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18 | October 2024
Stone Restoration Corner
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Not only are there many more exotic stones in the marketplace now but there are also some new surface finishes, too. Have you ever heard of 3D soapstone? It is a bizarre material which is heavily textured but finished like the leathered or antiqued materials to achieve some tightness at the surface. These textured materials should be sealed for sure. There would be little to no refinishing that could take place due to the dimensional features, other than using brushes and chemicals.
There are also more and more honed materials gaining popularity today. This is “no brainer” as these materials, especially calcareous in nature, will show less etching and scratching. They also have what I have always called the “European” look. These normally require refinishing with normal diamond abrasives, only less high in the grit series. I call a good, honed look around a 200 grit, maybe less or more, depending on the particular stone.
My point is this, there are so many stones being used in the dimensional building stone industry nowadays, you will be get- ting requests to restore them, at some point. You will need to be ready for working on them, so have all of your tools in order. Most tooling will be universal, with the textured materials being an obvious stand- out regarding the use of different tooling. Test, test, test! Call me or another experi- enced reference, when in doubt. We should be able to give you some pointers.
I always recommend doing a test area on any project to confirm both the results
Slippery Rock Gazette
and procedure. Also, the best way to help ensure success is by partnering with a good distributor, like BB Industries, that knows the business. They can help with technical support, product purchase deci- sions, logistics, and other pertinent project information.
Bob Murrell has worked in the natural stone industry for over 40 years and is well known for his expertise in natural stone, tile, and decorative concrete restoration and maintenance. He helped develop some of the main products and processes which revolutionized the industry, and is currently the Director of Operations for M3 Technologies. Send your com- ments and questions to Bob at attn: [email protected] .
© MARK ANDERSON. www.andertoons.com
Gen-Z Zombie
Top Left: Old school exotic marble, including Tennessee Pink wall cladding – a true craftsman install done in the in the 1930s-1940s.
Top right: A very ornate-looking Splendor White, another type of “granite” material, with shiny but fragile mica inclusions scattered throughout.
Above: Black and white Italian marble. Pretty exotic though, wouldn’t you say?