restoration etc

[Willl]

I originally was going to just tear up this stuff and put something else down but know i changed my mind so I am just going to see what I can do with what I already have. See what opinions I get on it here. Here is the question.

What type of stone is this on this fireplace hearth. It is very dirty very porous. Feels very soft too. I don't really know what I can do with it. How much can it be polished up? Is it possible to stain the mortar inbetween the stone a white color. One piece has fallen off and needs to be epoxied back in.

Might even be man made with all I know.

Mayby It should be ground down some, then brought to a hone. And then sealed with something. And then if I want to use a colorant of a kind on the mortar to turn it white.

I don't know how much of this is possible though. Thanks.

http://www.adt-web.com/construct/hearth1.jpg

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[doitright]

Hi Willl :)

It appears to be flagstone. You can clean it, and enhance it. Don't hone/grind it, or color the joints.

[Willl]

How can it be cleaned without grinding it down. By grinding I mean taking it down some with a 60 grit diamond abrasive and then working my way up to about 8000 grit. Would be nice to seal the stuff too If I could. It really has absorbed alot over the years and looks quite nasty. Can't really tell too much from the picture though.

I suppose you don't want me to color the joints becuase you feel that it would bleed into the flagstone pieces. What if I get a color this is matched as well as I can match it with the flagstone pieces.

Thank you very much as always for your help.

[doitright]

Hi Willl :)

Just because you grind it, doesn't necessarily mean you remove any staining. I would start with a tile & stone specific alkaline cleaner. You might even need a poultice for any tough stains.

Is the top hearth surface clefted like the face? I can't tell from the picture.

You could TEST a color matching grout colorant. I again advise to use extreme caution to protect against the risk of staining the stone.

[Willl]

It isn't clefted like the face. That is why I am considering just sanding/grinding it down. I tried a section to see what it would look like and it wasn't too bad. Mayby I just got lucky on that part though. Might not be the most practical thing to do. Might even be smarter to just replace the whole thing.

I don't know just trying to see what my options are. Thanks

[doitright]

Hi Willl :)

Since it is smooth, grinding & honing is an option. I will always start with stain removal, then proceed to grind & hone. You won't need to go over 800 grit. Mayber your 8000 was a typo.

[Willl]

All I need know is a good stone sealer and a good mortar/grout stain and sealer.

For a stone sealer would this work well http://www.tiletool.net/stone_sealer.asp

and for a mortar/grout stain and sealer I was looking at something like this in there cream color http://www.tiletool.net/Tile_Grout_Stain.asp

Are these good for quality and price and would they do what I want them too. Thank you much;)