip that step, and the stone can let go later.
Dark stains near the ground
A damp, dark band along the bottom of a wall usually means water is wicking up from the soil or slab. Stone set into that stays wet and can stain or loosen.
Cracks in veneer joints
Cracks running through the mortar joints on existing veneer let rain get behind the stone. The longer water sits back there, the bigger the repair gets.
What happens after you call about stone veneer in Fort Lauderdale?
Call or send a request
Call (754) 228-0031 or send a request to set up a visit. I come out myself, check the whole wall and write an estimate listing each step and material.
We prep and set stone
Our crew preps the wall and sets the stone, with me on site the whole time. If your job has a permit, the city inspects the work against the Florida Building Code before we close out.
Walk the finished wall
Once the joints are finished, we clean up and walk the wall with you. You see every course, corner and edge before we call it done.
Stone veneer questions we hear
These are the questions Fort Lauderdale homeowners ask most before facing a wall in stone. If yours isn't here, call or send a request and ask about your own wall.
Can stone veneer go straight onto my concrete block wall?
Yes, if the block or concrete is rough and clean, the stone can go straight on it. Paint, waterproofing or form oil, the release oil left from pouring concrete, can block the mortar bond, and concrete that can't be made bondable gets lath and a scratch coat first. I check which case your wall is at the estimate.
How much does stone veneer installation cost in Fort Lauderdale?
Stone veneer installation in Fort Lauderdale usually costs about $2,300 to $9,000 per project, which is the area's going range for a whole job, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on its size, the prep it needs and the stone you choose. Our estimate is done at your property with each step and material written out, so you get a figure for your own wall.
Can I install stone veneer in the summer heat?
Yes, as long as the fresh veneer is kept from drying too fast. The industry's installation spec calls for protecting it when the air is above 100° F, or above 90° F with wind over 8 mph, and that protection runs before, during and for 72 hours after the work. Plan those hot, breezy days with our crew when we set the schedule.
How do I clean a stone veneer wall?
Clean it gently, usually with a soft brush and low-pressure water, because aggressive high-pressure washing might loosen the stones. Work from the top down and rinse as you go. If a stain won't come off, call and ask before you scrub harder.
What is the best way to install stone veneer over a wood-framed wall?
On an outside wall over wood sheathing, the board layer under your siding, an industry standard calls for two separate layers of water-resistive barrier, the wrap that keeps rain off the wood, lapped like shingles. The lath over it has to be galvanized or stainless steel, or a nonmetallic lath rated for manufactured stone veneer, so it won't corrode. If your wall has wood sheathing, ask that any quote list both barrier layers.
Can you put stone veneer over an old brick wall?
Not bonded straight to the brick. Manufactured stone veneer isn't bonded to clay brick or other clay masonry, so those walls need a different plan. I look at the brick and what's behind it at the estimate and write up the approach that fits.
Your free stone veneer estimate
Tell us where the wall is and whether it's concrete, block, clay brick or wood-framed, and we'll reply within one business day to set a visit. I come out myself for the free estimate, with no obligation.
Stone veneer finishes to consider
Work that often comes first
Concrete block walls
Planning a new garden or property wall that you want faced in stone? We build the block wall true and square so the veneer goes on flat.
Learn moreFoundation block wall installation
Adding a room, a raised slab or a new foundation? A solid block foundation wall gives the stone a sound base it can bond to.
Learn more