Care & Cleaning

The natural stone you have—exterior or interior—in your commercial building, office or home is an investment that will give you years of timeless beauty. Simple care and maintenance will help preserve your stone’s integrity for generations to come.

  • If cleaning is required, use only a mild detergent and water, with fiber brush or high pressure water-blaster, with clean cold water with no additives, and as low pressure as possible to accomplish task at hand.
  • Do not use acid on stone. Test any commercial cleaning agent before use on stone.
  • Always follow manufacturers recommendations when applying sealers or other products.
  • Water filtration into walls is the most common cause of masonry deterioration. Periodic (at least annual) inspection and repair of any defective roofing, flashing and joints should be scheduled to avoid water infiltration.
  • Do not use waterproofing or coatings of any kind which could prevent water vapor transmission through face of stone from the interior.

Below are some recommended products for various types care, most are available for purchase through Amazon.

 

Construction – General Cleanup:

Prosoco 2010 All Surface Cleaner
PROSOCO
3741 Greenway Circle
Lawrence, KS 66046
Contact: Kevin Gwinn
C  763.286.6389
P  800.255.4255
customercare@prosoco.com

Algae or Biological Stains:

D2 Biological Solution
D/2 Biological Solutions, Inc.
Ted Kinnari, President
PO Box 3746
Westport, MA
P  917.693.7441
tkinnari@d2bio.com

General Stain Protection:

DRY-TREAT Stain-Proof Sealer
Dry Treat
150 Dashcomb Road
Andover, MA 01810
P  818.694.8407
ed.oreilly@drytreat.com

General Stain Protection:

Bulletproof Sealer
StoneTech by DuPont
370 North Wiget Lane
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
P  507.519.0714
stonetechpro.com

Salt Protection:

DRY-TREAT 40SK
Dry Treat
150 Dashcomb Road
Andover, MA 01810
P  507.519.0714
ed.oreilly@drytreat.com

Color Enhancer & Sealer:

DRY-TREAT INTENSIFIA
Dry Treat
150 Dashcomb Road
Andover, MA 01810
P  507.519.0714
ed.oreilly@drytreat.com

There are several industry publications for the care and cleaning limestone:

The Indiana Limestone Institute (ILI) has developed a useful stone cleaning guide called, “Cleaning Indiana Limestone”, Indiana Limestone Institute that many find useful.

The Natural Stone Institute (NSI) has developed a guide called, “A Guide to the Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone,” to offer routine cleaning guidelines as well as procedures for stain removal should it become necessary.

All methods of cleaning should be in accordance with ASTM C1515 – Standard Guide for Cleaning of Exterior Dimension Stone, Vertical And Horizontal Surfaces, New or Existing, which can be purchased here.

At Vetter Stone, we can care and clean for your stone to maintain its beauty. Please contact us for more information.