Condition of stone on arrival - Is this normal?

[MarMcc]

Hi, I was hoping to be laying some 900x 600 black limestone today but what was delivered looks to me like the crate has had some sort of cement sloshed over it and there are chips on the front faces as well as scratches. I have attached a load of pictures of it. As I have taken the out I have scrubbed them off dry and then wet with a hose and plastic brush. Some have come up just about alright but others look stained to me?

Is this normal or am I right to expect a crate of decent flags that just need dusting off ? Should I expect chips?

http://tinypic.com/r/voy59l/9

http://tinypic.com/r/2958nmf/9

http://tinypic.com/r/id4qyd/9

http://tinypic.com/r/5v3oqp/9

http://tinypic.com/r/2wp4g9j/9

Some are just about OK now, like the best one shown, but I am minded to send them all back.

[lutonlagerlout]

small chips are acceptable i.e. less than 5mm
where did you purchase this stone from?
I flat out refuse to lay black limestone or chinese granite due to multiple issues with both types of stone
LLL

[MarMcc]

These chips are probably nearer 15mm and some corners missing!

I assume the staining is the result of the cement based stuff. Is it normal to be scratched on delivery?

I bought from s local leeds based merchant but is the same black Kota that's available everywhere. Think it's best to se d the lot back?

[lutonlagerlout]

if you are not happy back it
LLL

[MarMcc]

New ones due tomorrow so let see if they are any better. Fairplay to the supplier. Admitted they come straight from his supplier to me and they didn't inspect. Happy to change without an argument. Still, 2 days of my little holiday project gone!

[danstan]

Its not unusual to see a quarry dust residue on this stone.. nothing to worry about. The stone is also very brittle making it prone to damage, hence the chips etc.. good that these have been changed. (make sure you wear gloves when handling it as it is quite sharp!)

Finally, make sure this stone is sealed with a good quality sealer. It loses its colour very quickly and fades to a milky grey colour. You do however need to wait before it is sealed to let any efflorescence come out.. normally 5-6 weeks after completion of the job but it depends on each case..

There you have it.. all advice that we as a supplier would have given to our customers as standard!

[Tom - Westminster Stone]

occasionally things things happen, it's how a supplier resurrects a problem which makes them a good one, and it sounds as if you have found yourself a good company if they have offered to replace them, I hope the next ones are as they should be

[williams]

I also won't lay black limestone, but Luton, why not chinese granite? I've seen some shit but generally it's ok, place I get it from is really clean tbh.

[MarMcc]

Hi All, thanks for all the replies. They came with a new crate on Wednesday afternoon. I asked him to wait while I had a look at it. Much the same so I sent it back and they are refunding me. I then when to another supplier who has a yard and just supplies stone. I noticed straight away that the crates had a top and a full thick plastic wrap around the whole crate. The ones I had received had no top and not wrap. The new places Kota black had a little dust, but not the sort of splatter on slurry material that the last lot had. So, fingers crossed tomorrow I should vet to lay a slab or two!

Thanks for the point about gloves. A lesson I learnt with the first load. I am going with the romex sealant but its a bit of a gamble as to when it will get applied in terms of the weather.

What would peoples prefer pointing material be? Could do with the brush in easy type but had rad bad things about geo-fix. I want a pale grey compound.