Will a Stone Veneer Increase a Home’s Value?
Often, homeowners who decide to upgrade the exterior of their house opt for stone veneer. It comes in a variety of styles and generally looks much better than basic siding or stucco. But does this also mean it increases the resale value of the property?
Does adding stone veneer make a house more valuable?
Home improvement projects can be uncertain, but that’s not the case with stone veneer. On average, replacing vinyl siding with stone veneer costs $9,500 but has approximately 96% return on investment at the time of resale.
Best of all, there’s no need to install stone veneer on the entire house to get a favorable ROI. Besides replacing the street-facing façade, you can also add it to the front porch support posts.
What are some other benefits of adding stone veneer?
High returns aren’t the only advantage of installing a stone veneer. The investment offers many other benefits:
Cost savings
Installing stone veneers is more affordable than installing natural stone. The latter is also heavier, which adds to the shipping costs. As a result, visit a reliable stone veneer purveyor if you’re remodeling your house on a budget.
Flexibility
Stone veneer is superior to natural stone in another regard—flexibility. It can be mounted on virtually any surface, such as wood, brick, metal, and cement. Also, the installation requires only basic tools and can be performed in uneven areas.
Low maintenance
Stone veneer offers breathtaking beauty and doesn’t require much maintenance. Cleaning the material is simple; it doesn’t require special tools, and there are no hard-to-reach areas that need scrubbing or brushing.
How to install stone veneer
Unlike many other projects, installing stone veneer isn’t too difficult. Here’s what the installation includes:
Prepare the surface by removing wood planks and installing metal lathes.
Make stone veneer cement by mixing one part type-S masonry cement and 2.5 parts sand. Dry combine the mixture to prevent clumps. Add water gradually until the consistency resembles whipped potatoes.
To apply a scratch coat, add at least one and a half-inch layer of cement over the metal lathes. Work the cement into the lathes to fill any holes and create an even surface. Let the area dry for a day.
Lay the stone with a trowel. The back of it should be buttered with up to one inch of mortar. Use the trowel to form a ridge around the outer side to create suction while positioning the stone.
Press the veneer against your wall and rotate slightly.
Fill the gaps and joints between the stone with grout.
Once the grout hardens, trim the surface with a joint tool to achieve the desired depth.
Clean any excess cement on the stone with a steel brush.
North Valley Stone Supply LLC is a family-owned and operated hardscape materials company serving Phoenix and surrounding areas. We strive to bring our customers natural stone and quality materials at affordable prices. Call us today at (623)244-8657.