Recognizing Cleaning Challenges

When you are trying to clean up your yard, and you discover some broken stones or bricks, you should hire a pro for the job. The way you repair a stone walkway is very different from how you repair a brick wall. Both use some of the same materials, but repairing vertical stone is very different from repairing horizontal stone on the ground. Here is more on these two types of repairs, and why their differences matter:

Repairing Horizontal Stone

Horizontal stone, or stones used on a level or flat surface such as a walkway, can wear down and break over time. Repairing this type of stone is much easier, as you only need a little bit of wet cement and a mason's trowel. The broken chunks of stone are removed from their position, placed on a flat surface, and adhered together with cement.

Once the cement has dried, and the paving stone is one unified piece again, a thin layer of wet cement goes into the hole left by the missing stone. Then the repaired stone goes back into place and left to dry. Nothing else really needs to be done, although the contractor may use a sealant to prevent the stone from busting up again.

Repairing Vertical Stone

Vertical stone, such as that found in a brick wall, is much more complicated to repair. Each stone or brick relies on the weight below it to support the weight above it. Removing the stone or brick is very tricky business, as the entire wall could collapse. The contractor looks for other weak points on the wall to determine if the one or two broken stones/bricks can be removed safely without causing major structural damage.

If the brick/stone can be safely removed, it is. A layer of wet cement fills the hole or prepares it for a new brick/stone. The busted stone or brick is discarded because it can no longer withstand the weight above it. As the area dries and hardens, it reinforces the wall again and prevents further damage to other stones or bricks.

Why Their Differences Matter

With horizontal stone surfaces, you can do a patch job, and it will not endanger the structure. With vertical stone surfaces, you have to be much more precise and careful, or the entire surrounding structure could be severely damaged. For this reason, never attempt to clean up broken stone surfaces by yourself unless you absolutely know what you are doing.

Contact a company like Marble Tec Systems for more information and assistance.