Thursday, 10 November 2016

What To Know About Baltimore Granite

By Anna Olson


Granite is one of the strongest and durable stones that finds a lot of use in various industries. The stone is aesthetically appealing and is used in making may different architectural and artistic products. When used in a place, it is usually a symbol of quality and elegance. The use of the stone is in both interior and exterior application in residential, commercial as well as industrial buildings. In Baltimore granite stones are held in high esteem because of the high reputation they command. Many citizens prefer having the stone in their homes because they understand its value.

One of the major applications for this stone is in the building industry. Externally, the material is used in the construction of pavements, monuments, bridges, and buildings among others. Internally, the material is used in the form of polished slabs and tiles that are used to make tile floors, countertops, stair treads, and desktops among others. Use in the making of countertops is one of the major uses for this material.

Most construction materials are prone to structural problems and granites are not excepted. There are only two classes of these problems, that is human-caused problems and naturally-occurring problems. Natural causes emanate from natural processes that are not influenced by human activities.

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.

The separation of large fragments or small pieces of stone from masonry units is called chipping. This process occurs at edges, corners, or mortar joints in most cases. Impact or deterioration and repairs is the major cause of chipping. Causes of the impact include hard pointing mortar, vandalism, and accidents. Another problem that is common in granites is cracking. Cracking is indicated by narrow fissure that occur in the stone.

Some of the major causes of cracking are structural overload caused by settlement, flaws in the material, and too hard mortar mix. If the cracks are minor, they may not pose any major danger or concern. However, minor cracks may also be an indication of major structural problems to be expected. Cracks may provide a point through which water enters the stone to cause salt migration.

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.




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