Key Considerations for Grouting with Manufactured Stone Veneer

Words: Jeff Tew

Manufactured stone veneer (MSV) is a popular material for creating stunning walls in residential new builds, remodels, and commercial projects. For masons, understanding the nuances of working with MSV can greatly impact the final look of a project, where critical aspects like stone designs, grout selections, and finishing techniques are critical in achieving the best possible results.

Eldorado Stone’s Hillstone in Lucera.

Design Choices
When planning a manufactured stone veneer installation, choosing the right stone shape, color, and texture is paramount. Whether you’re working with tight spaces or expansive areas, each decision will influence the overall installation. Profiles like ledgestone, rough cut, or brick-inspired MSV create distinct visual effects with a direct impact on architecture and aesthetics, so it’s important to consider your material specifications at the whole-project level rather than just looking at the MSV application component on its own.

In particular, any transitions along the wall need to be properly accounted for, both stylistically and functionally. This includes taking time to consider how MSV balances with other cladding materials, windows and doors, etc. From a design standpoint, the MSV itself is going to have some inherent textural characteristics and color notes that influence the look and feel of the application, and you’ll want to pay close attention to the role that grout will play in helping to achieve the specified finished look.

Grout Color Considerations
Grout plays a significant role in determining the final appearance of an MSV wall, especially when working with stones that have grout joints. The grout color can either blend into the MSV or contrast sharply to create a defined look. For example, using a light-colored grout with dark stone or brick will highlight each individual unit, whereas a gray or darker grout on the same product would blend in to create a more cohesive and uniform appearance.

Neither of these approaches is definitively “right” or “wrong,” which is why it’s vitally important to tackle these details during the project planning phase. Even after you’ve made your product selections, it’s an industry best practice to create a small mock panel with the chosen stone, grout and application technique before proceeding to ensure the effect aligns with customer expectations.

Because all of these material choices influence the final architectural and aesthetic characteristics of the space, it's important to leave nothing to chance.

Cultured Stone’s Handmade Brick in Canvas.

Grout Techniques for Impactful Results
Grout technique is another essential factor that determines the visual outcome of an MSV project. Tight-fitting MSV profiles like dry-stacked stone don’t require grout, whereas other profiles, such as fieldstone or brick veneer, typically need grout to fill in the gaps and create the appealing finished look the client is aiming for. Selecting the best grouting technique can drastically impact that finished aesthetic.

Over-grout Technique: This approach involves spreading grout beyond the edges of the stone, softening the overall look and making grout a more central feature of the wall. This works well with rustic designs. Some customers may also request an over-grout technique but have something more dramatic in mind, such as a schmear. When this happens, you’ll want to be very clear about the impact of a schmear on the application’s color and texture.
Standard Grout Technique: This method involves striking back the grout from the face of the stone, exposing the stone edges and creating a defined, shadowed look. It emphasizes the depth and texture of each stone, making it ideal for a more structured or modern appearance.

Joints and Finishing Touches
Once the MSV profile and grout selections have been made, you’ll need to install your stones correctly while considering the size of the grout joint between the stones. For a rectangular stone or brick-style MSV, roughly the width of a finger is standard. For an irregular stone shape, the grout joint will vary based on how tightly the stones fit together during installation.

Once the grout in a standard grout installation has been dried to a “thumbprint” consistency, meaning that you can press your thumb into the grout and leave a clean thumbprint, it can be struck with a pointing tool to uniformly spread the grout into the joint. Over-grouted joints, on the other hand, require more finesse in blending the grout and stone edges to achieve a cohesive, aged look.

Cultured Stone’s Sculpted Ashlar in Echo Ridge.

The Importance of Mock Panels
This is important enough to call out again: Given the variability in stone profiles, grout color, and techniques, it’s always recommended to create a mock panel before proceeding with a full installation. This allows customers and other trades on the project to see firsthand how the selected grout and stone interact, ensuring that the final product meets both aesthetic and structural expectations. The right preparation and attention to detail will turn any manufactured stone veneer project into an architectural highlight.

Take a look at resources and training opportunities or connect with members of the technical team at Westlake Royal Stone Solutions at ElevateWithStone.com/Technical.

About Jeff Tew
As the Director of Technical and Training, Jeff Tew is an invaluable thought leader and resource for trade professionals. With more than 25 years of career experience in Manufactured Stone Veneer (MSV), he works with masons, builders, architects, and others in the construction industry to help design and build beautiful projects. As a firm believer in MSV as one of the industry's most efficient and resilient materials, Jeff knows it can be used to define unique and captivating spaces and buildings through proper planning, detailing and testing. Drawing on his experiences as a contractor during trainings and consultations, Jeff focuses on helping pros build healthy wall systems using MSV while meeting building code requirements and working safely on residential and commercial job sites all across North America.

Key Considerations for Grouting with Manufactured Stone Veneer

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