Day 1

• 1). Apply the house wrap to the area the stone will be installed over, working from the bottom up. Staple or nail the house wrap to the wall. Overlap joints three inches.
  
  
• 2). Install the metal lath over the house wrap. Nail the metal lath directly to the studs, with nails about every six inches vertically. To cut the lath to size, use sheet metal shears. Overlap the joints and go at least sixteen inches around outside corners. Use galvanized roofing nails that will penetrate the studs at least 1 1/2 inches.
  
  
• 3). Mix enough mortar to cover the area with a scratch coat 1/2 inch thick, top to bottom. When mixing, add the mortar mix to the water gradually until you get a consistency of toothpaste.
  
  
• 4). Apply the mortar to the metal lath in a layer about 1/2 inch thick. Cover the entire wall area to be covered with stone. Use a scratch rake to add horizontal furrows to the scratch coat. Allow the scratch coat to set up a full 24 hours.
  
  

Day 2

• 1). Remove the stones from three boxes and lay them out on the floor close to where it will be installed. Arrange the stone on the floor, achieving a balanced mix of color and size. Never work out of just one box of cultured stone. Three boxes at a time is best.
  
  
• 2). Mix the mortar as before until you get a toothpaste consistency. Tint the mortar mix for no grout installations before mixing.
  
  
• 3). Work from the top down, installing corner pieces first. Some stone types have corners with alternating sides, one long and one short. Be sure to alternate these so that a long side follows a short side which follows a long side. Dampen each stone before installing it. Note that ledger type stones install from the bottom up.
  
  
• 4). Apply 1/2 inch of mortar to the back of a stone and press the stone firmly into place. Follow the pattern laid out on the floor as much as possible, but don't be afraid to vary from it slightly if you need to make adjustments.
  
  
• 5). Go over previously installed pieces lightly with a brush after the mortar starts to set up, removing any mortar drips.
  
  

Day 3

• 1). Clean up any mortar that remains on the faces of the stones with a brush.
  
  
• 2). Mix grout to a toothpaste like consistency, then add small amounts of water to make it just a little wetter and more fluid. Fill the grouting bag with grout.
  
  
• 3). Work from the top down and fill the spaces between stones with grout. Smooth the joints with a pointing trowel or other suitable trowel according to the type of stone you are installing.
  
  
• 4). Once the grout begins to set up, tool the joints with a jointing trowel to finish their look, or leave them rough for a more rustic appearance.
  
  
• 5). Brush the stone to remove any remaining mortar or grout once the grout has set up.