Here's my experience: First off, I looked at Owens and Eldorado and picked up samples from both manufacturers. The Owens sample was indoors and looked fake. The finish was definately wearing off. I went to a dealer to look at Eldorado stone, we walked outside and all the samples were installed on the side of the building.
He said they have all been there for over 7 years.
So I went with the Eldorado because of looks, durability and the bonus...it cost HALF what Owens costs.
My fireplace was all painted sheetrock. I asked a few people about installation, because I really didn't want to make a mess of the recently finished livingroom with the lath, mortar and all that stuff.
I decided to rip off all the sheetrock, taking care as not to damage the surrounding walls. I then covered the studs with 1/2 ply and used construction adhesive to mount the stone veneer. I just put golf ball sized dollops on the back of the stone and pushed it into place. All the edges are 22 deg. miters. Working from the floor up, the whole job was complete over the course of a weekend and 2 hours.
TIP: Ater it was complete, I got a tip on installing around a fireplace. (duh) Build a wooden frame out of 2x3 the same size as the fireplace and use bracing on either side to keep it in place. This way you just have to butt the stone up to the frame and not have to worry about alignment or measuring.
The 2 hours: When all the stone was in place, There were slight gaps between the stone, and you could see the plywood. I went to Lowe's and picked up a tube of dark gray sanded grout to fill the gaps.
Where the miters are, you could see a few spots where I made cuts. I e-mailed Eldorado and the lady sent me a "Touch-up kit" FOR FREE!!! It arrived in 2 days. It consisted of 2 different colored powders that you mix with water and glue to "dye" those areas. I found using a cheapo paint brush worked well. You want to use a super small amount, and just dab the areas.
All materials....stone veneer, hearth stones, plywood, adhesive and grout cost under $1000.
Theres a narrow wall that separates the main entry from the staicase that I plan on covering as well. To tie it all together.