Page 1 of 1
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 6:22 pm
by crispy
Hi all,
I am a newbie so be gentle.
I have had laid 45 sq meters of Stoneflair Natural Indian sandstone laid over the last few weeks. Today has been a rather warm day and a large amount of the slabs now seem to have white / salty looking stains on them.
I have not tried to clean them with anything because I thought I would ask the experts here first.
Could it be efflorescence? and what should i do about it.
many thanks in advance
Chris
Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 5:15 pm
by Tony McC
Read the efflorescence FAQ on the main website
Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 9:20 pm
by crispy
Thank you Tony for pointing me in the direction of the FAQ it was a great help, apologies for not finding those first.
It certainly seems like efflorescence. Am I right to believe it is not that common in Sandstone, should I treat it any different from the advice given. The guy who laid the paving seemed quite surprised when he saw the amount and recommended I try to get rid of it with and 50/50 mix of brick acid and water quite quickly. I asked about the pitfalls of using brick acid and got a rather blank look back. Unfortunately due to the level of workmanship and reliability received (a long story of misery seen many times on rouge trader)I no longer trust his opinion and really feel quite desperate to make sure I do not compound the issue.
Thanks in advance for you help
Chris
Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 11:11 pm
by Rich H
Brick acid will completely ruin the slabs. Do not use it under any circumstances. Tony has much on this topic on the main site, with horror photo's to show what happens. Essentially, the acid reacts with the iron salts in the slabs to create big 'rusty' blooms which are indelible and permanent.
I've seen salty looking slabs before. It disappears in time, just leave it.
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 9:42 am
by crispy
Thank you Rich, It was Tony's advice on brick acid that prompted the questions to him in the first place.
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:42 pm
by Tony McC
Usually, it's not the sandstone that suffers from eff, but the mortar used to bed/joint it. The porous sandstone 'wicks' the eff to the surface leading some folk to mistakenly blame the stone when it's actually the installation that's at fault, if eff can ever be called a 'fault'.
Hopefully, the acid won't have done too much damage, and as we're at the end of the daffodil season, any eff should start to disappear of its own accord.
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:21 pm
by crispy
Thanks Tony, luckily I did not take his advice and too date I have only tried to wash it off with water. It seems to be a lot worse some days compared to others. Today at least 1/3 of the slabs had a were 2/3 covered with the stain. I guess I just need to stop worrying about it and let time take its course. Easier said then done when I just want to seal it and then enjoy it.
Thanks again for all the advice.
Chris