Hi We live in Sydney, Australia and are putting travertine pavers around our pool. We have had the coping pavers down for a couple of weeks now. Today we cut down a small Mango tree branch near the pool which put woodchips/sawdust on the pavers. It then rained. Tonight when we went out we noticed a yellow stain all over the coping pavers. Is there anything we can do to take the stain off? The remaining pavers for the rest of the pool area are going to be laid this week. We have also been advised to use an impregnating sealer for natural stone on them, which we haven't done yet. We were waiting for all the pavers to be down before doing so. Although I notice you are very against sealing them. Also can you advise how the remaining pavers should be laid. Currently there is a concrete slab for them to be glued on to. Thanking you in advance. Regards Mel

 

Dear Mel:

I love Sidney ! J

 

“ Is there anything we can do to take the stain off? ”

 

Yep: get a few 6-packs of Foster, relax and wait! A few hard rains and the following scorching Australian sun will take care of those stains! J

 

“ Although I notice you are very against sealing them. ”

 

Of course I am: I try to be a quasi-scientist, not a salesman! (If I were a salesman, I would tell people to use my own sealer, which, BTW, in a couple of oc cas ions beat the one you mentioned. And it's available in Oz, too.)

Let me ask you this: do you really think that the Romans ever sealed the travertine they used to build the Coliseum?

And if you think that now we know better than the Romans (or the Greeks or the Egyptians), think again: we've actually unlearned in the past 30 years and I can prove it! I'll be holding a seminar at an industry convention in Gold Coast in April. If you're interested, just show up! J

 

“ Also can you advise how the remaining pavers should be laid. Currently there is a concrete slab for them to be glued on to. Thanking you in advance. ”

 

Well, if you already have the concrete slab, install it with the glue (we call it thin set here in the US ).

 

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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