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Sandstone patio question
Article Number: 233 | Rating: Unrated | Last Updated: Mon, Jul 23, 2007 at 12:00 AM
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I recently added a sandstone patio to the exterior of our house. We live north of Pittsburgh PA. They Installed a base of 2A modified, compact, and layer of limestone sand and set with 2 1/2" sandstone flagstone with mortar between all the joints. In some areas they built it up 3 ft off the ground. We are having white and brown staining coming up threw the sandstone, my concern was the patio is only 2 months old. I had it tested and it is Calcium, sulfur, and Iron. 1) Will this work it self out? 2) What can I use to clean it with? 3) Should I seal this and if so what would you recommend and would this stop the Calcium, sulfur, and iron from coming threw the sandstone?
Angrylooking for guidance???

 

Dear Quinn:
 
The short answer to your problem is: Wrong stone for the application - end of the discussion.

Now, going into more details:

 
1) Will this work it self out?


It's anybody's guess, but it's highly unlikely. Besides, by saying sandstone you're saying very little – if anything at all. There are many different (and I do mean different) kinds of sandstone that span from dense and (almost) acceptable rocks, to sandstone that will actually fall apart under running water, and everything in between. Not to mention the different mineralogies.
So, even if it doesn't matter much, which sandstone do you have?

2) What can I use to clean it with?


Not much, really: the staining is leaching from the bottom and the stone is sautrated with those minerals through and through.

3) Should I seal this and if so what would you recommend and would this stop the Calcium, sulfur, and iron from coming threw the sandstone?

At best, the sealing of your stone would only help the maker of the sealer to put his kids through college and little precious else. Most likely, it would make matters worse by slowing down the natural osmosis of that stone.

Ain't the stone industry grand?!... They sell stone but don't have a clue on what they're selling, and nobody is responsible for anything!! In other words, like they say in Alaska, if it happens to you (the consumer) is your fault!!...
 

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?   It's the only hope there is to turn the stone industry into a serious establishment.

Ciao and good luck,

Maurizio Bertoli

 

www.marblecleaning.org – The Only Consumers' Portal to the Stone Industry Establishment!
Posted by: Quinn Zahorchak - Mon, Jul 23, 2007 at 9:28 PM This article has been viewed 0 times.
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