Blue Stone

[gryan]

Anybody ever cleaned and or sealed blue stone? I am doing the pavers for a homeowner who also has a little blue stone inset on the drive. Their are some oil stains from a car. I was planning on using my hot water pressure washer to clean it. Starting with low pressure of course. If that does not get the stains out I have the chemcal option. Has anybody ever used a grease/oil remover on blue stone? I am concerned about discoloration since I have not had a chance to test cleaners on blue stone yet.

Next, what would you seal it with to protect it from future spills. I am asuming a siloxane type sealer but would like feedback if youve had experience with other sealers.

Thanks!

[teacher]

Whenever working with natural stone, it is important to test detergents/cleaners on a sample piece before applying to entire job. To remove stains from natural stone use a natural stone specific oil/grease remover or a paver detergent that has been approved for natural stone. You don't want to ruin the entire job because of one stained piece of stone! There are many products available for this, from paste stain removers that sit on the stain for 24 hours beneath a sheet of plastic to prevent drying out, to a more typical detergent that is close to what is used on pavers.

For sealing, choose a sealer that will allow water vapor to escape through the surface. A water based siloxane penetrating sealer works well for this. With this type of sealer, though, you will need to re-apply every 1-2 years to maintain the best possible protection. Again, make sure to test the product first on either a "test" paver or in an inconspicuous area before applying to the entire job.

Good luck!

[Whyzman]

I've got "leakers" on my paver driveway...so I'm constantly doing cleanup. I've tried a number of different products to remove the various auto fluids. The best thing I've found is actually the simplest and cheapest...it is Kirkland dishsoap from Costco. It comes in a gallon jug.

When I know it's going to be raining in the near future, I deposit some of the dishsoap on each stain...enough to cover it. Sometimes it's there over night, or whatever. I've found it really doesn't make any difference how long the soap is on the stain. The timing is more of a convenience so that the soap is not stepped on and tracked elsewhere. After the rain, I'm hard pressed to find anything left of the stains. It sure beats the scrubbing I'd tried in the past.

[Paver]

Simple Green is another common, cheap, general cleaner. You can use it straight or dilute it with water according to your needs.