Creative Director Melanie Redman has skilfully installed Veneer Stone Dry Stack Travertine with stunning results. The wide grouting in particular has given the end result an authentic timeless feel.
Melanie Redman Design, is an interiors and lifestyle design service located in the Macarthur Region Southwest of Sydney NSW. All images: Melanie Redman Design
Dry Stack DIY Installation Process
Melanie gave us a rundown of her DIY install process:
The product was easy to install. Patience is required! Once I started mixing the tile adhesive and worked out the consistency I needed (like a firm cake icing texture) the rest was easy.
Do any corner runs first. It’s much like a jigsaw puzzle. For a more ‘old world european or french farmhouse look’ I wanted to space the stone for larger grout joints. Off cuts of timber and even scrunched alfoil did the trick for larger spacing as I had this readily available – Just to hold the stone pieces till the adhesive dried. Really once you get the hang of it, it gets quicker and quicker. Confidence is key. I made sure to mix the pieces creating vertical and horizontal lay, making it feel more ‘random’. You actually can’t make a mistake in laying it once you have the adhesive consistency sorted. When required I used a hammer and chisel to break the stone, or an angle grinder (wetting stone first).
Once all the pieces were fixed grouting began. This was another easy but tedious job. A lot of grout was used as the gaps were wide and I wanted a slight smear over the stone edges. Bit by bit I chipped away at it till it was done. I saved loads on labour by doing the stone and grouting myself, and the reward was a greater sense of satisfaction at the end of the job.
