Maintenance Tips For Coping Stones

Whether you have natural stone steps, flagstone coping or pool coping, it’s important to keep them looking their best. These simple maintenance tips can help you ensure that your stone looks like new and is free of damage for years to come!

Natural stone is porous to some degree, so it’s important to maintain it with a sealer or impregnator. This will prevent liquids from seeping into its pores and staining the surface.

Clean on a Regular Basis

A well-maintained coping stone wall will not only look good, but it also helps extend the life of your stone. Regular cleaning will help prevent mold, mildew and other common stains that affect the beauty of your natural stone.

Spills and water spots can cause a variety of stains on natural stone surfaces. Blot spills with paper towels, and rinse several times with water and mild soap.

Oil, rust and water stains can be removed by washing them with neutral cleaner or a stone soap (specific products from Lithofin for example). Do not use harsh chemical cleaners on marble or limestone; these can permanently damage the surface.

Smoke and fire stains can be removed with lacquer thinner or by scraping them off carefully. Heavy paint coverage should be removed only with commercial “heavy liquid” paint strippers available at hardware stores and paint centers.

Stun marks on natural stone occur when a heavy object strikes the surface, producing weak links that break through the rock. These nicks and scratches can be cleaned up by buffing with dry 0000 steel wool.

Check for Loose Stones

Loose gemstones are a great option for people who want to customize their jewelry pieces. They can be purchased at wholesale prices, making them a more affordable alternative to preset stones.

Precious and semi-precious gems such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and aquamarine stones are also available as loose gemstones. They can be found at discount prices as part of clearance sales or because the gemstone dealer needs to move inventory before the end of the year.

One way to check if your stone is loose is to gently tap on it, one side and the other. If you hear rattling sounds, it’s time to take your ring to the jeweler.

Repair Loose Stones

Coping stones are an important part of any wall project. They protect walls from weathering, come with drip checks to prevent water ingress and offer an attractive finish.

When coping stones get loose, it is important to repair them as quickly as possible. Loose stones are not only aesthetically unpleasant, but they can also be dangerous.

One of the first steps in repairing a loose stone is to remove it from its underlying mortar bed. You can do this with a hammer and chisel, but you should be very careful when doing so.

Afterwards, clean the area where the stone fell from of any remaining mortar and dirt. This is especially important if the mortar was a heavyweight product like cement or plaster.

Once you have cleaned the void, you can insert a replacement stone. Be sure to match the stone with the original cavity, and use a pointing trowel to pack in a mortar that matches the existing.

Seal Your Copings

Coping stones protect your brickwork from the weather and also help to give your wall a solid, consistent look. They are an essential feature of any free standing wall and should not be overlooked when it comes to your garden design.

Whether you have a sandstone, limestone or concrete coping, it is important to seal the stone once it has been installed to prevent the deterioration of its colour and appearance from exposure to water and sunlight. Salt and chemicals are able to seep into the pores of natural stone and cause calcium deposits which can lead to surface deterioration over time.

There are a number of different ways to seal your coping. You can use mortar, polyurethane or silicone sealant or lead tees. But which method is right for your coping depends on a few things.