Continental Stone Industries carries a wide selection natural stone venner, which often tends to be the center of attention for all projects! However, did you know it’s often the grouting style in between that really makes a difference to the final look!
The experts at Cultured Stone® suggest that achieving the perfect finished look for your stone project goes beyond simply choosing your favorite stone. To elevate your project to the next level consider the space between the stones, the mortar! While a standard .25” to .50” mortar joint is typically the go-to mortar style when installing stone veneer, some design styles and stone textures are more suited for a tight-fitted mortar joint, wide mortar joint or even an overgrouted mortar joint.
Here’s a look at the different types of mortar joint options that allow you to add an additional personal touch and help create the perfect look to match your preferred design style:
Tight-Fitted Mortar Joints
A tight-fitted mortar joint is used to achieve a clean tailored appearance where it shows anywhere from little to no mortar between the individual stone pieces. A tight-fitted mortar joint is often used to complement a modern design. Scroll to view project images of stone applied with tight-fitted mortar joints.
Pictured: Chardonnay Old Country Fieldstone from Cultured Stone® with tight-fitted mortar joints
Standard Mortar Joints
A standard mortar joint (also known as raked), is a joint that is approximately one fingertip or .25” to .5” in width. Depending on the stone selected, this mortar joint style can be used for both a modern or classic design. Scroll to view project images of stone applied with standard mortar joints.
Pictured: Chardonnay Old Country Fieldstone from Cultured Stone® with standard mortar joints
Wide Mortar Joints
A wide mortar joint is often used to complement a timeless and traditional design style. Placing the individual stone pieces even further apart than the standard mortar joint, a wide mortar joint is the perfect application to evoke a warm and rustic feel. Scroll to view project images of stone applied with wide mortar joints.
Pictured: Chardonnay Old Country Fieldstone from Cultured Stone® with wide mortar joints
Overgrouted Mortar Joints
An overgrouted mortar joint can be used to achieve an Old World look. With the overgrouting technique, the mortar is applied liberally so that it is nearly even with the stone face. This is a unique style that often conveys the feelings of warmth and tradition. Scroll to view project images of stone applied with overgrouted mortar joints.
Pictured: Chardonnay Old Country Fieldstone from Cultured Stone® with overgrouted mortar joints
Mortar’s influence on the finished look of a project goes beyond just the style of mortar joint you select. Your choice of mortar color also has a significant impact on the final look. We hope you enjoyed this post and stay tuned for a future post that again looks at the space between the stones, this time focusing on mortar color.