Stone wall help.

[Swamp Donkey]

I am building a stone wall behind my woodstove. I have all of my flat stones mortered to the wall now. But I did not fill in the spaces between the flat rocks as I went. It was to messy and too much of a pain in the butt.





Sooooo, what is the best way to fill in about 500 feet of 1 inch spaces between 100 rocks? What kind of mortar/concrete/cement will apply nice and stay in place and look good? Gotta love these do it yourself projects. I think getting the mixtures consistency would be a great help... ... .....





I wish they made some kind of caulking gun that I could fill with mortar that would pump out a bead about 1 inch wide. Dreamer... ...

 

[Shovelhead]

I watched a home improvment show where they used what looked like a larger version of a "Pastry Chef's decorating bag to "squirt" the mortar in between the stones.

Seemed to do a nice job, and seemed fairly easy to control where the stuff went.

I think it was "Hometime"



HTH



Ed

 

[Whitmore]

I have done some of this work and it takes some patients, first to make it easy go to the store and get a morter bag, they are tops, mix plain morter mix up and start squirting it in there, also buy a small putty knife and one of those brick joint smoother deals, do a say 3x3 area and then smooth it up the best you can, then take a small wisk broom and sweep the joints, the morter will get everywhere but not to worry yey. Finish the whole wall up to this point, a couple 3 times a day get a spray bottle and keep the morter moint as to give a slow cure, this will help prevent cracks, then let sit a few days and get some muratic acic, ventilate the house and use a resperator for ppe, skuirt it down good and then either wipe the rocks clean or hose it down, then use a varathane sealer to make it all sealed and shiney... ... ..... Kevin

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Thanks for the tips guys. I will look for the industrial cake decorating bags. Also would a wet finger help to smoothen things out nicely or am I just asking for a mess?

 

[Whitmore]

yes it will

the wet finger trick will work good but you wont have any fingerprints when done, get a brick mortar tool, it has 2 sizes ... ... ... ... ... Kevin

 

[Fireman Dave]

Hey Donk - try peanut butter! :-laf

 

['956Wheel]

WET THE ROCKS! I use a spray bottle. The mortar bag is a must, also if you add a little extra LIME to the mud it becomes even more "plastic".



Mike

 

[Shovelhead]

Swamp Donkey,

Check here for more info about the grout bag.

 

[CUMAPART]

Sounds good so far. Moisten rocks, grab mortar bag, work pretty quickly but in small sections, some guys like to use a little duck bill trowel but it's easier I think if you go with your finger. Works for me. Unless you have those soft womanly hands!!!!

 

[Old Man]

Chinking

Use chinking, it comes in tubes and in different colors. It fits in a caulking gun. I have a log home and use it for spot repairs. Perma-Chink System. They have mucho stuff besides chinking. www.permachink.com.............I'm outa here (door slams)