lundi 30 janvier 2017

What To Know About Baltimore Granite

By Anna Olson


Granite refers to one of the strongest, most long-lasting, and beautiful stones in modern use for the production of various artistic and architectural products. The stone is prestigious and has a composition that make it possible to shape it into various forms. It is used as a symbol of elegance and quality when used in a place. It is in wide use in exterior as well as interior applications. In Baltimore granite stones have been in use for a long time and they are held in high esteem.

These stones are majorly applied in the construction industry. In external construction, the stone is used as a building material for making monuments, buildings, bridges, and pavements. Internally, it is used to construct countertops, desktops, stair treads, and tile floors among several other structures. This material is majorly used to make countertops for use in kitchens according to some research.

Like most other building materials, granites are also prone to certain problems. The problems in these stones can be classified into two major categories. The first category of problems is natural/inherent problems. These problems are based on the attributes of the material and its conditions of exposure. The second category of problems is vandalism and human-caused problems.

Under natural/inherent issues are several other sub-issues, which include erosion, chipping, cracking, blistering, detachment, efflorescence, spalling, staining, peeling, flaking, and rising damp. Blisters refer to the tiny swelling that occur on the surfaces of granites. These swelling may contain air and when they rupture, they leave small depressions. De-icing salts and ground water are the main caused of blistering. Exfoliation and spalling are often preceded by blistering.

Chipping is the process through which small or large pieces or fragments separate from masonry units. This process commonly occurs at mortar joints, edges, or corners. The cause of chipping is impact of repairs and deterioration. The impact may be caused by accidents, vandalism, or hard pointing mortar. Cracking is another problem that is indicated by presence of narrow fissures that range in width from 1/16 to 1/2 of an inch.

Cracking is caused by various reasons, including too hard mortar mix, flaws in material, and settlement. The cracks should not be viewed as a major concern if they are only minor. However, they may also be indicative of major structural failure that should be expected later. Salt migration may be caused if the cracks form a point of entrance for water into the stone.

Detachment is usually not failure occurring in the stone, but a failure of the construction system. The failure may occur in joints or connectors. Detachment can be corrected easily by using proper methods of repair. Penetration of water into the points of detachment can accelerate the problem and cause major issues in the structure.

The man indicator of efflorescence is presence of local deposits that are white in color. The deposits may be caused by various factors, including the use of improper cleaning agents, air pollution, mortar, de-icing salts, rising damp, and chemical landscaping treatments. However, it is not in all cases the white deposits indicate occurrence of efflorescence.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire