How To Clean Exterior Limestone On House

From the Egyptian pyramids to the Empire Land Building, limestone remains one of the most pop building materials in the world — across cultures and beyond the centuries.

This sedimentary rock, fabricated of at least fifty% calcium carbonate, has formed over millions of years, in warm, clear marine waters from the shells and skeletal remains of ancient sea creatures.

Because it comes in a multifariousness of textures and colors, limestone is a versatile material that has proven very helpful for a wide range of uses, including covering, cement, agronomics, smelting, and mining.

Limestone adds beauty and character to modernistic and classic buildings alike and is usually cut into blocks or slabs for utilize in construction and architecture.

Only information technology's also of import to requite your limestone exterior walls the TLC they demand to retain their force, appearance, and value into the hereafter. Caring for limestone is a iv-step process involving professional limestone cleaner and sealer.

What Are the Challenges of Caring for Limestone Exterior Walls?

RGA Global Headquarters, located in Chesterfield, Missouri just outside of St. Louis, recently had an issue with its limestone exterior.

Although the walls were only two years onetime, they were already showing signs of deposition, including mold and dark streaks from dirt and wet. Why is limestone so vulnerable to this kind of damage? How does limestone maintenance and refinishing differ from other traditional forms of stone refinishing?

Because information technology's a porous rock, limestone deteriorates when exposed to acrid and other pollutants commonly plant in urban environments. When left untreated, this tin can lead to pregnant impairment including cracked masonry, spalling, and loss of structural integrity.

In the instance of RGA, a limestone sealer was never initially used.

Proactive Intendance for Your Limestone Exterior Walls

After a serial of tests and discussing some options with a supplier, Mid America Specialty Services came up with a solution to make clean and seal RGA'due south 25,000 foursquare feet of outside limestone.

The solution involved a 4-stride limestone cleaning and sealing process.

#1: Mask Off

Before cleaning the limestone, the surrounding area was masked off so that no unintended surfaces would exist hit with overspray.

#2: Clean

Mid America Specialty Services began by cleaning the building with a limestone cleaner .

The initial awarding was practical with a 4-gallon back pack pump sprayer.

This particular limestone cleaner is mild, which offers many benefits:

Information technology avoids killing surrounding foliage
It won't etch glass or metal
It continues to care for the mold for upwards to two weeks after application

A dwell time allows the rock to blot the product.

The stone was agitated with natural fiber brushes to get into the pores.

Finally, the stone was rinsed with low-pressure level power washers at 1600 psi.

As with any cleaning procedure, it was of import to follow the manufacturer's directions every bit it can differ depending on the surface or the product used.

#three: Dry Thoroughly

The limestone surface must dry out thoroughly.

Mid America's service pros returned after a few days because some portions of the wall did non get straight sunlight and took longer to dry.

#iv: Protect

Finally, the limestone was impregnated with a protective sealer.

Limestone is a very porous stone that traps a lot of dirt and wet.

Mid America used a limestone sealer to end h2o penetration from causing the mold.

Two applications of the treatment were used. The solution was allowed to dry betwixt applications.

Nigh of the handling was practical with a pump sprayer.

Hard-to-reach walls were rolled on.

With proper cleaning and sealing, your limestone exterior walls will remain in splendid condition, enhancing the aesthetic and economic value of your edifice for years to come.

To learn more, contact the limestone experts at Mid America Specialty Services.