We are beyond excited to share that our DIY Rock wall in the second space in our house is completed! This stunning rock wall is in our entryway. Read the tutorial on how to make your dream rock wall!

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We are beyond excited to share that our DIY stone backsplash, in the second space in our house, is complete! This stunning rock wall is in our entryway. The Modern farmhouse look with European charm. Do you LOVE it? If you want to create your own stone backsplash, here is how we did it!

I HAD THE CHANCE TO CREATE A LIVING SPACE OF WHERE RUSTIC MEETS MODERN.

The ability to bring elements of nature indoors was the look I was striving for. I love the organic feel of rock and stone. When we travel to other countries, I am always infatuated with the use of stone for decor throughout homes, and I thought it would bring an old-world feel to our new build. Here are some tips for your DIY stone backsplash for your home.

DOES STONE MAKE GOOD BACKSPLASH?

There are several different options when you are looking to install a backsplash in your home. A lot of people tend to lean toward the easier peel-and-stick method, but that was not the look that we were going for.

We chose a product called Mill Creek Siena from Buechel Stone. It is a natural product, not a manufactured stone. It is heavier and more expensive than manufactured alternatives, but we felt the appeal was worth it. We bought enough corners to case the window and the rest were flats. We took the kitchen table out of the house and laid every stone on the floor after washing them. This is important because you will need to see all of your options while you are installing the rock. You will not use standard mortar for this phase. You will need a specific type of adhesive mortar, depending on your stone choice.

We went with natural stone for a few reasons. First, it creates the look that we were going for while also tying into the rock on the outside of our house and the DIY Stone Pathway that we designed for our property. Another benefit of a natural stone backsplash is that they are extremely durable and stain resistant!

HOW DO YOU ATTACH STACKED STONE TO INTERIOR WALLS?

To install our stone backsplash to our interior wall, we installed the stone directly over the existing sheetrock. The first step was to install a vapor barrier. For this, we stapled 10mil black plastic to the wall. Next, we installed the metal lath by screwing it onto the studs at 6” spacing. After these were installed, the wall is ready for the ‘scratch’ coat.

The mortar type depends on whether you choose natural stone or manufactured stone and your vendor can help with that. Mix the mortar to a medium consistency that is wet enough to spread and dry enough to stay on the wall. There’s nothing too scientific about it! Work the mortar into the lath completely and finish the surface with a scratch coat scarifier, or similar tool to roughen the surface. I used a notched flooring trowel, because it’s what I had handy.

Allow the mortar to dry a day or so, or until you cant work your finger into it any longer. At this point, you are ready to install your stone!

We rarely cut or broke pieces to fit, but when we did, I used a 4” grinder with a diamond blade to score most of the way through the back side, then snap the remainder to create a more natural edge and not cut a straight, manufactured edge. After installing all of the stone and filling excessive gaps with smaller stone pieces, the wall can be grouted.

For our stone backsplash installation, standard type “S” mortar worked well. Mix the mortar wet so it can be squeezed through an approximately ¾” hole in a grout bag, which you will have to cut. I then squeezed mortar into the cracks and worked in sections. Once I finished a 3’x3’ section, or so, I allowed the mortar to set up until fairly firm. Then press and smooth the grout with a damp yellow grout sponge. Try not to smear the grout onto the stone, as it is difficult to remove.

I worked with two buckets of water and two separate sponges. One for the initial shaping and cleaning of the grout, and a clean bucket of water to finish cleaning each stone. Once everything has adequate time to dry, a sealer should be applied. There are many types of sealers that can provide different looks and different levels of protection for your natural stone backsplash, so you’ll have to decide what you want for your sealer. We could have gone with high gloss-high protection, which will allow anything to be simply wiped down, but sacrifices some of the old-world feels of the finished wall. We preferred a matte product, however, that would protect the stone from major messes but would allow some additional character to develop over time.

Here are some of my favorite images so far of our stone backsplash! Building a custom home is always ongoing with projects but I am so blessed you all are here to join our homesteading journey. I hope this DIY stone backsplash tutorial helps with your next project!

Hugs, Christina & Trevor