Many homeowners long for the appearance of natural stone in their home, but for any number of reasons may forego real stone in favor of pre-casted concrete – or cast stone. With the help of professional cast stone repair and maintenance experts, you can keep your cast stone looking, functioning and feeling like natural stone for years to come.
Cast stone repair and maintenance should be performed only by the experts, due to the careful and precise nature of its installation. Fortunately, there are still some things that the average homeowner can do to extend the life of their cast stone.
How Do Cast Stone Become Damaged?
Improper handling is one of the leading culprits behind damaged cast stone. It must be packaged, transferred, unloaded and installed with the greatest of care. Corners and edges are especially vulnerable to damage during any of these steps. This is because the corners and the edges of cast stone are much less dense than the center.
Spalling may also occur over the lifetime of cast stone. This happens when the concrete stone is placed under a lot of stress and pressure, such as at anchor posts. Cast stone may also become stained as a result of their exposure to the air and environment inside of a home.
Continue reading to learn more about repair and maintenance.
Cast Stone Repair and Care Methods
Just like anything in and around the home, cast stone need to be properly cared for in order to get the most use out of them. As soon as you notice something amiss, like a crack or a stain, you should act quickly to address the problem to prevent further damage. Here are the 3 most common practices used to keep cast stone clean, functional and beautiful.
Cleaning
As it goes with any surface in the home, cast stone surfaces can also become stained over time. Routine cleaning with water and a gentle detergent is typically enough to keep the stone clean and remove minor stains. In the event of heavier, more set-in stains, professional-level acids may need to be used. You’re free to use water and detergent to clean your cast stone, but you should absolutely call in the professionals instead of trying to apply cleansing acids yourself.
Coating
For cast stone that has become too cracked, stained or otherwise damaged over time, an architectural coating can be used to restore them to their former beauty. This coating is pigmented and also functions as a sealant. So, this coating doesn’t only make the stone look more beautiful, but it also helps them to function as they should once more.
This should be done only by the experts, at least every 10 years.
Patching
It’s not uncommon for cast stone to develop cracks over time. “Patching” refers to a process that seals up surface cracks. This prevents them from becoming worse over time and also helps in the restoration of the stone’s functionality. While you can’t harm your cast stone by trying to patch them yourselves, ineffective patching will simply fail to do anything good for you. For this reason, someone experienced should be responsible for the patching of cast stone.
These are the 3 most important and most common aspects of cast stone repair and maintenance. At the first sign of damage, homeowners should act quickly to get the professional masonry experts in their area on the case.
