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Design and development MPS
Digital Labs, India
By Gloria Ayuso
In a previous issue of this magazine a survey of the use of natural stone in the house made it clear that, among other factors, two were important, on one hand, there was general concern regarding maintenance and conservation among some marble shop owners and the home buyers, and, secondly, there existed a certain amount of ignorance, if not unjustified mistrust, towards the specific products that exist in the market for these ends.
Therefore, in this article, we have prepared a report highlighting the different products, how they are called, what applications they have, and who makes them.
In the first place, we refer to two big categories of products : those which are used in the process of elaboration of stone and those whose application is in conservation and maintenance once the stone is installed. Within this category one should, moreover, distinguish between the use of products by professionals in cleaning and maintenance in big surfaces, and that which is for domestic use in the house.
The requirements of each one is different and, therefore, the formulation, application system and size varies.
In spite of its solid appearance, what is true it is a delicate material that needs specific qualities for maintaining its beauty. Like the skin, stone too needs a thorough cleaning which takes care of the pores, with softness but efficiently.
Cleaning could be daily or periodical, the dirt normal or exceptional, encrusted, there may be difficult spots; the dirt may be intentional. For these situations there are detergents, layer removers, stain removers as well as products for the prevention of these problems.
Stone, like a sensitive skin, also requires hydration and nutrition, to support atmospheric aggressions, mechanical aggressions, to prevent stains and, definitely, to relieve the effect of ageing produced by wear and tear. In this sense, the creams, waxes, liquid polishers or aerosols, constitute beauty treatment, they water-proof the pores, intensify the colour and provide a spectacular and lasting polish.
When the preventive treatment has not been done correctly, or the materials have suffered an extraordinary wear there are also other "shock treatments" that are available. It is possible not only to rejuvenate natural stone, but also do genuine rehabilitation when it is highly damaged.
Clean, prevent, beautify and conserve, four tasks to which we could add that of "special effects": obtain the appearance of an always wet floor, or age a new material so that it has an antique look within a few minutes(this, of course, we would never do to our skin!), are possibilities of some of the stone treatment products of which we write about in this article.
Cleaning constitutes, as with skin, the first step in the conservation of beauty of natural stone. And in cleaning we have to distinguish between the materials exposed to the exterior and the interior, because, as we will see, the problems are different.
The daily cleaning (normal dirt) of the stone in the interiors is done with natural soaps diluted in water. These products are presented in the form of more or less dense liquids. These are soft products, neither acidic nor alkaline, the continued use of which contributes to maintain the initial shine.
When the dirt is extreme or stains appear, one has to go for other formula. Cleaning called "end of the job", the elimination of old waxes, the encrusted dust, requires other products, detergents, layers or wax removers that provide greater efficiency in these tasks. The spots deserve a separate chapter. The departments of research and investigation of these manufacturers submit natural stone to all types of substances so as to experiment with new efficient formulas against the diverse spots. The stain removers come in the form of liquids, paste, and aerosol. They have an application period and when retired the stains disappear , if they are pastes, or disappear when in contact with the dissolved liquid in cleaning water. The stains oxides, oil, grease, of wine or coffee can be eliminated from natural stone without aggressive treatment that can damage the surface of these materials, but it must be mentioned that these are often the most difficult to remove and cause great problems. With respect to exteriors, the stone in buildings, facades or pavements is exposed to adverse climatic conditions. Intense cold, ice, humidity and contamination provoke stains, efflorescence, moss, and extreme dirt. The slate in exteriors, in pavements or in roofs, suffers from the phenomenon of oxidation of pirita. Cleaning and transforming this oxide in protection is the task of the cleaners. The problems described above have a solution in the market, taking into account that many products are polyvalent, i.e., they serve to eliminate stains and moss, for example, and, more important, at the same time serve as preventive treatment for such problems. In exteriors we cannot forget the stains that are intentional : paints or graffiti, frequent on walls and for which there are specific products. For paints there are two treatments, the preventive, that provides to the surface of the stone a film which makes the eventual cleaning of paints easier, and that specific against paints, which added to the mechanical methods or vapour assures a definite cleaning.
We have already highlighted the importance of an adequate cleaning for conserving or recovering stone attacked by stains. However, we must highlight that many of the problems of cleaning would be almost resolved if the stone is pre-treated with existing protecting products. Stone is porous by nature and tends to absorb the liquids with which it enters into contact. Making the stone surface water-proof against the greasy stains is the task of the hydro-repellents, efficient both in interiors and exteriors. All the manufacturers present diverse solutions to these problems. Different textures and presentations against the same problem: to create a protecting and lasting film over the surface of natural stone that repels the products which accidentally enter in contact with it.
Polishers, shiners, waxes, or varnishes, liquids, in paste, or aerosol, brilliant or dull, they are products developed for highlighting the beauty of stone. On one hand, they act closing the pores that become water proof to the stains, on the other, they highlight the colour and the shine. Their periodic use assures a good maintenance of natural stone. Except for the denominated "self-shiners" these products need a polish, be it manual or mechanical, after the application. There are a wide range of polishers in different presentations according to the application, for interiors and exteriors, in pavements, big and small surfaces and can be found among the totality of manufacturers. Within this category, but with distinct characteristics, we can find "edge polishers". They are shiners of areas not polished occurring because of the difficulties of the polisher, or the peculiarity of the work, or simply, due to shortage of time. These products function as chemical polishers, making mechanical polishing unnecessary. The results of their utilisation are spectacular. Several manufacturers present diverse modalities of these shiners. The denominated abrasive pastes combine a mixture of shining waxes with the action of a fine abrasive to achieve "brilliant results" in corners and edges. We should also refer to crystalline products. They base their efficiency on a thermo -chemical reaction: a weak acid dissolves the calcium carbonate ( component of marble) in the surface and mixed with crystallising agent, gives a exceptionally brilliant surface and very strong, similar to glass. In pavements, the surface becomes anti-slipping and more resistant to the treading. It also works as rejuvenator of highly deteriorated floors.
If the products for treatment, cleaning and conservation of stone constitute a world by themselves, those for installation and reparation are no less. Some years ago experiments were done with mastics of two components: an adhesive and a catalyst. Simplifying this product and to provide it with greater ease of application and of conservation have been the priorities of the companies when formulating the mastics. All the companies in this sector make equivalent products, but this range of products is so complex and varied we will deal with it separately in a future issue.
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Last Updated: July 2008
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