Stone veneer installation in Cedar Rapids IA - a stone wall built to shed water
Want stone on a plain wall or foundation? We help you pick the right type and build the hidden layers that let water out.
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What goes into putting stone veneer on a house in Cedar Rapids?
Stone veneer installation in Cedar Rapids puts a layer of natural or manufactured stone over an existing wall, called the backing, so a plain wall, chimney or foundation takes on the look of stone. The stone is attached one of two ways, anchored or adhered, and the layers hidden behind it decide how well the wall handles water over the years.
Most people who call us have a wall they're tired of looking at, often a bare block foundation or a front that feels plain, and they want stone that still looks right long after we've gone. The price mostly turns on which stone you choose, how much wall there is, whether the stone needs a footing or steel angle to sit on, and how many windows and roof edges it has to be flashed around, and the schedule turns on those same things plus any repair the backing needs first, such as foundation repair on a wall that has settled. When I come out, I write up what I'd do and why, so you can see how those choices shape your own job.
How we handle stone veneer installation
I start by walking you through the choices, thick anchored stone tied back to the house or thin adhered stone set against the wall, and natural stone or manufactured, because each one means something different for your wall and we settle that before anything else. Then we clean the wall of dirt, grease, oil or paint that could keep the stone from bonding, and we put most of our attention on the layers behind the stone that hold water back and send it out again. Wherever a roof edge meets the new stone, we take extra care with the flashing, the metal that turns water away, since that's where water most often finds its way in. Only after all of that do we set the stone and finish the joints so the wall looks the way you pictured it.
Stone veneer is only as good as the wall behind it. If the backing is a block wall that's cracked or out of line, we can put it right first through our concrete block walls work, and if you're building an addition, our foundation block wall installation gives the stone a solid base from the start.
Stone veneer installation in Cedar Rapids: what applies here
Under Iowa's contractor registration rules, the person you hire for stone work in Cedar Rapids has to be registered with the state before doing any construction work, and that duty sits with the contractor rather than with you as the homeowner. It's a fair question to ask anyone before they start on your house, and I'm always glad to answer it.
Around Cedar Rapids, much of the stone work we're asked about goes on older homes and on block foundations that stand above the ground, where the backing has seen some years and deserves a close look before anything is attached to it. We see the same mix of houses on jobs in Marion and Hiawatha, and we check the backing and build the hidden layers the same careful way there.
- Call (319) 536-8125
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
What happens when you call R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry in Cedar Rapids?
Call or send a message
Thank you for reaching out. We'll set up a time that suits you for me to come out and look at the wall.
I look over your wall
I ask what you have in mind, check the backing and any roof edges that meet it, and then write up what I'd do and why. That write-up shows which stone and which system I'd suggest, so you can see what drives your cost before you decide anything.
We check with your city
Before work starts, we contact your city or county office to learn what they require for your job. We tell you what we found and who will handle it.
We build and tidy up
The crew and I prepare the wall, build the layers behind the stone and then set it. At the end of each day we cover the work and leave your site tidy.
Why Cedar Rapids homeowners call R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry for stone veneer
The owner comes out himself
I look over every job myself and write the estimate, and the same small crew I work alongside does the stonework. You talk with the person who'll be on your wall, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the work.
Building in Cedar Rapids since 2023
I started this business in Cedar Rapids in 2023, after years framing houses as a carpenter and then learning masonry beside an experienced mason. Framing taught me what sits behind a wall, and that's exactly where stone veneer holds up or fails.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured, and I'm happy to say so plainly before any work begins. That protects you and your house while our crew is working on it.
If you'd like to talk over the wall you have in mind, please contact us and I'll set up a time to come out and see it.
Request an estimateGet a written plan for your stone veneer wall
We reply within one business day to set up a time, and I come out myself for a free on-site estimate of your wall. You'll get a write-up of what I'd do and why, with no obligation.
- Licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (319) 536-8125
- Location
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Questions about stone veneer in Cedar Rapids
What is the difference between anchored and adhered stone veneer?
Anchored veneer is full-thickness stone tied back to the house with masonry anchors, while adhered veneer is stone sawn or split much thinner and attached to the face of the wall. Because an anchored wall carries its own weight down to the ground, it needs a footing or a steel angle to sit on, which adds work at the start. I'll tell you which one suits your wall once I've seen it.
Is manufactured stone cheaper than natural stone?
Usually, yes. Manufactured stone is lighter and generally costs less than natural stone, but it's made of concrete, so it's porous, and that makes the water details behind it well worth asking about. I'm glad to talk through both when I come out.
How does water get out from behind stone veneer?
It drains out through the flashing and the weeps, the small openings near the bottom that collect water behind the stone and send it back outside. Water is expected to get behind outdoor veneer, so the wall behind it is built to resist water first. Some walls also get a rainscreen, an optional drainage gap that helps stray water run off and shortens drying time.
Does my contractor need to be registered in Iowa?
Yes, the rules require anyone doing construction work in Cedar Rapids or elsewhere in Iowa to register with the state, unless they earn less than $2,000 a year from that work. Work on your own property is left out of the rules, so the duty to register falls on the contractor you hire, not on you.
What causes stone veneer to fail on a house?
Water is the usual cause. One expert analysis found that veneer failures follow rain exposure and gather on the walls that take the most rain, so the side of your house that faces the weather deserves the closest look at flashing and drainage.
What should I ask a contractor before stone veneer goes on my house?
Ask where the water goes. Where a roof eave ends against a stone wall, a kick-out flashing, a small bent piece of metal, should steer roof water into the gutter, so it's fair to ask whether the plan includes one, and to ask about flashing and weeps by name.
Work that often comes before the stone
Concrete block walls
When the block wall behind your planned stone is cracked or leaning, rebuilding it first gives the veneer a solid, straight backing to hold onto.
Foundation block wall installation
Planning an addition or a new garage? A new block foundation built with the stone in mind can give an anchored veneer the support it needs from day one.
Send us photos of your wall
If you have a few photos, the rough size of the wall and any roof edges that meet it ready when you call (319) 536-8125, I can come out already knowing what to look for.
Request an estimateCall (319) 536-8125