Stone veneer installation in Manchester NH - stone set on a wall that's ready for it
Tired of a bare foundation or worn siding? We check the wall behind it, fix what needs fixing, then set the stone by the maker's guide.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into putting stone veneer on a house?
Stone veneer installation in Manchester, NH means setting a thin, lightweight layer of natural or manufactured stone over a wall you already have, so a plain foundation, a block wall or a tired front reads as stone. It's a facing and carries none of the house's weight, so the wall behind it has to be sound before any stone goes up.
Most people who call us want to cover something they're tired of looking at, and they want to know if their wall can take it. What moves the price is how much wall you're covering, the stone you pick and what the wall needs before stone can go on. The schedule turns on that same wall work and on the weather, because the stone maker sets temperature limits we stay inside. If the wall turns out to need real work, it may be a foundation repair job before it's a stone job, and I'll tell you that plainly when I come out, walk the wall with you and put it all in writing.
When is it time to put stone on that wall?
Bare foundation above the siding
A strip of gray block or poured concrete between your siding and the ground is a spot a lot of people want faced, and stone covers it well. If that strip has cracks, they need a look first, because waiting lets water keep working into them and the repair grows.
Old stone coming loose
Stones that rock, drop or show cracked joints usually mean water is getting behind the facing or the wall under it is moving. The longer it goes, the more of the wall behind gets wet, and a simple re-face can turn into a repair first.
Block paint that keeps peeling
Paint that flakes off a block wall every few years usually means moisture is moving through the block. Stone can end the repainting, but only once we know where the water's coming from, since covering it up just hides the problem.
How we handle stone veneer installation
I start at the wall, not the stone. Before anything goes up, we check that the wall behind it is sound, and if it isn't, we fix it first, because veneer only holds as well as what's under it. Then we get the surface ready, which on masonry usually means a good cleaning, and where the face still won't bond we fasten metal lath over it and put on a scratch coat, a rough first layer of mortar the stone can grip. On a wood-framed wall, the water barrier and flashing go on before any mortar does. After that we set the stone, fill and tool the joints and clean up. Through all of it we follow the stone maker's install guide, temperature limits included, and plan the days around the weather.
Sometimes the wall needs more than a patch. A cracked or crumbling block wall may need sections rebuilt as part of our concrete block walls work, and a foundation wall that's too far gone may call for foundation block wall installation before we face it. I'd rather tell you when a smaller fix will do, and often it will.
Manufactured stone veneer
It's molded to look like stone, light enough to go on most walls, and comes in a wide range of shapes and colors. It suits people covering a larger area who want a consistent look from one end of the wall to the other.
Natural thin stone veneer
It's real quarried stone cut thin, so every piece is different and the color goes all the way through. It suits people who want the real thing on a chimney, a foundation or a front wall and don't mind a little more variety in the pattern.
Get a written stone veneer estimate for your wall
We respond within 1 business day to set up a visit. The on-site estimate is free with no obligation, and I'll walk the wall with you and put what I'd do, and why, in writing.
(603) 314-0526- Based in
- Manchester, NH 03104
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about stone veneer in Manchester?
Here's how a stone veneer job runs from your first call to the final walk-around, and who you'll be dealing with along the way.
Call or send a message
Call (603) 314-0526 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to come out. It helps to tell us what the wall is made of and roughly how much you want covered.
I look at the wall
I come out, check the wall the stone would go on and hunt down anything causing trouble, like a crack or water getting in. You get a written estimate of what I'd fix and why, so you know the full price before anything starts.
We build it and walk it
Once you say go, we sort out the permit side with your city, do any wall repair, set the stone and clean up. Then we walk the finished wall with you before we call it done.
Why Manchester homeowners call Capstone for stone veneer
I quote it and set it
I come out to see your wall and write the estimate, and I'm on the crew that does the work. Nothing I noticed at the estimate gets lost on the way to the job.
Wall repair is where I started
I learned the trade patching brick, chimneys and foundations on older buildings for a property management company, and we started this business in 2023. That's why I look as hard at the wall behind your stone as at the stone itself.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. That matters on veneer work because the crew spends its days on ladders and staging against your house, and that risk shouldn't land on you.
Repairs done to state code
New Hampshire's state building code covers repairs and alterations to existing houses, not only new ones. So when we fix a wall before facing it, we treat that repair as code work, not a quick patch to hide under stone.
On this job, the wall behind the stone matters most, so ask us to come look at yours or call (603) 314-0526.
Stone veneer and wall repair on Manchester homes
Here in Manchester, the city's Building Division handles plan review, permit approval and field inspections, and its permit applications are online. I don't guess whether a veneer job needs a permit, especially when the wall needs repair first. We check with the building office before work starts and take care of the paperwork when a job needs one.
A lot of what we face is the plain gray foundation that shows above the ground on older houses, and block walls that have been patched and painted more than once. We see the same on jobs in Bedford and Londonderry, and we start the same way, by checking what the stone will sit on.
Questions about stone veneer in Manchester
Can stone veneer go over any wall?
No, the industry install guide for manufactured stone rules out putting it over a wall that's deteriorating or unsound. It also rules out EIFS, the foam-backed siding with a stucco look. If your wall falls into one of those, the fix or change to the wall comes first and the stone after.
Can you install stone veneer in cold weather in New Hampshire?
Only when the weather allows, because standard cement mortar under stone veneer is often permanently damaged if it freezes right after it's put on. One maker's guide calls for no installing below 40°F and 48 hours of protection from rain and freezing afterward. Ask which product a quote uses and its limits, which tells you whether a fall or winter start makes sense.
What is the best way to keep water out from behind stone veneer?
On a wood-framed wall that needs a water barrier, industry guidance calls for two separate layers, lapped like shingles from the bottom up. The inner layer works with the flashings to drain water, and the outer layer keeps mortar off the inner one. A rainscreen, a building technique that helps stray water drain from behind the stone and dry out faster, can be added as an option.
How do I clean natural stone veneer?
Wet the stone down first, then scrub it with a mild detergent and a soft bristle brush, and use no acid of any kind. That's the method one natural thin stone maker suggests for its stone.
How much does stone veneer installation cost in Manchester NH?
I can't give a fair number until I've seen the wall, because the biggest swing in price is what the wall needs before any stone goes on. Beyond that, the size of the area, natural versus manufactured stone, outside corners and trim pieces, and height that calls for staging all move it. I'll put your price in writing after the visit.
How do I choose a stone veneer installer in Manchester?
Compare installers on their methods more than their price, because poor field workmanship tends to be the main reason manufactured stone veneer doesn't perform, and following recommended practice helps it hold up for decades. Ask how they'll check and prep the wall, what goes behind the stone and whose install guide they follow. We're glad to walk you through ours, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Related masonry work behind a stone veneer job
If your block wall is cracked, bowed or crumbling, rebuilding the bad sections gives the new stone a solid, sound face to bond to.
When a foundation wall is too far gone to patch, a new block wall underneath means you aren't hanging new stone on an old problem.
Cities we serve for stone veneer work
Capstone Manchester Concrete and Masonry is based in Manchester, NH, and we work in many of the cities around it, including some just over the line in Massachusetts. The 12 cities below have their own pages, from Goffstown to Methuen, MA, and we work beyond them too.
Manchester, NH
Get your stone veneer job looked at
Calling before the cold sets in leaves room to fix the wall before the stone, and it helps to tell us the wall type, its condition and the rough area.