If you love the elegant appearance of stone veneer siding but have not yet installed this durable, appealing siding option to the exterior of your home, then you may believe some common misconceptions about this siding option.
Read on to learn the truth behind three common stone veneer siding myths that may be preventing you from making an educated decision about whether or not stone siding is right for you and your home.
Myth #1: You Cannot Install Stone Veneer Over Brick
If your house is made from brick, then you may believe the common misconception that stone veneer can only be applied to homes with wooden exterior walls. However, the truth is that stone veneer can be installed over a variety of exterior home surfaces and is very easy to attach to brick.
In fact, you have to cover wood with a vapor barrier and sheath it with a metal lath before you can top it with stone veneer, while you can skip this vapor barrier and lath when you apply stone veneer over brick surfaces.
To prepare a brick surface for stone veneer, you simply cover the brick with a 1/2-inch thick layer of mortar made up of Portland cement and sand and then allow this mortar to cure for about 24 hours. You can then adhere stone veneer to this surface with additional mortar, then grout it if desired.
Myth #2: Stone Veneer Siding Is Not DIY-Friendly
If you enjoy performing home DIY projects, then you may have considered applying stone veneer siding to your home but quickly decided against this project due to the fact that attaching stones to your home exterior one by one can be a time-consuming process.
You may also fear that you do not have the skill to fit stones of various shapes and sizes together on the exterior wall of your home in an attractive pattern without leaving unsightly gaps between stones.
While many people do install traditional stone veneer siding on their own and realize that it is not as difficult as they expected, others opt to install much more DIY-friendly stone veneer panels to their homes that are just as attractive as traditional stone veneer.
There are two types of stone veneer panels available: real stone and faux stone panels.
Real stone panels are typically square or rectangular in shape and made up of many stones already connected together in an attractive pattern. Faux stone panels are similar in appearance to real stone veneer panels but typically made from polyurethane that is molded to mimic the appearance of natural stone.
The installation of these panels is quick and easy due to their large, uniform sizes. In addition, when installing stone veneer panels, you do not have to worry about accidentally leaving gaps between stones or creating an unattractive stone pattern.
Myth #3: Stone Siding Is Not a Good Investment
Many homeowners want to receive a good return on investment on any home remodeling projects they complete. While you may love the appearance of stone veneer siding, you may worry that you will not recoup the cost of your investment in this siding when it is time to sell your home.
The truth is that most homeowners who replace a portion of their vinyl siding with manufactured stone veneer siding see about a 97 percent return on investment (ROI) when they sell their home.
The high ROI of stone siding likely stems from the great curb appeal it adds to a home along with the extreme durability of manufactured stone siding. In fact, stone siding can stay in great shape for up to 75 years or longer when properly installed and maintained.
If you love the appearance of stone veneer siding but have yet to install it on your home exterior, then now you know the truth behind the misconceptions that may be preventing you from making this change to your home. Contact the stone veneer experts at Harristone for all of your stone veneer siding needs today.