Q. I have installed a stained glass wall and pond. The mosaic sits on a mortar base, redguard sealer, then more mortar to level the surface. The glass mosaic is put up with latacrete. All of this is put on to a 8 x 16 block wall. One side is peeling... Read More

Stone Myths By Frederick M. Hueston www.stoneforensics.com Over the past 20years I have heard many stories about the reasons stone will fail, turn color, fade or what ever. Many of these stories are funny and almost all of them are just plain... Read More

  Efflorescence - Removal and Prevention   By Frederick M. Hueston www.stoneforensics.com The crystallization of soluble salts in Historic masonry causes severe deterioration of the substrate. This crystallization is called... Read More

Why Water-Based Impregnators Leave a Remove Rainbow-Colored Film If your idea of fun as a kid was going outside with a bottle of bubble solution and a wand, it probably wasn’t long before you noticed a weird phenomenon where a swirling rainbow... Read More

Think Twice Before Using a Silicon-Based Impregnator on a Historic Limestone Building Limestone, a calcium-based sedimentary stone, is a building material that has been utilized for centuries. The Pentagon, the Lincoln Memorial, The Empire State... Read More

Q. Should I use the enhancing sealer followed by regular water based sealer? A. No. You will want to use one or the other. If you want to enhance the colors, use an enhancing sealer.   Fred M. Hueston Chief Technical Director www.stoneandtilepros... Read More

Wax build-up on a vertical surface can be difficult to remove, since most strippers will run. Janitorial supply stores do offer spray-on baseboard wax removers that work very well; since they are applied as a foam, they will cling to vertical... Read More

Most of the stone soap products sold by stone care suppliers contain vegetable oil-based soap, and are safe for marble surfaces. However, a good quality pH neutral cleaner, such as Stonecare PRO Signature’s Marble Cleaner is a much better... Read More

The best way is to seal this space with silicone or acrylic caulking. Run a bead around the perimeter of the base. When you are done with the job the caulking should easily peel off or you can leave it in place. CAUTION If you use silicone caulking... Read More

Q. The travertine in my shower was cleaned with a bleach-based cleaning product, causing a stain. Will my travertine need to be replaced? A. Bleach should not cause a stain on travertine. You are probably seeing alkaline etch damage. A stain... Read More