1 / 21
How to build an interior stone accent wall
You can transform any interior room with a stunning stone accent wall like this. Modern materials and methods allow contractors to create the look of a traditional stone wall with a fraction of the work. In this story, we’ll show you how to install stone veneer on any interior wall of any home.
2 / 21
How stone veneer interior accent walls work
To provide a strong base for the stone, cement board is attached to the wall framing with screws. Thin-set adhesive to bonds the stone panels securely to the cement board for a worry-free installation. The existing drywall can stay or can be torn out first. Ledgestone panels like the ones shown here don’t require mortar—just stack them on the wall.
Getting started: room preparation
Installing the stone will go a lot smoother and easier if you take some time to prepare the space. Start by moving everything out of the room. Parts of this job can be dusty, and you don’t want to have to clean everything later. What you can’t move out, cover with sheets of painter’s plastic. Cover carpeted flooring with drop cloths. Protect hardwood and tile floors with a layer of cardboard or thin hardboard before covering them with drop cloths.
Pry off the baseboard trim on the wall where the stone will go, and on adjacent walls. If you’ll be reinstalling the same trim, pull the nails from the back of the trim with an end cutter or a locking pliers. If you have chair rail or crown molding, you’ll have to remove these, too.
To save a little time and effort, we’re showing how to install the new cement board on top of the existing drywall. But if you want to add outlets or sconce lights or do other extensive wiring, it may be easier to remove all the drywall from your wall.
If you decide to leave the drywall in place, mark the center of each stud with a chalk line so you’ll know where to drive the cement-board screws. First use a stud finder or some other method to locate the center of each stud at the top and bottom of the wall. Then stretch a chalk line between the marks and snap the lines.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7p63MoqOyoJGjsbq5wKdlnKedZLmqv9Noma6hnJl6onnFmqyxZaOpvK%2BxjJqanJ2eqXq4rculZg%3D%3D