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CATEGORIES:
LIMESTONE RESTORATION - BLACK
CRUST - GRAFFITI SHADOW
REMOVAL - NEW CONSTRUCTION
LIMESTONE RESTORATION
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The restoration cleaning of limestone has traditionally been
a hunt and peck type of search for the appropriate products.
Standard HF restoration technology has not been functional
because the fluoride ion has such an affinity for calcium
that it can never be removed and it initiates a cycle of degradation
that is virtually impossible to halt. Even the safer “fluoride
salt” products have this residual problem. Further complicating
this issue is the porosity of the stone and its tendency to
develop deep stains of two distinctly different natures. The
first is environmental staining relating principally to urban
pollution and its reaction to the calcium.
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| The
Monroe County Historical Society's building in th heart
of Indiana's limestone country. The area of black in the
arch is being treated with SafeRestore |
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This usually results in black streaks or black crust. The second
problematic set of stains is from humidity and heat which results
in mold or mildew related shadows deep in the stone. We have developed
three easy-to-use products that are almost one hundred percent effective.
The only situation where this chemistry has not proven effective
is when abrasive blasting has damaged the limestone. This process
seems to open the stone in such a fashion that the chemical cleaning
process has no chance to be successful. We strongly advise against
abrasive blasting of any kind of stone or brick.
SafeRestore -Without harsh
chemicals,SafeRestore removes virtually
all of the most stubbom stains that occur on limestone including
the deepest biological, pollution and metal oxide stains SafeRestore
has a mild odor and is safe for surfaces and people.
NMD80 -This new masonry detergent
combines powerful cleaning ability with a faster application process.
It safely cleans all masonry substrates including limestone. NMD80
solves problems caused by other products and is perfect for new
construction cleanup.
Stripper Cream -Stripper
Cream is a thickened multi-layer paint remover. It is very slow
to dry out and can remain on the surface for days. It is an excellent
remover for black crust, graffiti and vine stem stains.
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No
odor
Many hospitals have been cleaned with the product SafeRestore
while they were open and the contractors have not had to cover
air intakes. NMD 80 has been
tested by OSHA and various safety officers on government jobs,
especially military bases, and has been found to not need respiratory
protection when used at proper dilutions. I personally found
the odor of Stripper Cream
to be most pleasent in use. |
The D-Limonene gives off a very pleasant odor while the stripper is
being used and the product only has the odor of the resoftened paint
during rinsing.
Safe
for annodized and glass
SafeRestore
can also be used to restore anodized aluminum frames on doors
and windows. It is the one acid cleaner that we are aware of
that removes the oxidation from the surface while not damaging
it at all. The same is true for the glass. When using SafeRestore
no glass need be covered. In fact whole buildings of glass have
been restored with the product. It is used to remove water hardness
stains, sealers, concrete leaching, paint wash, and a variety
of other problems. NMD80 is
frequently used to clean new construction when the windows have
already been installed. We have experienced no difficulty with
the product affecting the glass or the anodized aluminum when
used |
| Glass,
anodized, and limestone were all cleaned safely on this
courthouse. |
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at normal brushless cleaning strength. Stripper
Cream would not
be appropriate for anodized aluminum in most situations.
Burn removal
This is a special application that requires
communication with the manufacturer. We have seen though that NMD80
has removed a variety of problems caused by other products. This would
include streaks and burns on sensitive stone, blocks, and brick. NMD80
actually removed the stone bleaching and allowed the uniform result
achieved by then cleaning with SafeRestore.
Myths and facts concerning the use of strong acids on limestone
There are some common misconceptions concerning the use
of strong acids such as hydrochloric acid on limestone. The Indiana
Limestone Institute literature states, "special consideration
and protection shall be provided when brickwork is cleaned above the
limestone. Strong acid compounds used for cleaning brick will burn
and discolor limestone. Use of sandblasting, wire brushes or acids
will only be permitted under special circumstances, approved by an
architect."
The common misconception is that if a product is acidic in nature
and its pH is less than 2.5 it should automatically be banned for
use on limestone because it would fall under the classification of
a strong acid and would do the type of damage indicated in the statement
issued by the Indiana Limestone Institute. This statement would be
true if using strong acids in their raw non-reacted state. Our modern
limestone cleaners (SafeRestore
and NMD 80) have been formulated and
blended to successfully incorporate strong acids coupled with surfactant
packages that clean without adverse effects on the limestone. Throughout
the country, SafeRestore has
successfully been used to clean historic limestone as well as buildings
that have limestone on their windowsills or as one of their components.
Our new masonry detergent, NMD 80,
which contains a greater amount of a buffered strong acid than SafeRestore,
has been used to clean new and historic buildings that are made completely
of limestone and also those that contain limestone as one of its components.
Repeated inspections of these cleaned structures have been done over
more than a four year period and have showed that no apparent etch
or discoloration has occurred. This etch and discoloration would have
occurred and been grossly visible if the limestone had been cleaned
with raw HCL or a similar "strong acid" type product.
SafeRestore and NMD
80 do not cause discoloration or etch on limestone. EaCo Chem
provides blended products that contain a mixture of acids and surfactants
without the adverse effects that are typical of products, which use
raw acids as their main component or in an unblended state. Acid is
just one of the many components of SafeRestore
and NMD 80 and this is why we feel it is appropriate to evaluate SafeRestore
and NMD 80 on performance and safety
issues not on what one of the raw materials could do because in their
finished state the problems associated with low pH products do not
exist.
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