The Stone Detective: The Case of the Carrara Cruise
Frederick M. Hueston, PhD
It’s not very often that someone gives you a free cruise, and to top it off, I was also getting paid for my time on the boat. Too bad it wasn’t the Love Boat…but that’s another story.
It all began while I was having lunch at one of those 99-cent, heart attack, cardboard-tasting fast food places. I was chowing down on my fries when my cell rang. I flipped it open and with a full mouth mumbled, “Stone Detective, how can I help you?”
The voice on the other end had a very heavy Italian accent. He started telling me about his company, which renovated cruise ships. He told me they had used white Carrara marble in the guest bathrooms and they were having trouble with what he called “mystery stains.” I told him I would be glad to take a look at some photos, and if he had a sample he could send me, I could test it. He told me, or rather insisted that I visit the ship and look at it myself. Well, who am I to argue?
I asked him where the ship was docked, expecting (or hoping) it was someplace in Italy, but he told me there was one sailing out of Tampa that day. Well, Tampa is only about a two-hour drive for me. I told him I was not sure I could get there by the time the ship left the port — and his reply floored me. He told me that wouldn’t be a problem, he could have me flown out to the ship via helicopter if I could make it there sometime soon. He told me that way I could inspect the stone and then enjoy the rest of the cruise! Well folks, to be honest I am not much of a cruise person. Been on a few and it’s not my cup of tea, but I wasn’t going to pass this one up. Get my daily rate AND a free cruise? I told him I was packing my bags.
About an hour later I was in the ole Woody headed to Tampa. I arrived at the port and the ship was gone, but waiting for me was this bright yellow helicopter. The pilot was standing next to it as he waved me on board. I ran toward him, threw my bag onto the back seat and hopped on board. If you ever have the chance to take a helicopter ride, let me tell you, it’s exciting!
We landed on the ship and I was greeted by one of the ship’s engineers. He led me to my cabin, told me to unpack and relax, and he would be back for me in about an hour. He also told me that the cabin I was in also had the staining problem. I threw my bag on the bed and immediately went to the bathroom to check out the stain. I opened the door and lo and behold— it was just what I had suspected. The white marble shower had these brownish-yellow spots. Looking at it, I knew exactly what it was.
Take a look at the photos and tell me it isn’t obvious. I was wondering if the other bathrooms had the same problem. So I unpacked, and waited for the engineer to return.
There was a knock on my door exactly one hour later, just like the engineer said. I opened the door and was greeted by not only the engineer, but by an entourage of crew members. I think there were about six of them. Everyone introduced themselves, and off we went. We entered a cabin right next to mine. I went right to the bathroom, and again saw the same brown spots. But this shower also had some yellowing along the bottom perimeter of the shower stall. We must have looked at a dozen showers, and they all had the same problems.
I had been instructed by the Italian company that hired me to not say a word to the crew. They kept pressing me for an answer, and when they did, I would just ask them a question to avoid answering them. This is an old psychology technique, and it seemed to work. After a couple of hours of shower inspections, I returned to my cabin to write my report.
Can you guess what caused these spots? If you guessed the screws they used for the backer board were rusting, you would be right. The yellowing along the perimeter is from moisture oxidizing the natural iron in the stone. The only cure is to rip it out and replace. Now, where is that buffet, I’m starving! Another case solved – with fringe benefits, this time!
The Stone Detective is a fictional character created by Dr. Frederick M. Hueston, PhD, written to be entertaining and educational. Dr. Fred has written over 33 books on stone and tile installations, fabrication and restoration and also serves as an expert for many legal cases across the world. Send your email comments to him at fhueston@stoneforensics.com.