Should i seal bluestone patio

In cold climates where it may be subjected to cycles of freezing and thawing, layers of the stone may flake. If the flaking continues, the stone may become weak and crack. In addition, rock salt, used to melt snow and ice, can stain or corrode bluestone. The stone can also be damaged by exposure to salt water, chlorine and acidic chemicals. Rust stains may occur if metallic objects remain in contact with the bluestone.

These can usually be removed with a rust remover. Although bluestone is less absorbent than m. Scrubbing the stain with a dilute ammonia solution is recommended. When exposed to sunlight for a prolonged period of time, bluestone will turn a gray color. Sealing the stone will reduce weathering from the elements and preserve its natural color.

In addition, sealant acts as a barrier to prevent wear from foot traffic and scratching from abrasive sand and soils. Water in bluestone can evaporate and bring salts to the surface, leaving a white residue.

This is termed efflorescence. Sealing bluestone can help prevent this from occurring. Another thing to note…. Well, what sort of stone was used? Pennsylvania bluestone, or New York bluestone, may have small chips of the natural cleft surface that come off. If the flaking is excessive, messy, a trip hazard, or just making the hardscape not look so pretty anymore……then I wonder—did you get a bad batch of stone? Sorry to read of your troubles. Post a photo here using imgur or something if you want me to attempt a more informed diagnosis.

Polymeric sand and mortar can both cause problems, when used in a dry laid flagstone project. And is the patio pitched properly, to shed water? We bought a house a year ago in Maryland suburban Washington, DC that had an existing dry-set flagstone walkway.

We had the walkway power-washed and reset. One of the stones has recently developed paper-thin delamination. Can anything be done to stop the delamination, and prevent it from happening on the other stones??

Most flagstone that you see in Maryland is bluestone, and blue stone can delaminate. Does it look like a book, and you can see the individual pages, some of them beginning to open?

If so, the entire stone is compromised. Might get another decade or so out of it. How this happened: some stones are just ready to crack open. Also, the walkway was off-level, as you describe it, and that caused water to sit in places. So if the stones have been re-leveled, hopefully they are done in such a way that there is no puddling, and water can flow along the top of the stones, away from the house.

Not much else can be done. Pitch the water away, replace any obviously delaminating pieces. Never seal. Hi Devin! This blog post was extremely helpful in warning me of the dangers of sealing flagstone. But I do have a question. I live in Washington, DC, and I am currently having a new dry-laid flagstone patio installed variegated Pennsylvania bluestone. In your years of experience, have you ever seen a successful stain to get the flagstone looking darker? Thanks again! Their product is a stain, meant for natural stone, and I read somewhere on their website that it is breathable.

What I want to know is: has anyone used it to take varigated bluestone and bring out the colors, darken it slightly, give it the wet look? This is an excellent question you pose by the way.

The problem was their idaho stone took twice as much time to cut, was heavier, came in awkward sizes and shapes….. So good question. Thanks Devin! From reading various forums it seems like there is a big demand for this sort of product from new flagstone patio owners, and it could also be quite useful for masonry artists like yourself! Could it also be possible that Pinterest etc.

It seems like a lot of the photos online are high contrast, or taken when the stone is wet. It reminds me of the years I spent pining for a clear view of the Milky Way. I was basing my understanding of what the Milky Way looks like on the incredible photos I had seen.

But when I finally found myself in one of the darkest spot in the world — the Atacama Desert in Chile — I was underwhelmed! The lens keeps gathering photons and layers them on top of each other, making the Milky Way bright and colorful in images — even though the human eye can never perceive it that way. Perhaps we should learn to love things as they are, and not as we expected them to be.

It turns out they do not sell a product, rather they are a nationwide masonry staining contractor. Apparently they have a propriety process inwhich they create a fully breathable stain and they can match any color of stone. As such, they deal more with walls and vertical surfaces.

Also, remember that deck staining tends to need to be re-done, every few years…. The link you provided for foundation armor….. It will darken the surface to slightly enhance any dull and faded coloring. That has me concerned.

Water beading up sounds like a bad sign. Well, I may need to edit the article above. I have used Aqua Mix stone enhancer on our flagstone patio and walkway. Its expensive but it does the job. There are plenty of reviews on Amazon under the quart size container that they have listed for sale.

Hi, Devin. Wish I was a little closer to Effort, PA so you could apply your artistry to my fairly ordinary patio project. I want to have an elevated dry install variegated thermal flagstone patio, because man-made pavers just look blah. At the stone supply company, their display patio of this material looks great, but the pallets of stone look duller on the surface. Does this flagstone kind of smooth out a bit as it ages and with wear?

If the material on the pallets looks more dull than what they have on display, then a the palletized material may be dusty. The quarry where it comes from, everything is covered in dust. Or, b it could be a duller colored material. In my experience, some contractors will recommend that you go with thermal flagstone…. They may try to install it the same way you install concrete blah pavers.

But wrong. Hi Aimeelynn11, There are a couple options for your situation. First, you could start applying a beeswax product on your top to create a waterproof layer. You will need to apply a coat twice a week for the first month to get a good protective layer and then only once a month just to keep the waterproofing. Secondly, you could try Waterlox Original Sealer.

With this finish you will need to sand off the current finish on your countertop so the raw wood is exposed, and then apply a few coats of waterlox. This stuff is completely waterproof with zero maintenance. Let me know if you have any more questions! Hope I could help! Yes, the limestone should be sealed.

Your installer can seal it before he grouts, and then again after. The existing wood was not intended to be the final surface. You can purchase a new cabinet end panel or remove the adhesive and see if you can get the surface in a smooth enough condition to look good painted. It may be easier to purchase a new cabinet. Scott Callaway 5 years ago. It is "one of those questions" I just offered this advise to another question.

Related Stories. Expansive indoor-outdoor living sold a couple on this midcentury California home, now brimming with vintage finds collected over time. To determine which brand and type of sealant is best for your product, consult with a local hardware store for the best options.

For added protection, apply a second coat of sealant to the area after the first coat is completely dry. This article was written by a professional writer, copy edited and fact checked through a multi-point auditing system, in efforts to ensure our readers only receive the best information.

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