If you are looking for an elegant solution to refresh the appearance of your building from the outside, stone, more precisely stone veneer is a great solution. Brick exteriors are great and durable, but after a while, the material starts crumbling – fortunately, brick buildings stay strong even when time seems to say its word, so you can easily refresh it by installing stone on the surface. Here are a few things that you should know about:

• Pay attention to preparing the surface – stone can be installed directly on the brick, but only after making sure that the brick provides a stable base for the veneer. The first step is the removal of any paint from the brick surface (you must never install stone on a painted wall). You can prepare the surface through washing or sandblasting – don’t stop until you achieve a surface that is porous, but no longer crumbling;
• Apply a layer of rough mortar or install cement board on the surface to enable the wall to receive the stone;
• Wait until the surface is completely dry;
• Choose the right type of veneer – stone veneer comes in three main types: artificial stone made from cement is attractive and easy to install, therefore suitable for DIY handling; natural stone is more expensive and also needs some experience to handle properly and faux stone, made from polyurethane.

There are many professional options to improve the exterior of your building from http://www.nemasonry.com, along with a wide range of exterior products and services.