Stone veneer installation in Hawthorne CA - stone set on a sound, dry wall
Plain block wall or tired stucco? We check what's behind it first, then set stone that gives your house the look of stone masonry.
Custom Hawthorne Concrete and Masonry is a masonry business based in Hawthorne. We're best known for careful brick repair and solid block walls, and we bring the same prep-first habits to stone veneer installation in Hawthorne and the cities around it.
- I come out and look myself
- Our own crew does the work
- Prep first, stone second
Stone veneer installation in Hawthorne starts behind the stone
Stone veneer installation in Hawthorne, CA, usually starts with a plain block wall, a chimney or a tired stucco front. We set stone onto that wall in a bed of mortar so it reads as stone masonry. You can use natural stone or manufactured stone, a light piece cast from cement and aggregate that carries no load. At Custom Hawthorne Concrete and Masonry, the wall behind the stone gets my attention first.
What moves the price is the stone you pick, how big the wall is and how much prep it needs before any stone goes up. Prep moves the schedule too, since a wall that needs a scratch coat has to cure before we set stone. Bare concrete block walls are usually the quickest to get ready. Your written estimate lays it all out.
- Checking the wall. We find out what your wall is made of, whether it's sound and how water will be kept out.
- Direct set. One maker's guide says clean, sound concrete or block with no paint or sealer can take stone set straight into mortar.
- Lath and scratch coat. Other walls get metal lath, a wire mesh, then a scratch coat, a first layer of mortar for the stone to grab.
- Setting the stone. We lay stones out on the ground first so the sizes and colors mix, then set each one in mortar and finish the joints.
Stone veneer work we take on
Most stone veneer jobs fall into a few kinds, from one accent wall to a whole house front, and each one gets the same wall check before any stone goes up.
Accent walls
One wall in an entry, a living room or a yard is a common first stone job, and it gets the same prep as a big one.
House fronts
Stone across a house front or along its lower half, including over old stucco once we've confirmed that stucco is sound enough to carry it.
Block and garden walls
Stone over a garden wall, a planter or the exposed face of a foundation block wall, so plain block looks like built stone.
Chimneys and columns
Stone over a chimney, a fireplace surround, a porch column or an outdoor kitchen base, where small faces and tight corners take careful cutting.
If your project isn't on this list, call (424) 307-8119 or send the form and tell us about it, and we'll talk it through.
Why stone veneer installation is worth doing right
Good stone veneer looks like it was built there and keeps the wall behind it dry. Rushed work looks fine for a year, then water gets behind the stone. That's a bad meal with nice plating. Your job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
- Two layers of wrapFramed outside walls get two separate layers of weather wrap behind the lath, because the stone and joints aren't what keeps water out.
- Laps and flashingAsk how your installer laps that wrap and flashes it, with metal strips that steer water out from behind the stone.
- Room at the bottomStone stops at least 4 inches above finished soil and typically 2 inches above a separate patio, so it isn't wicking up ground water.
- A drainage gapOne maker's guide adds a drainage mat behind the stone, which leaves an air space so stray water escapes and the wall dries faster.
How a stone veneer job runs
I come out and look
You call, and I come out to check the wall and what's around it, like gutters, downspouts and drainage, because that water ends up behind the stone.
A written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the stone and the prep. If your job needs a permit, I'll say so then, and we take care of it first.
Prep, stone and walk-through
We prep the site, cover what needs covering and clean as we go, with me or our lead mason running the crew. When it's done, I walk it with you.
Why homeowners call us for stone veneer
I spent years in restaurant kitchens before I picked up a trowel, and the habits stuck. You prep, you keep it clean and you don't send out anything you wouldn't eat. Stone veneer is mostly prep.
Water planned first
I want to know where water goes behind your stone before we talk colors, because that decides how the wall holds up.
Prep is in the price
If your wall needs lath and a scratch coat, you hear it at the estimate along with why, so the prep is priced from the start.
Slow part done right
I'd rather do the slow part right than save a day and hand you a problem. Call (424) 307-8119 when you're ready to talk.
Stone veneer in Hawthorne and nearby cities
In California, stone veneer falls under the state's masonry contractor license, which covers natural and manufactured stone. A small accent wall in Hawthorne can look like handyman work, but the state licensing board only lets unlicensed people take jobs up to $1,000 when the job needs no permit and they employ no one. We're licensed and insured.
Around Hawthorne, Inglewood and Gardena, a lot of the walls we meet are block yard walls and stucco house fronts, many with old paint or sealer on them. Paint and sealer keep fresh mortar from gripping, so those walls usually take the lath and scratch coat route.
Tell us about your wall
Send the wall type, its rough square footage and a few photos. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
Call (424) 307-8119Stone veneer questions we hear in Hawthorne
How much does stone veneer installation cost per square foot?
Installing stone veneer across the US usually costs about $25 to $40 per square foot, and that's the market range, not our price. Natural stone, with the extra support it needs, and walls that need lath and a scratch coat push a job toward the high end. Your written estimate gives you the Hawthorne price for your wall.
Is manufactured or natural stone veneer better for my house?
Manufactured stone is right for most walls, because it's light and goes on without structural changes. Natural stone has real variation, but it needs more structural support and a more skilled crew, which adds to the budget. Manufactured stone also comes in consistent sizes and colors, so later repairs or additions match well.
Can stone veneer go over existing stucco on my Hawthorne house?
It can, once the old stucco is checked to confirm it's sound, clean and able to carry the stone. Where that's uncertain, one maker's guide calls for a lath and scratch coat system over it, or a design professional's advice. I check the stucco at the estimate and tell you what I find.
How long does a stone veneer installation take?
Plan on at least two days, however small the wall, when it needs a scratch coat, because one pricing guide says that coat needs 24 to 48 hours to cure before stone goes on. Beyond that, the wall's size and how much cutting the stone takes set the schedule.