Dear Greg:
The reason why at times I take such a radical position like that about limestone, slate and sandstone (but let's focus on limestone now), is because
by saying limestone you're saying very little – if anything at all. There are many different (and I do mean different) kinds of limestone that span from dense and acceptable rocks, to limestone that will actually fall apart under running water or “powder” or “bleach” (all problems with no solution), and everything in between.
The vast majority of limestones are not appropriate for shower enclosure, and as long people keep bundling up the perception of limestone as a single type of stone, I will keep my position.
However, indeed there are notable exceptions, like, for instance, travertine (which is one of the very best stone for shower stalls) and, yes, Jerusalem Gold.
But, as you well know, exceptions are meant to confirm the rule…
J
So, go ahead and do use Jerusalem Gold: it is almost as good as travertine, which is saying a whole lot!
Keep a 1/16” grout gap all the time and, if you care about my advice, use latex-based caulk to grout instead of sand less grout. You will thank me later!
And do learn how to take care of it!
. The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing
(if and when possible and/or advisable) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about routine care from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at:
http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm
, you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 7-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay-per-download format in our Educational Literature section at:
http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm
.
And remember, every single penny of the cost of the literature will be used to support this site and its cause: your cause.
While you are in the “Helpful Hints” section, do spend some time reading all of the interesting FREE articles you'll find in there!
Finally, keep in mind that we need your support to help us helping you!
Will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at:
http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?
By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friend & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with, you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!
Thank you
Ciao and good luck,
Mauri
Article ID: 1123
Created On: Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Last Updated On: Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Authored by: Maurizio Bertoli [mail@mbstone.com]
Online URL: https://marblecleaning.org/knowledgebase/article.php?id=1123