Frederick M. Hueston, PhD

The stone business can be pretty exciting at times, and to say the least, it is also sometimes strange. I have had inspections and consulting work on yachts, RVs and even on airplanes, but today I got a call that was a new one for me. 

I was sitting at my favorite greasy spoon listening to an old World War II vet talk about Pearl Harbor.  Yes, there are few vets still around.  He always tells the same old story, but it’s a good one about how he saved several men just before their ship sank. 

Just as I was finishing up my last cup of joe, my phone rang. “Stone Detective, here,” I said, as I excused myself and stepped outside. The female voice on the other end sounded rather hoarse. She said the entire staff (at a local animal hospital) was sick, and she thought the chemicals used by the stone restoration people might have caused it. 

Well, I’m not a medical doctor or an animal doctor, but I was wondering why she was calling me instead of the ER. I told her that she should get the staff to the hospital to be checked out, and then I asked her why she was calling me. She said she couldn’t get hold of the restoration contractor, and someone at one of the trade associations told her to call me.  I told her that I could come take a look at what they did to restore the stone but couldn’t guarantee I would know what they used.  She said that one of the staff was at the ER and having trouble breathing, and the doctors needed to know what chemical was used. I told her I would be right there. I hopped into the ole Woody and was off to the vet. 

I pulled up to the animal hospital and some of the staff had dogs and cats outside sitting on the lawn. I guess they were concerned the animals would also get sick. One of the vets met me at the door. He had a respirator on and told me the odor was horrible. I opened the door and immediately got a whiff of the stink. It didn’t smell like anything I have dealt with before. Years ago, when sealers and floor finish strippers were all solvent-based, the odors could be overwhelming. But this smell was like nothing I had ever encountered. I walked back to my truck to get a respirator, so I could take a look inside.

When I walked inside the first thing I noticed was that the floor was a white marble. It looked nice and shiny, so I assumed it had just been polished.  My first guess was that they sealed the floor with a solvent impregnator and it was leaving an odor, but it did not smell like solvents.  

I continued to walk around looking for what could have been causing the odor. Just as I was about to give up, the restoration contractor showed up. Fortunately, I knew him, and stepped outside to see what he had used. He told me all they did was hone and polish the floor. They didn’t use any sealer or any chemicals other than some polishing powder.  Now I was truly puzzled, but I was sure the refinishing and polishing chemicals used on the marble didn’t cause the odor.

I figured my job was done since I could pretty much guarantee the strange odor was not caused by the restoration contractor. However, I do have a soft spot for animals and figured I would take one more look. So, I donned my respirator and went back inside. This time I decided to check out the air conditioning unit.  I removed the cover and lo, and behold — there was the most disgusting gunk I have ever seen! I was sure that was where the odor was coming from. I told the vet that he needed to call their HVAC people, and they may also want to call an environmental air quality person, too, to find out what it was. Later I found out that the odor was a buildup of mold and other organic material. It wasn’t toxic, but it sure did cause some respiratory issues.