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August 31, 2005

CPSC, Tile Perfect Inc. Announce Recall of Stand’n Seal Grout Sealer Due to Respiratory Problems

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Stand’n Seal “Spray-On” Grout Sealer sold in 2005
Units: About 300,000 cans
Distributor: Tile Perfect, a division of Roanoke Companies Group Inc., of Aurora, Ill.
Hazard: The product’s odor is not chemically pungent enough to force consumers to minimize their exposure to the fumes. Consumers overexposed to these fumes can experience respiratory-related illness.
Incidents/Injuries: There have been 88 reports from consumers who have had adverse reactions after using the aerosol product, including 28 confirmed reports of overexposure resulting in respiratory symptoms for which medical attention was sought for coughing, irritation, difficulty breathing, dizziness and disorientation. Thirteen individuals required medical treatment including overnight hospitalization.

The only information I could get from stand ‘n seal was:

The product label for Stand ‘n Seal Grout Sealer clearly warns users against breathing vapors, and the product is formulated to have a chemically pungent odor, which alerts consumers to the presence of potentially harmful vapors. We have safely marketed and sold more than one million cans of the product with virtually no complaints of injury due to exposure to vapors.
A small number of production batches were made by our contract manufacturer with an unapproved change in raw materials, which resulted in a less chemically pungent formula. The less repellent odor of the affected batches does not provide the immediate sensory (smell) warning that the user is being exposed to vapors, even though this is clearly warned against. Upon learning of the unapproved change in raw materials, we immediately undertook a voluntary recall of the affected product. As of August 6th, all product containing the alternate raw material has been removed from the shelves of The Home Depot stores. Replacement product has been made available to affected retailers using the correct formulation.
We regret the situation, and are working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to publicize the recall and address consumer concerns. Anyone who purchased defective product can return it to their local Home Depot store for a full refund. Affected products have batch numbers - - found on the bottom of the can - - that start with any of the following six-digit codes: A20985; A30985; A10995; A20995; A30995; A11015; A21015; A31015; A11025; A21445; A31445; A11455; A21455; A31455; A11465; A21465
For additional information, consumers can call 800-552-6225 ext. 2572

Posted by huligar at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2005

Certification Program For Natural Stone Consultants

Both the ISI and MIA Has Deem it necessary to establish a certification program for natural stone consultants and inspectors.

On June 17, 2005 The ISI (International Stone Institute) had its’ first Certification Program.

Fred M. Huston

The sole owner and teacher of ISI claims that the use of stone flooring in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past several years. Unfortunately, there are a lot of installers who do not know how to properly install stone flooring and with this comes an increase in the number of failures. There are very few inspectors in the world that are qualified to determine why these installations fail.

This certification course was approved by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification).

The IICRC primary missions of the Institute are to be the leading, independent, non-profit, certification and International Standard setting body within the cleaning, inspection, and restoration industry; to set and promote high ethical standards, and to advance communication, collaboration and technical proficiency.

In addition to the primary activities within these industries, the Institute pro-actively disseminates information to maintain industry-wide, productive, logical and fair recommendations for the protection of the consumer, industry workers and the environment. The Institute continues to promote the science of cleaning and restoration.

In August of 2005 The MIA (Marble Institute of America) announced that in 2006 it would establish its’ first certification program for natural stone consultants and inspectors serving the residential component of the industry, giving them an industry designation of "Certified Stone Consultant (CSC)."

Gary Distelhorst

MIA Executive Vice President claim "With the boom in the natural stone industry, there has been an increase in demand for consultants with the credentials to inspect previously-installed jobs to determine if, in fact, the workmanship and materials utilized were in concert with industry standards, Unfortunately there are many people marketing themselves as stone inspectors and stone consultants who have limited knowledge of the natural stone industry and the appropriate standards of stone selection, fabrication, and installation."

A task force, compile of professional certification specialist, clude Lindell Lummer, Ralph Williamson, Greg Mowat, Tom McNall, Don Halverson, and Kevin Padden. Has been working on find tuning this program since 2004.

The MIA is currently the largest organization of its kind in the world, with approximately 1300 members and growing. The MIA is also completing its work on an accreditation program for fabricators and installers, which will allow them to market their organizations as "MIA Accredited." The Fabricator and Installer Accreditation program is also expected in 2006.

The mission of the MIA is to promote the use of natural stone and be the world's most authoritative natural stone information resource.

Posted by huligar at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2005

To Mr. Kevin Padden reach out to the stone fabrication community.

“Calling ALL Fabricators:

Between now and October 21st, there will be a gathering of ideas & suggestions on topics of discussion for
StonExpo 2005’s upcoming “Countertop Fabrication Forum.”

"This Seminar/Forum (#FR23) will be held from 9:15am until 10:30am on Friday October 21st,
and the core panel that will act as moderators will be Mark Blanda, Kevin M. Padden and Robert Smith.

We all know that the time frame allowed for this open forum is just over an hour, and we thought that if we
at least try to get as many topic suggestions in our hands – before the forum starts, we’ll all
(people on the panel AND people wanting to attend) have a better idea of what Fabricators want to talk about,
and we’ll be able to spend the entire time in the forum – discussing & sharing ideas.

We’d encourage you to take some time and offer any suggestions for topics of discussion that you
would think would help make this Seminar/Forum a more valuable investment of your time
(and other Fabricator’s) – while you’re at StonExpo 2005 in "Fabulous" Las Vegas “

He goes on to invite the fabrication community to contact Mark at markb@stoneinteriors.com or by phone at 251-964-5070, Kevin can be reached at kevinmpadden@cox.net or by phone 480-993-6126, and Robert can be contacted at smitty38@scglobal.net or by phone at 734-564-4405.

"Pretty much anything that's a serious topic regarding Countertop Fabrication is fair game.

We’ll all do our very best to get every relevant Natural & Engineered Stone topic idea on the floor for discussion.

Thanks For Your Support & Happy Fabricating!!!”

Once more the restoration guys are left out. Do they not understand that most of the topics that they will be discussing are of importance to us. As restoration guys we have to clean up after the fabricator. Once the install is complete most fabricators will have nothing to do with stone. I hope the restoration guys add their input as well. Please go to www.huligar.com or www.stoneadvice.com and let your voice be heard.

I will be at StonExpo 2005. If I get my press pass I will interview as much people as possible and keep you in the loop.

Posted by huligar at 09:07 AM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2005

Tom McNall And Fred Huston Kissed And Made Up

If anyone logged on for a fight man o man were they disapointed.

Today from 3-4pm Tom and Fred showed each other the respect that they both deserved.

There was no mention of the MIA or the ISI, no name calling, not even a debate. I have asked and received a commitment from Tom and Fred to appear here on the Huligar forum to answer the questions that we realLy want answered.

To listen to the show click here

I must warn you, It is a real love fest.

Tom McNall:

"I don't think it is a real big deal. Even though Fred and I do not always agree, we still respect each other. It is the Irish way - We drink and drink and fight and fight, then drink again. We are still friends the next day, after all, Ireland is a small island, the guy you fight with today could be your brother-in-law tomorrow."

Fred M. Hueston:

"I had a great time on the show today. I respect Tom and he does me. We dont always agree but we are both here for the betterment of the industry. Someday maybe the ISI and MIA will be one..Only time will tell. Good job Tom."

Tom has always made the claim that big things will come from the MIA, do you think he was hinting to the joining of the MIA and the ISI. If so, I hope one of them will give me back my dues. I will do my best to keep you all in the loop as much as I can. Until than see you at www.huligar.com/forum

Posted by huligar at 06:06 PM | Comments (0)

August 26, 2005

Tuscan town writes marble tradition in stone

By Philip Pullella

The faithful in Pietrasanta, Italian for "holy stone," worship one god above all others -- marble.
Colombia's Fernando Botero is just one artist who lives and works here part of the year.
Other contemporary artists who have worked with the stone and bronze masters of Pietrasanta include American Jeff Koons, Knut Steen of Norway and Britain's Marc Quinn.
Apart from working with contemporary artists on new creations, Cervietti's studio also makes full-size copies of classic statues such as Michelangelo's David or the Pieta.

PIETRASANTA, Italy (Reuters) - If Michelangelo were alive today, he might well be sculpting, teaching and losing his notoriously short temper right here in "Holy Stone."
This is Pietrasanta, the Tuscan town that is part artist's colony, part sculpture workshop, part open-air museum, part gallery and part state of mind.
The faithful in Pietrasanta, Italian for "holy stone," worship one god above all others -- marble.
"This whole area is set up for sculptors. It is a community set up for the artist and in that sense it is unique," said Keara McMartin, director of Pietrasanta's legendary Studio Sem.
"There is no other place in the world that has this amount of support structure," she said as artisans worked away with power chisels.
Walk through parts of Pietrasanta and your shoes will soon be covered with the fine white marble dust that blows under the Tuscan sun.
Pietrasanta is dotted with numerous marble studios and bronze foundries where master artisans who have stone and sculpture in their bloodlines going back for centuries help artists -- famous and not -- realize their creations.
Colombia's Fernando Botero is just one artist who lives and works here part of the year.
Other contemporary artists who have worked with the stone and bronze masters of Pietrasanta include American Jeff Koons, Knut Steen of Norway and Britain's Marc Quinn.
Quinn's huge work called "Alison Lapper Pregnant," a marble statue of a disabled mother which will be placed next year for about 15 months on the fourth plinth of London's Trafalgar Square, is now being crafted in the Franco Cervietti studio.
LOLLOGRIGIDA'S FIRST LOVE
Gina Lollobrigida, the actress who in her older years has returned to her first love -- sculpting -- also lives and works in Pietrasanta part of the year.
"Here, I feel like a normal person. The people know who I am but they let me breathe and concentrate on my work," she said. "In the movies, I had to work under directors. But in sculpture, I am my own boss and I can express myself as I wish."
Botero, Quinn, Lollobrigida, Koons and other artists are following in some rather big footsteps in Pietrasanta.
In 1518, Michelangelo, under orders from Pope Leo X of the Medici family, scoured the quarries of nearby Monte Altissimo for marble for some of his masterpieces.
"If he were alive today, he would probably have us all working for him and he'd probably be shuttling back and forth between here and Florence," said McMartin, an American who moved here in 1980 and now heads the Sem studio.
Most people think artists do it all but in reality it is the artisans of Pietrasanta and other towns in Italy's "marble belt" who do most of the sculpting from models of plaster or wood.
"It's a very romantic idea but only sculptors with no money do all the work," she said. "An artist is wasting his time doing it all. A large-scale work could take a year. During that time his mind is already 10 projects ahead and he would be blocked."
Pietrasanta's artisans work with simple, centuries-old measuring instruments to calibrate depth and distance between points as they transfer the shape of the model to the stone using modern tools, most of them powered by air compressors.
"No one should be shocked. Even Michelangelo and Bernini had helpers preparing the work for them," said Cervietti.
"It's a collaborative process. Some artists move here while we are doing their work and pass by every day. Others come toward the end and do the finishing. Some want us to improve their creation as the work progresses," he said.
PSSSSST ... WANT TO BUY THE PIETA?
Apart from working with contemporary artists on new creations, Cervietti's studio also makes full-size copies of classic statues such as Michelangelo's David or the Pieta.
If you want a full-size copy of the Pieta -- not one made from a mold but carved from a single block of marble the way Michelangelo did -- it will set you back 80,000 euros ($120,000). The last Pieta from the Cervietti studio went to Florida.
On a recent day, several artisans at Cervietti's studio were chiseling away on classical-style statues for the base of a huge stairway in a palace being built by a Russian oil magnate.
While the Cervietti and Sem studios deal with big names and sometimes big money, Lynne Streeter, a 50-year-old Californian who has lived part time in Pietrasanta for 20 years, runs sculpting workshops for beginners and middle-level artists.
"The artisans here have a fantastic history behind them. Some were apprenticed to master cutters when they were 10 years old. There is no place like it," said Streeter, her head covered with a bandana against the ubiquitous marble dust.
Streeter, whose exuberance for all things marble is contagious, gives her students T-shirts bearing the slogan: "Don't Take Marble for Granite."
One is Rupert Pearson, a 33-year-old artist from London who is fond of referring to Michelangelo and other artists who have walked Pietrasanta's streets before him as "colleagues."
"Being in the same climate and environment helps me feel close to those colleagues and try to understand how they felt, what they wanted to say and questions they were considering," he said while guiding a power chisel over his sculpture.
Pearson tells the story of how Michelangelo once destroyed a wax model by his contemporary, Giambologna, and reshaped it in front of his eyes to teach Giambologna that he could do better.
So what would Michelangelo tell Pearson if he were alive and teaching in Pietrasanta today?
"If he came here, he might smash this and let me know that he wanted me to start all over again," Pearson said. "But that's fine. That's what I'm here for."

Posted by huligar at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

Tom McNall And Fred Huston On The Same Show.

For those who do not know, Fred Huston has a radio show that plays on Saturdays and so does Tom McNall. On August 27, 2005 for the first time ever Tom and Fred will be in the same place at the same time doing the same show.

Anyone who has surfed the forums knows the love that these guys have for eachother. Tomorrow I will be logged into www.fredsshed.com just to see what happens. I am also going to make sure I get at least one call in to the show. The last known words shared by these guys are as follows.

Tom McNall

“Fred, I used to look up to you and everyone (even the MIA) knows it. It is idiodic and greedy things like this that have made me lose that respect. I even tried to play Devil's Advocate when you started the ISI and explain that perhaps you would come to your senses. Now I see what everyone was saying. I feel like Obi Wan finding out that Anakin is not "the chosen one". I really thought you wanted to make a difference in the industry. The only difference you want to make is in your pocketbook. You care little about the next generation that has to "mop up" the mess that you are making by certifying carpet people in stone.”

Fred Huston

“I do not have a monopoly on certification..Anyone who qualifies can apply to offer this course. The problem with the MIA is that it is controlled by fabricators and others who do not want other to enter the business. They dont like me, because I am training their competition. Say all you want buddy, but this is the truth.

Certification has to start with the indivdual and it cannot be a "pay your fee and your certified" Im sorry we dont agree but this is where it is at.

As far as IICRC..you dont know a thing about this organiziation..It is not just a rug huggers organization. The organization has some very power scientist invovlved.

Get your fact correct.”

I do not know if these guys kissed and made up. But I want to know where they both stand on certification.

I will try my best to do a phone interview and also ask both guys to stop by this forum and leave their comments.

Posted by huligar at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2005

Resined Granite Debate

The natural stone community has just been part of one of the greatest debates to hit the Internet.

Are resined Granites inferior when it comes to large heat exposure events?

In one corner stands Mark Lauzon, a current fabricator out of Oregon
In the other corner, the "Old School Gentlemen"
Simple questions were raised:

If a slab is resined can you put a hot pot on it?
When a stone is resined does it make it stronger?

The usual quick responses included were simple, then out of the blue an old timer decided to interject his opinion and that is when the debate started to "heat up". Old school stories were in full swing as if they were listening to their Victrola with an Al Jolson record playing.

Mark Lauzon decided to take up the challenge and run extensive testing for the whole world to see …

Testing included a hot pan test.

A weed burner test at 600-degree temperature exposure.

And just like he promised he actually cooked some nice looking steaks directly on top of this very hot piece of granite.

Congratulations Mark, a challenge presented itself and you rose to the occasion. Next time the steaks are on us.

Now that Mark took care of the hot pot, let's look at the second question.
A lot of materials unfortunately have natural defects, mostly fractures and superficial holes and pits.
Nowadays there are many different kinds of polyester resins, with different viscosity, color and hardening times. Some resins have even the capability of UV hardening, allowing a very fast curing time.
There are special products on the market for enhancing the color of granite and marble. Applying these products will allow you to permanently match the two colors with one application.
Although the “purists” have scrutinized the epoxy resining of the granite slabs in this business, it has grown now to a point where it is not only accepted by the majority of the operators, but also often required in a lot of materials. The resin has the double effect of assuring the strength of the slabs and providing a clean feeling of touch to the homeowners and other end final users.
Technology has recently improved the quality of these systems, ensuring a better natural product at a marginal cost in the final outcome. And as a result, some of the world's most beautiful granites are available on a larger scale and at a reduced cost, allowing the stone industry to deal with quality products virtually free of defect.
We reach out to a friend of the room, Mr. Filippo Emanuel of Tenax USA.
“As far as strength, the main reason why we use the epoxy resin in granite is to strengthen it up.
The resin goes deep into the stone and takes the place of the gap.
Epoxy resin and hardener bonds together with one of the strongest bond in the adhesive category. 4-5 times stronger then polyester or acrylic.

It is the same family of glues used in the aviation, nautical and mechanical engineering.

On materials that don't have cracks and micro fissures though the resin is used only to fill in the superficial pits the smallest imperfections (sometimes they just look like white micro fissures).

On lighter materials we have special epoxies that won't darken up the stone but still will fill the cracks and the fissures.

(We currently have at least 10 different resin and 70-80 different hardeners that can be combined together, depending on the results or the applications)... “
Stay current. Our trade is changing day by day.

To see the entire Mark Lauzon BBQ test Click here.

Posted by huligar at 05:02 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2005

You Get What You Pay For.

Most people want the floors to look like this.

Other times they try to save a few dollars and chose the lowest bidder. The floors may look great for a few weeks and then....

The reason for this can be blame on what most like to call crystallization and topical finishes.

Crystallization and topical finishes may have its' place, but it is not in restoration of natural stone.

RE-CRYSTALLIZATION-REVISTIED
By Frederick M. Hueston

The following is a reprint of an article I wrote back in 1990. I have edited some of the text to bring it up to date. My opinion on this process is still the same as it was in 1990. With that said there are some uses for this process, however care must be exercised in its use. Most of the damage I have seen since 1990 by this process results from the overuse of the product as well as the lack of trained personnel who apply it. The following reprint should give you some useful information on this process and the care that must be used when using it.

To answer the problems experienced by customers who had dull and scratched marble. I tried to find the best and most practical solution to the restoration of their marble floors, walls, etc.
Since this is a relatively small industry, there weren’t too many good sources. I did find some self-proclaimed “experts” who introduced me to the idea of “re-crystallization” as a safe and easy method of restoring and polishing marble and stone. They touted it as a time proven process which had its roots in the marble industry in Europe. It was alleged to be safe, easy to apply and was both slip resistant and permanent. In short, it was the perfect solution for most marble restoration and maintenance problems.
Having been raised in the “old” school, I instinctively doubt anything that appears “too good to be true”. Experience has taught me that most of those “too good to be true statements” usually turn out to be exactly that!
My business reputation is at stake whenever I recommend or use a product or procedure. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. So, I endeavored to get answers to some specific questions about this “re-crystallization” process (from the systems’ promoters).

Question #1. Does the “re-crystallization” process contain waxes?
Crystallization Answer: No.

Question #2. Does the process allow the stone to breath (transpire)?
Crystallization Answer: Vague generalizations and evasive replicas.

Question #3. How does “re-crystallization” react with stone?
Crystallization Answer: Evasive generalizations.

These evasive non-answers surprised me. Perhaps there was something that these crystallization “experts” did not know---or did not want me to know.
Though I am in stone consultation business, my formal education is in Chemistry. I had a natural curiosity about this wondrous process called “re-crystallization”. After all, if it worked, it would be great for my business. I determined to do some research on my own. Following is a summary of my research.

TERMS

The term “crystallization” is defined as the process by which a substance takes the form of a crystal structure. Most minerals are crystal shaped. The term “re-crystallization” implies that a substance has been crystallization a second time. In other words, changed from one crystal shape to another.
In geology, re-crystallization takes place---under great pressure at high temperatures--- deep in the earth and over thousands of years. My research showed that the natural re-crystallization of minerals such as those found in stone is unlikely to be obtained with the so-called packaged chemical “re-crystallization method” being marketed by a number of companies. We can therefore assume that the term “re-crystallization” is used only as a marketing term.
For the purpose of this article, we will use this term---re-crystallization---only as a description of the chemical process that follows.

METHODOLOGY

I obtained Material Safety Data Sheets (required by OSHA for all chemical products) from a good sample of “re-crystallization” product distributors.
From them, I learned that all the “re-crystallization products contained a fluorosilicate compound. All contained an acid of one type or another and almost all contained varying percentages of waxes and acrylics.
To understand how these ingredients react with marble, one needs to understand the makeup(natural composition) of marble, itself. The main constituent of marble is a compound called Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). Calcium Carbonate, along with other accessory minerals, makes up what we know as marble.
When an acid is dropped on marble it will burn and etch the surface leaving a pitted, dull spot. The reaction (Formula 1) illustrates what happens when an acid and marble come in contact with one another. The bond between the calcium and the carbonate is broken, producing water and carbon dioxide gas and the calcium carbonate is destroyed. In other words, acid destroys marble. All re-crystallization fluids contain acids.
If you have any doubts, place a drop of re-crystallization fluid on a piece of marble, wait just 30 seconds and wipe it off. You will find that it has etched.

FORMULA 1

CaCo3 + HCL ---------------à Ca+ Co3 + H2O

The main ingredient used in re-crystallization fluid is a group of compounds called flurosilicons. Three types of fluorosilicates can be found in re-crystallization fluids: (1) Aluminum fluorosilicate (2) Magnesium fluorosilicate and (3) Zinc Fluorosilicate.
First used in 1883, flurosilicate compounds were used in an attempt to preserve marble statues that were crumbling. The effects of these compounds on stone were studied by several researchers and were found to have detrimental effects on the stone.
It was found that flourosilicates deposit an enamel on the surface of the stone which completely blocks its pores. The stone suffocates, begins to break apart and rot. The results of these studies can be found in the book Stone Decay and Conservation written by Glovanni G Amoroso and Vasco Passins---ELSEVIER, Amsterdam, Lausanne, Oxford, New York 1983.
The re-crystallization process uses an acid that attacks the calcium carbonate in the stone (Reaction 1). This reaction destroys the calcium carbonate and releases the calcium ion. The fluorosilicate compound then attaches itself to the calcium ion forming a new compound (Reaction 2 & 3). This new compound, calcium fluorosilicate forms an imperious film on the surface of the stone---totally blocking its pores.

REACTION 1
REACTION 2
REACTION 3

Based on the preceding facts. I have reached the following conclusions:

FACT: Marble and stone must breathe (transpire). If the pores are blocked, moisture from the slab (condensation, etc.) will be trapped and the stone will begin to break down.

FACT: The re-crystallization process places an impermeable coating of fluorosilicates on the stone, completely blocking its pores.

FACT: Acid will destroy marble and stone.

FACT: All crystallization fluids contain acids.

The above facts are clear and incontrovertible evidence. What is even more startling are the dozens of marble floors and walls I have seen that have been destroyed by this process.
Along with other responsible stone restoration firms in the industry. I urge anyone---even thinking about allowing a “crystallization” process to be used---to test the proposed products on a marble sample and judge the results for yourself. You will find the rapid deterioration of the marble frightening.
For the names of responsible stone restoration firms, you are invited to write Building Stone Institute, Marble Care and Maintenance Companies, 420 Lexington Ave. New York, New York 10170.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE IN THE TRADE:

The extensive marketing of restoration methods using “re-crystallization “ is a very serious matter for everyone in the industry. The alarming increase in the number of complaints regarding permanently damaged marble and other stone floors and walls is hardly conducive to increased sales and use of our fine products. This damage could have--- and should have---been avoided, I urge you to advise all your customers of the potential damage from any of these “re-crystallization” methods being marketed. Now that we know exactly what this so-called “re-crystallization” process is, we can answer the frequently asked question---Can a floor or wall that has been “re-crystallized” be saved?

Here are some guidelines:

First, determine that crystallization has actually been used. For a start, ask the customer. Some will tell you, others will flatly deny it, and still others simply won’t know.
If the shine on the marble or stone looks wavy (acrylic looking) then you can be fairly sure there is some type of coating on it. It is relatively easy to determine the type of coating. To do this two chemicals are needed: (1) a commercial wax stripper and (2) methyl chloride (wood furniture stripper).
Place a small amount of each chemical on the stone. If the commercial wax stripper removes the film then you are dealing with an acrylic type finish. Simply remove the finish with the stripper before starting the normal restoration or polishing process.
If the commercial stripper does not remove the coating but the methyl chloride does, then you have a urethane based coating. Remove it with methyl chloride or grind it off.
If neither one of these strippers removes the coating, the chances are it has been re-crystallized.
Another reliable clue is the presence of swirls on the marble (or other stone). These are caused by the use of steel wool during the re-crystallization machining process.
Make sure that before you attempt any polishing or grinding that you have determined the type of coating on the marble (stone). Be aware that there may be more than one coating---possibly an acrylic coating placed on top of a re-crystallization” coating, test several areas, to be sure.
If it is discovered that the marble (stone) has been re-crystallized---can it be saved?
This will depend on the severity of damage. For example. Travertine and Crema Marfil will exhibit damage almost immediately. Other stones, such as granite, will take longer. Still others will not show any apparent damage until the re-crystallized layer begins to wear off. It pays to become familiar with the various types of marbles and other stones.
There are a few general rules to determine the extent of damage.
These higher the CaCO3, the more destructive the re-crystallization will have been.
The greater the number of applications of re-crystallization---over a period of time---the greater the chance of irreversible damage.
The veining in some marble will be adversely affected first. If these veined areas crumble easily, when probed with a blunt instrument, the stone may be damaged beyond repair. If the amount of veining is not too extensive, it may be saved by filling with a poly resin such as Akemi.
Perform several Patch Tests. Grind the stone and bring it up to a polish. If the stone polishes, the chance are it can be saved. CAUTION: make absolutely sure you have removed the re-crystallized layer entirely. We recommend starting with a 60 grit for most stones.
A FINAL WARNING: some of the companies have begun to eliminate the term “re-crystallization” and are substituting “marble polishing” or “Vitrification”. Be cautious. Even if it carries the name of a nationally known chemical firm, check their claims. Ask to see the Material Safety Data Sheets. If the process contains fluorosilicates, do not use it. The hard sell “marketing” (selling franchises) of these products is bringing us very close to an epidemic of severely damaged marble (stone) floors. A few clients (who simply did not know better), having just installed brand new marble floors, have had terrible damage done to them. We all know that there is no such thing as a totally “maintenance free” floor. Marble, granite, slate---whatever---must be maintained. The type of maintenance varies with use. Obviously, an entrance foyer of a residence requires a very different maintenance schedule than the lobby of a downtown high-rise office building or a major hotel.
Maintenance can be done quite simply, using recommended products and procedures. However, after extensive wear and tear---over a long period of time--- a client may wish to have professional restoration work done. This can best be achieved by employing a responsible firm using traditional methods. These firms will look at an installation and provide a written estimate not only of the costs involved (usually figured on a square foot basis) gut also the materials to be used. They should have their own equipment---and trained crews--- who have quality experience with the marble and other stone floors.

Update: Since 1990 I have conducted several vapor emission test on marble and stone surfaces to determine if this process in fact does not allow stone to breathe. In my testing I have found that in most cases this process does in fact block vapor emission.

Posted by huligar at 07:58 AM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2005

Company Makes Gravestones to Honor Troops

BARRE, Vt. -- The simple white marble stones that mark the graves of the country's fallen soldiers have changed little over the decades. But the business of producing tens of thousands a year has become a high-tech, high-pressure proposition.
That's because the government requires its three official makers of military headstones to finish and ship them within 10 days of their being ordered.

"It's a pretty serious challenge," says Jeff Martell, whose factory employs computers, automation and diamond-edged power saws to keep up with the government's demand for cemeteries in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
Martell's Granite Industries of Vermont Inc., nestled in Barre, has been producing stones for military cemeteries for nearly two decades. It averages about 22,000 markers a year.
Nowadays, orders come from the Department of Veterans Affairs electronically. Designs are laid out by a computer that fashions mock-ups of headstones and prints them as stencils on adhesive-backed rubber sheets.
A 10-foot, diamond-edged saw slices through 35-ton blocks of Danby marble - named for the town south of Barre where the stone is quarried _ cutting them into four-inch thick slabs. Smaller saws trim the slabs to regulation headstone size: 42 inches high, 13 inches wide.
Another machine rounds the top of each stone.
Workers affix the rubber stencil to the headstone, which rolls along a conveyor to the sandblasting booth. Letters are etched by a worker who sweeps the sandblasting nozzle back and forth across the marble before spray paints the surface black to enhance readability. The stone is then polished before being boxed for shipping.
About half a dozen of the plant's 56 workers play roles in fashioning each stone. Together, they can produce 10 in an hour. The VA pays $120 per headstone. In all, the government pays Granite Industries about $3.3 million a year to produce military grave markers.
Business is steady, with more than 1,000 World War II veterans dying each day along with the constant trickle of casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan.
There are also plenty of orders to replace markers that have worn with time _ as far back as the Civil War.
Last year, Martell witnessed a first: His company replaced headstones for 29 members of a German U-boat crew killed during World War II off the Atlantic coast and buried in Hampton, Va.
"When you see them in German," he said of the names and ranks of the seamen etched on the markers, "they kind of pop up and make an impression."

we have a cool clip
http://www.granitevermont.com/videogivonabc.html

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August 22, 2005

New parks to focus on dinosaurs, geology

MIKULOV (PDM staff with CTK) 22 August

Visitors to south Moravia will soon enjoy two new educational parks focusing on the region's natural history and prehistory.

A park near Mikulov will highlight the geology of Moravia. Two-tonne blocks of stone are being brought to a location in the Palava nature preserve from Moravia's most significant quarries.

The geopark's exhibits will include limestone from Palava, Silesian granite and Supikovice marble from the Jeseniky mountains, clay slate from the Vitkov area, syenite from Budisov and yellowish travertine from the Prerov area. Each block will have a part of its surface polished.

The project, partly subsidised by the South Moravia region, will cost CZK 150,000.

For a second park in Vyskov, local zoo operators are planning an exhibition of 30 life-sized models of dinosaurs. Some of the brontosaurs, tyrannosaurs, stegosaurs and other giant reptiles will move. The park would be the second of its kind in the Czech Republic; the first is in Plzen, west Bohemia.

In recent centuries, and also at present, the Pálava region has been influenced particularly by forestry, agriculture, limestone quarrying, and waste disposal.In the 19th century, the earlier balanced relationship between man and forest, when wood was sustainably used, mainly for the production of tools or as fuel, broke down. Consequently, the slopes of the Pavlovské Hills had to be artificially reforested, but this was unsuccessful on many sites. Many of these forests were coppiced, as shown today by stumps with several trunks. The breeding of game animals has had a more pronounced impact.

In 1911, a preserve for breeding mouflons (Ovis musimon) and common fallow deer (Dama dama) was founded on Devín Hill. The latter were substituted by introduced wild bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus) during the fifties. Similarly, two breeding preserves, mainly for red deer but also for common fallow deer and mouflons, were founded near Klentnice and Bulhary in the Milovice Hills. General overstocking in all game preserves has caused immense damage to forest and non-forest vegetation and, critically, to the soil cover. Management which aimed for a maximum number of specimens was very harmful in these parts of the Biosphere Reserve, and new management is now necessary, emphasizing nature conservation over the “breeding of game cattle”.
Similar problems occurred in agriculture, through the development of “socialist large-scale farming”. The abolition of small fields and the establishment of fields hundreds of hectares in size, the construction of large-scale terraces, and the end of crop rotation led to wind and water erosion. Excessive inputs of chemicals without any control reduced the yield of all but the most resistant species of plants and animals in fields and vineyards. There were consequently major changes in species composition and the distribution of wild plants in the landscape, with a change from the previous scattered, but regular pattern to concentration in sites inaccessible to large-scale farming. Today, the first efforts are being made to restore the previous pattern of the landscape through the restitution of land to its former owners. This search for the ecological management of the landscape of the Biosphere Reserve should be based on existing and proposed regional systems of ecological stability and on other more specific projects (e.g. biological protection of grapevines).
The third main source of human impacts was the quarrying of high-quality limestone, which has now almost completely ceased. Only one of the several tens of quarries which once operated in Pálava, on Mariánský kopec Hill near Mikulov, is now working. Quarrying continues under the nature conservation guidelines, and will be concluded by appropriate revegetation. Finally, the disposal site for household wastes, near the village of Bavory, will be reforested.

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August 21, 2005

Siliceous and Alkaline Igneous Rocks

written by Prof. Stephen A. Nelson

A wide variety of igneous rocks occur in the continental lithosphere, a reflection of its heterogeneous nature compared to oceanic lithosphere. In addition, because the continents are not subducted and are subject to uplift and erosion, older plutonic rocks are both preserved and accessible to study. We start with granitic rocks and their associated pegmatites, next consider large volume continental rhyolites and their associated basalts, and finish with the predominantly alkaline rocks found in continental rift valleys.

Granitic Rocks
Here we discuss a group of plutonic igneous rocks usually referred to as "granitic rocks", "granitoids", or loosely as granites. Included are true granites, but our discussion will include all medium to coarse-grained rocks that are mostly felsic with a few mafic minerals.ClassificationA variety of classification schemes have been proposed for granitic rocks. The easiest to employ uses the modal mineralogy of the rocks, while others attempt classification on the basis of the pressure at which crystallization occurred, the tectonic setting, or type of source rock which melted to produce the granitic magma.· Mineralogical Classification. The IUGS mineralogical classification scheme shown here is based modal mineralogy. Note that true granites have between 10% and 65% of their feldspars as plagioclase, and between 20% and 60% quartz. All rocks will likely contain mafic minerals such as biotite, hornblende, and perhaps pyroxenes, along with opaque oxide minerals. The base of the composition triangle is a thermal divide, that separates quartz-bearing rocks from feldspathoid-bearing rocks.

The feldspathoid bearing rocks include the feldspathoidal syenites, which will not be considered to any large extent here.

Hypersolvus and Subsolvus Granites.
Another way of looking at the classification of granitic rocks is based on the feldspars, and whether or not they crystallized under relatively dry low pressure conditions or "wet", higher pressure conditions. This can be seen by comparing the experimentally determined phase diagrams at various conditions. At low pressure under dry conditions, the alkali feldspars form a complete solid solution at high temperature, but, upon slow cooling, they eventually reach the solvus and exsolve into two feldspars, one rich in albite and the other rich in orthoclase. But, because of the low temperature at which this occurs, only single feldspars will occur and these will show a perthitic texture.

Granites that crystallize under low pressure and exhibit a single perthitic alkali feldspar are considered hypersolvus granites.At higher pressure, under water-saturated conditions, the liquidus surface is suppressed and the solvus moves up to intersect the solidus. This results in the crystallization of two alkali feldspar solid solutions, one rich in Ab, and the rich in Or. Each of these will further exsolve on cooling to form perthites. Granites that crystallize under these conditions are referred to as subsolvus granites. While this classification scheme may be useful in distinguishing between granites that crystallized at high pressure and those that crystallized at low pressure, the addition of the anorthite component complicates things. Thus, the utility likely only applies to those granites that are poor in plagioclase, or to those that would be classified as alkali feldspar granites under the IUGS classification scheme.

Tectonic/Chemical Classification.
Tectonic classification is more appropriately called a chemical classification, because, as we will see, the various chemical types are not necessarily restricted to certain tectonic environments.

S-type Granites.
S-type granites are thought to originate by melting (or perhaps by ultrametamorphism) of a pre-exiting metasedimentary or sedimentary source rock. These are peraluminous granites [i.e. they have molecular Al2O3 > (Na2O + K2O)]. Mineralogically this chemical condition is expressed by the presence of a peraluminous mineral, commonly muscovite, although other minerals such as the Al2SiO5 minerals and corundum may also occur. Since many sedimentary rocks are enriched in Al2O3 as a result of their constituents having been exposed to chemical weathering near the Earth's surface (particularly rocks such as shales that contain clay minerals), melting of these rocks is a simple way of achieving the peraluminous condition.
Many S-type granitoids are found in the deeply eroded cores of fold-thrust mountain belts formed as a result of continent-continent collisions, such as the Himalayas and the Appalachians, and would thus be considered orogenic granites.

I-type Granites.
I-type granites are granites considered to have formed by melting of an original igneous type source. These are generally metaluminous granites, expressed mineralogically by the absence of peraluminous minerals and the absence of peralkaline minerals, as discussed below. Instead these rocks contain biotite and hornblende as the major mafic minerals.
Mesozoic or younger examples of I-type granites are found along continental margins such as the Sierra Nevada batholith of California and Nevada, and the Idaho batholith of Montana. In these regions the plutonism may have been related to active subduction beneath the western U.S. during the Meszoic. I-type granites are also found in the Himalayas, which are related to continent-continent collisions.
Plutonic suites that were emplaced in convergent continental margin settings, show many of the same characteristics as the calc-alkaline volcanic suite that likely erupted on the surface above. The suites include gabbros, diorites, quartz monzonites, granodiorites, and granites. They show mild to no Fe-enrichment, similar to calc-alkaline volcanic rocks, and a range of isotopic compositions similar to the associated volcanic rocks. Nearly all are I-type granitoids.
An example of the a convergent margin plutonic suite is found in the Sierra Nevada Batholith and associated plutons in eastern California and western Nevada that were emplaced during the Mesozoic Era.

Exposed rocks are generally older toward the east and southeast. Kistler and Peterman showed that the Sr isotopic ratios vary across the batholith in a systematic way. The younger rocks in the western portion of the batholith are mostly quartz diorites with Sr isotopic ratios less than 0.704, ratios expected from melting of the mantle or young crustal rocks. Plutons farther east are mostly quartz monzonites and granodiorites with ratios increasing along with age of the plutons toward the east and southeast. One interpretation of the data is that the older rocks contain a higher proportion of older crustal material than the younger plutonic bodies.

A-type Granites.
A-type granites are generally peralkaline in composition [molecular (Na2O + K2O) > Al2O3]. Minerals like the sodic amphiboles - riebeckite and arfvedsonite, and the sodic pyroxene - aegerine, are commonly found in these rocks. In addition, they tend to be relatively Fe-rich and thus fayalitic olivine sometimes occurs.
They are considered anorogenic granites because they are generally found in areas that have not undergone mountain building events. Instead, they appear to be related to continental rifting events wherein continental lithosphere is thinned as a result of upwelling asthenosphere. The upwelling raises the geothermal gradient resulting in melting. Young peralkaline granites are found in the Basin & Range Province of the western U.S., and older examples are found throughout southeastern Australia (see Blatt and Tracey, figure 9-13, p. 186).
Depth of Emplacement. Because the conditions under which a magma cools can play an important role in the texture and contact relationships observed in the final rock, plutons can be characterized by the depth at which they were emplaced. This is because depth, to a large extent, controls the contrast in temperature between the magma and its surroundings.

Catazonal Plutons.
The catazone is the deepest level of emplacement, considered to be at depths greater than about 11 km. In such an environment there is a low contrast in temperature between the magma and the surrounding country rock. The country rock itself is generally high grade metamorphic rock. Contacts between the plutons and the country rock are concordant (the contacts run parallel to structures such as foliation in the surrounding country rock) and often gradational. The plutons themselves often show a foliation that is concordant with that in the surrounding metamorphic rocks. Migmatites (small pods of what appears to have been melted rock surrounded by and grading into metamorphic rocks) are common. Some catazonal plutons appear to have formed by either melting in place or by ultrametamorphism that grades into actually melting. Others appear to have intruded into ductile crustal rocks. Most, but not all, Catazonal plutons are S-type granitoids.

Mesozonal Plutons.
The mesozone occurs at intermediate crustal depths, likely between 8 and 12 km. The plutonic rocks are more easily distinguished from the surrounding metamorphic rocks. Contacts are both sharp and discordant (cutting across structures in the country rock), and gradational and concordant like in the catazone. Angular blocks of the surrounding country rock commonly occur within the plutons near their contacts with the country rock. The plutons generally lack foliation and are often chemically and mineralogically zoned.

Epizonal Plutons.
The epizone is the shallowest zone of emplacement, probably within a few kilometers of the surface. In such an environment there is a large contrast between the temperatures of the magma and the country rock. The country rock is commonly metamorphosed, but the metamorphism is contact metamorphism produced by the heat of the intrusion. Contacts between the plutons and surrounding country rock are sharp and discordant, indicating intrusion into brittle and cooler crust. The margins of the plutons often contain abundant xenoliths of the country rock. Before considering the origin of granitic magmas we will first discuss the related rocks, the pegmatites, then consider continental rhyolites, which are likely closely related to granitic plutons.

Pegmatites
Pegmatites are very coarse grained felsic rocks that occur as dikes or pod-like segregations both within granitic plutons and intruded into the surrounding country rock. They appear to form during the late stages of crystallization which leaves H2O-rich fluids that readily dissolve high concentrations of alkalies and silica. Thus, most pegmatites are similar to granites and contain the minerals alkali feldspar and quartz. But other chemical constituents that become concentrated in the residual liquid, like B, Be, and Li, are sometimes enriched pegmatites. This leads to crystallization of minerals that are somewhat more rare, such as tourmaline, [(Na,Ca)(Mg,Fe,Mn,Li,Al)3(Al,Fe+3)6Si6O18(BO3)2(OH)4], beryl [Be3Al2Si6O18], lepidolite [K2(Li,Al)5-6Si6-7Al2-1(OH,F)4, and spodumene [LiAl2Si2O6], which are sometimes found.

Continental Rhyolites
Rhyolites are much more common and voluminous on the continents than in the ocean basins. They range from small domes and lava flows to much larger centers that have erupted volumes measured in 100s of km3. Most of the preserved volume is represented as pyroclastic flow deposits, often termed "ash flow tuffs" or "ignimbrites. Large quantities of these deposits were erupted during the middle Tertiary in the western United States, northern Mexico, throughout Central America, and on the western slopes of the Andes mountains. The composition of these deposits is usually metaluminous although peralkaline varieties are known. None are peraluminous in composition. Although the recent examples occur near continental margins. Most seem to be associated with episodes of continental extension, such as in Basin and Range Province of the Western U.S. and Mexico.

Three Late Tertiary examples are notable. All have formed large calderas associated with the emplacement of pyroclastic flow deposits as well as fall deposits. These include Yellowstone Caldera in Wyoming, Long Valley Caldera in eastern California, and Valles Caldera in New Mexico. Note that all three are located on the margins of the Basin and Range Province. Pyroclastic fall deposits are widespread, although not well-preserved, as would be expected. Ash from the youngest eruptions from Yellowstone occur in sediment cores from the Gulf of Mexico. Ash from Long Valley caldera is found as far east as Nebraska. Eruptions of volumes of ash similar to these would certainly be devastating to any country in which the occurred.
As stated above, most of the preserved rocks from these large silicic systems are preserved as pyroclastic flow deposits that spread out close to the eruptive vents. Most display various degrees of welding that results from compaction and annealing of the glassy fine-grained ash particles contained in the deposits. It is the welded portions of the pyroclastic flow deposits that have the greatest potential for preservation in the geologic record, as they are more resistant to erosion.

Non-welded pyroclastic flow deposits are usually poorly sorted and poorly indurated. They contain blocks and lapilli-sized fragments of pumice and lithic fragments in a matrix of fine-grained glassy ash particles.

Deeper in the deposit heat remains available for longer times and the weight of the overlying material tends to start the welding process. Lumps of pumice become compressed into disc-like forms called fiamme. The original vesicular texture is lost and the flattened pumice loses its vesicular character. The glassy ash particles in the matrix start to weld together, while the brittle lithic fragments are usually not compressed. If temperature remains high and the lower parts of the deposit are under a high load, welding may progress to turn the rock into a vitrophyre, wherein the ash matrix becomes a coherent glass, the fiamme are further flattened and the vesicles and pore space are completely pressed out.
Two examples of continental rhyolite complexes will be discussed.

Yellowstone Caldera which occupies most of Yellowstone National Park, is actually the third caldera to form in the area within the past 2 million years. The first formed 2.0 million years ago, producing 2,500 km3 of ash, the second 1.3 million years ago producing 250km3, and the latest 600,000 years ago producing 1,000 km3 of ash. Thus, the repose time is on the average about 650,000 years. That magma is still present beneath Yellowstone is evidenced both by the intense hydrothermal activity that takes place within the most recent caldera, and by seismic profiling which indicates magma at a depth of about 3 km.

Long Valley Caldera.
Long Valley caldera is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, along the western edge of the Basin and Range extensional zone. Between 2 and 3 my ago basaltic and andesitic volcanism produced lava flows that filled the down-dropped graben between the Sierra Nevada and the White-Inyo Mountains. Rhyolitic volcanism began about 1.9 m.y. ago and produced lava flows and domes of Glass Mountain. This activity continued until about 0.9 my ago.

720,000 years ago an eruption produced about 600 km3 of pyroclastic material, both as fall deposits and pyroclastic flows. The pyroclastic flows, known as the Bishop Tuff, are still preserved in Owens Valley to south, and in the Mono Basin to the north. Some flows crested the Sierra Nevada and reached the San Joaquin valley to the west. This eruption resulted in the collapse of the area above the magma chamber to produce Long Valley Caldera. The Bishop Tuff shows chemical zonation, having SiO2 concentrations of 77.4% in lower, first erupted units and 75.5% SiO2 in the upper, later erupted units. This likely reflects chemical zonation in the magma chamber. Rhyolite domes and lava flows were then emplaced on the floor of the caldera between 0.73 and 0.61 my ago. During this time the central part of the caldera floor was uplifted to form a structural dome, called a resurgent dome, likely due to re-intrusion of magma below. The resurgent dome shows a central graben on the map above. Rhyolite and rhyodacite domes and flows were also emplaced in the moat around the resurgent dome and along the ring fractures of the caldera between 0.5 my and 0.1 my ago. One of these, Mammoth Mountain, located on the southwestern margin of the caldera, is now a popular ski resort. Between 0.2 and 0.06 my ago basaltic lavas were erupted on the floor of the caldera and in areas to west of the caldera.

The most recent activity in the Long Valley area has occurred just to the north at Mono Craters. Here rhyolite domes have been erupted along an arcuate zone that may be a developing ring fracture for another caldera in the near future.

Origin of Large Volumes of Silicic Magma

In the early part of the century a debate among igneous petrologists ensued concerning the origin of granitic rocks (known as the "Granite Controversy").
One group referred to themselves as the granitizationists and argued that granitic rocks were produced by ultrametamorphism at high temperatures and pressures in the Earth's crust. The other group, referred to as the magmatists, argued that granites were produced by melting and intruded as liquids into higher levels of the crust.
The granitizationists used evidence mainly based on what are now recognized as catazonal plutons to make their case. They further argued that making room for such large bodies of magma in the brittle crust would be near impossible and that production of granites in place by granitization of the pre-existing rock would do away with this "room problem". The magmatists argued their case using evidence from mostly mesozonal and epizonal plutons, which clearly show evidence of the intrusive origin of these bodies and evidence that they were liquid when emplaced. Clearly there are several ways that granitic rocks could be produced, but it is highly unlikely that all granitic rocks were formed by granitization, although some catazonal bodies could have been. The fact that contact relations clearly show that many granites were liquid upon intrusion and the fact that large volumes of silicic magma actually erupt in continental rhyolite centers is plentiful evidence for the existence of liquids with granitic composition. The "room problem" argued by the granitizationists is largely solved when we recognize that most intrusive events occur during stages of deformation wherein the stress regime changes from one of compression to extension. Extension of the brittle crust can make the space into which magmas intrude. Nevertheless, it is highly unlikely that large volumes of granitic magma can be produced by crystal fractionation of basaltic magmas. Such crystal fractionation would require initial volumes of basalt 10 to 100 times greater than the siliceous liquids produced. There is no evidence for the existence of such large bodies of crystallized basalt magma in the crust. Among the mechanisms by which large volumes of granitic magma could be produced are:

1.Anatexis of metasedimentary/sedimentary rocks to form S-type granitic magmas.
2.Anatexis of young crustal basic meta-igneous rocks to form I-type granitic magmas.
3.Melting/Assimilation of lower crustal rocks by mantle-derived basic magmas.
4.Crystal fractionation/Assimilation of basaltic and andesitic magmas.
Granitization, wherein high grade metamorphism bordering on melting converts rocks into those that appear texturally and mineralogically similar to granitic rocks

Continental Flood Basalts

Like the large submarine plateaus discussed in our lecture on the ocean basins, large volumes of basaltic magma have erupted on the continents at various times in Earth history. The most recent of these outpourings, but by no means the largest, is the Columbia River basalts erupted in Oregon and Washington states in the mid-Miocene. Other important flood basalt provinces are listed in the Table below.
Province, Age, Original Area Covered (km2, Types of Basalts %, Qtz -Thol. Oliv. Thol. Alk. Bas.
Lake Superior Precambrian 125,000 42 51 7
Siberia Permo-Triassic 2,500,000 28 69 3
Karoo, S. Africa Jurassic 2,000,000 57 37 6
Paraná, Brazil Cretaceous 2,000,000 72 28 0
Deccan, India Eocene 500,000 55 35 10
Columbia River Mid-Miocene 163,000 30 70 -

Chemical Composition
Although each flood basalt province differs somewhat in the composition of magmas erupted, most provinces have erupted tholeiitic basalts. With the exception of a few early erupted picrites in some provinces, the tholeiitic basalts tend to have lower concentrations of MgO (5 - 8%) than would be expected from melts that have come directly from the mantle without having suffered crystal fractionation. Thus, despite their large volume, they are differentiated magmas that are similar in many respects to MORBs. Still, they show incompatible trace element concentrations more similar to EMORBs, and have 86Sr/87Sr and 143Nd/144Nd ratios that extend from the OIB field toward and overlapping with continental crust. This latter feature indicates that they have likely suffered some crustal contamination.

Example
The Columbia River Basalts represent a series of lava flows all erupted between 17 and 8 million years ago, with the bulk of the volume being erupted between 16.5 and 14 million years ago. One of the basalt flows, the Roza flow, was erupted over a period of a few weeks traveled about 300 km and has a volume of about 1500 km3. Vents for the eruptions are thought to be a series of dikes located in southwestern Washington. Despite the fact that these lavas appear to be fractionated, they are poor in phenocrysts, and individual flows are very homogeneous in composition. Furthermore, it is difficult to reconcile chemical variation among the various flows to be the result of crystal fractionation processes. Thus, the origin of the Columbia River basalts, as well as most other flood basalts, remains one of petrology's great unsolved problems.

Continental Rift Valleys
Continental Rift valleys are linear zones of extension within continental crust. Some of these extensional zones may eventually become zones along which the continents break apart to form a new ocean basin, however, there are many examples where such break-ups have failed. Among the ancient and modern examples are:
· A series of Triassic to Jurassic grabens that occur along eastern North America and extend from Canada to Georgia that appear to have formed in a failed attempt to rift North America away from Eurasia/Africa. About 50 m.y. later, these continents successfully rifted apart along a zone further to the East. These grabens are filled with mostly tholeiitic basalts.
· Another failed rift is the Oslo Graben of southern Norway, of late Paleozoic age. Here, both volcanic and intrusive igneous rocks are exposed. The volcanic rocks consist of an early group of alkalic basalt lavas and a later group of siliceous ignimbrites. The plutonic rocks are also alkaline. One group consists of alkaline gabbros containing alkali feldspar, called essexites, that form dikes, sills, and stocks that apparently fed the basaltic volcanic rocks, and the group consist of syenites and peralkaline granites, all of which contain an abundance of alkali feldspar. Some of these are nepheline bearing while others are quartz bearing.
The Rhine graben, between Germany and France is an active rift in which have erupted both silica undersaturated phonolitic ignimbrites along with alkaline trachytes and rhyolites.

The East African Rift which extends from Syria in the north to Mozambique in the south has been active throughout the Cenozoic. During the initial stages of rifting fissure eruptions produced large volumes of basalt and siliceous ignimbrites. During the late Miocene and Pliocene these eruptions became more focused, and produced shield volcanoes consisting of basanites, rhyolites and phonolites. In Plio-Pleistocene times rhyolites were erupted along the main axis of the rift, while basalts continued to be erupted on the plateaus adjacent to the rift. Quaternary volcanoes along the axis of the central rift zones, in Kenya and Tanzania consist of phonolite, trachyte, or peralkaline rhyolite. This province illustrates the wide variety of unusual rock types found in continental rifting settings. Note, however, that parts of the rift along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have evolved to oceanic ridges and produce MORBs to form new seafloor.

Evolution of Alkaline Rock Suites
The alkaline rock series found in many rifting areas are very unusual, and far less common than the basalt - andesite - dacite suites found in other environments. We here discuss how some of these unusual magmas might have come into existence. We have already discussed how low degrees of partial melting of the mantle at higher pressure can produce silica-undersaturated basaltic magmas, while increasing degrees of melting, or melting at lower pressure tends to produce silica-saturated to oversaturated basaltic magmas. Once such magmas have evolved to the point where they begin to crystallize alkali feldspar, we can see what would happen by looking at the simple three component system Ne-SiO2-Ks (kalsilite). Note that in this system, the join Ab -Or forms a partial thermal divide at low pressure, and separates Silica oversaturated compositions from silica undersaturated compositions.

· Imagine that a silica-saturated basaltic liquid has evolved to a silica-oversaturated trachyte. Continued fractionation of alkali feldspar solid solution from such a trachyte would cause the liquid to change composition toward the minimum in the sub-system Ab - Or - SiO2, eventually crystallizing quartz and producing a rhyolitic liquid.
· On the other hand, a silica undersaturated basaltic liquid that has evolved to a silica undersaturated trachyte will change in the opposite direction with alkali feldspar crystallization, and eventually reach a phonolite composition crystallizing nepheline, or leucite + nepheline at the minimum in the silica undersaturated part of the system Ab- Or - Ne - Ks.
This is further illustrated by looking at a total alkalies versus SiO2 diagram, showing the approximate compositions of various alkaline rock types.

Also shown is the approximate position of the critical plane of silica-undersaturation. Note how a slightly silica-saturated basalt will evolve through hawaiites, mugearites, benmoreites and trachytes that will eventually continue to produce rhyolites. While a slightly silica-undersaturated composition will follow a similar path, but eventually produce phonolites with decreasing SiO2.
Note how small amounts of crustal contamination of silica-undersaturated basalts could also cause these silica-undersaturated magmas to become silica-saturated, and result in the bifurcation of the trends.
Thus, upwelling of the mantle beneath the continental rift zones likely results in various degrees of melting of the mantle by decompression melting. The presence of continental crust, favors small amounts of contamination of these already alkali rich magmas resulting in the production of basalt-trachyte-rhyolite suites. Basaltic magmas that reach low pressure and are still silica-undersaturated results in basalt-trachyte-phonolite suites. Only small changes in composition of the original mantle-derived magmas are necessary to produce these diverging magma types.

Peralkaline Rhyolites
Peralkaline rhyolites are common in continental rift settings, although they also occur in oceanic island settings, and our discussion here includes such settings. In nearly all cases, peralkaline rhyolites are associated with mildly alkaline silica-saturated basalts, hawaiites, mugearites, and trachytes. The question becomes - why are peralkaline rhyolites produced instead of normal metaluminous rhyolites?
One answer could come from fractional crystallization of plagioclase. Ca-rich plagioclase contains twice as much Alumina as the alkali feldspars, and very little alkalies.

Thus removal of Ca-rich plagioclase will result in depletion of Al and enrichment of Na and K (as well as Si). This is termed the "plagioclase effect". (Recall that peralkaline rocks are those that have a molecular amount of Na2O + K2O > Al2O3). On the other hand, if a ferromagnesium phase with high Ca, but little Al, such as augite, also fractionates, then Al depletion will be minimized with increasing Si, thus offsetting the plagiocalse effect to produce normal metaluminous rhyolites.

Posted by huligar at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2005

Your Countertop Options

It realy is a no brainier.

Though we'll never stop preaching the importance of selecting your cabinetry first, there's no denying it: that perfect countertop is at the forefront of most homeowners' wish lists.

Whether you're craving granite or have fallen for the unique look of quartz surfacing, there are certainly no shortage of options to choose from. But with so many fish in the sea, it's important to approach the selection process wisely. You know what these countertops look like; now it's time to get a handle on their individual characteristics. Read on to learn about specific costs and pros and cons before you make a countertop commitment.The brief overview:Practically speaking, solid surface, natural stone and quartz tend to hold up best. If you spill something, hope it lands on solid surface, quartz or stainless steel. You want to roll dough on marble and cut on stone or wood. Laminate and solid surface come in the widest variety of colors. The flexibility of solid surfacing and stainless steel makes them ideal for fashioning decorative shapes or integral sinks. Once sealed, concrete functions as an excellent surface that's quickly gaining in popularity.Tile, wood and stainless steel offer special looks but have their tradeoffs: tile doesn’t offer a smooth surface for food preparation and its grout can discolor; wood requires sealants and maintenance; and steel scratches and shows fingerprints. Specialty surfaces like hemp-based countertops and those fashioned from lavastone provide alternative choices outside of the countertop norm.You can achieve the best of all worlds by carving out space for a mix of surface materials—a granite island for serving, a maple butcher-block square for cutting, solid-surface tops for heavy food-preparation tasks and tile for a backsplash accent.

Natural stone

What it is
It's hard to beat the beauty of natural stone, and it shows. Granite countertops consistently top the "most wanted" list, due in part to their durability and rich composition. But it's certainly not the only stone on the block. The most common natural stones used to make kitchen counters are:
· Granite
· Marble
· Limestone
· Slate
· Soapstone
· Natural quartz
You should insist on seeing the slabs selected for your kitchen before they arrive (typically you’ll have a chance to do this at the fabricator’s workshop). If they were prepared from different lots, the color of the stone you saw in the showroom may not exactly match the stone set aside for you. Make sure you are comfortable with any differences. Also, know that you can choose from a variety of finishes. Common ones include polished (for a high-gloss surface), honed (smooth with more of a matte look), flamed (a blow-torch creates a textured surface) and tumbled (the stone itself is tumbled, resulting in rounded edges appropriate for old world or farmhouse kitchens; matte, but not as smooth as honed).

How they compare

Granite Granite is the most durable, and is chip and scratch resistant. You can cut, roll dough, and place hot pots directly on granite. Because stone is porous, each stone requires special sealants. But granite absorbs the least and only requires resealing about once a year.

Marble Because it’s smooth and cool to the touch, marble is the traditional favorite for rolling dough and making pastries. However, it lacks the durability of granite and requires sealants to be applied more frequently to prevent stains.

Limestone Limestone is not the best choice for messy—or frequent—cooks. It offers a unique weathered look but also stains easily due to its more porous nature, so spills must be addressed immediately. But don't write it off too quickly: Jerusalem stone, a generic term for stone primarily quarried from areas around the Holy Land, is a dolomite-limestone that resembles marble but is hardier than both it and limestone.

Slate Used for centuries to create stylish weather resistant roofs, slate's natural beauty and strength are finding their way into the kitchen. Befitting of a roofing material, slate is durable, hard and fireproof. Luckily, it's beautiful, too, making it a prime choice for homeowners seeking a countertop that will make a statement. Its low absorption rate keeps stains at bay, though you may want to seal regularly to add a further dose of protection.

Soapstone Often referred to as "the original stone countertop," early settlers in New England relied on the durable material for their own countertops. Far from a high-maintenance top, soapstone's inert nature means acids won't etch the material, and stains can be rubbed out. Mineral oil treatment will bring out a darker, richer color. Make a powerful statement by combining with a soapstone sink.

Quick tip: As you investigate your natural stone options, consider functionality first, then this: do you want a stone that will look brand new 10 years from now, or one that will take on the patina of age? Let your answer help guide your choice.

To clean: Stone is a natural product, and cleaning is fairly simple, though be sure to follow specific instructions for your stone. Monticello Granite, the first nationally available countertop company, recommends that stone surfaces be cleaned with a few drops of a neutral cleaner, stone soap or mild liquid dishwashing detergent. Always avoid products containing abrasives, lemon, vinegar or other acids, as well as scouring pads.

Expect to pay
About $70-$100 per square foot. Though top-of-the-line slabs can run upwards of $300 per square foot.

Quartz surfacing

What it isThe superman of stone, quartz surfacing provides a nearly indestructible material, idea for homeowners who want a beautiful surface—that they might occasionally spill wine on! Providing the look of natural stone with a mettle that laughs in the face of coffee, lemon juice and high-maintenance care, its non-porous nature protects against more than just stains—it's also extremely hygienic, making it a food-safe choice.Though quartz surfacing is sometimes referred to as “engineered” quartz, don't be fooled into thinking that you'll end up with a synthetic countertop. Expect pure natural quartz (generally upwards of 90 percent) mixed with epoxy resin binders. The care-free surface doesn't require sealants. Boasting the look of natural stone, quartz surfacing has a consistent color; its color should be very close to what you saw in the showroom.Pros· Does not require sealants. · Scratch-resistant with diamond-like hardness, you can cut on quartz (excessive force can damage it, however). · Consistent color. · Its non-porous makes it virtually stain-free. · Can be worked into a decorative edge. Cons· Though it can briefly tolerate moderate temperatures for a brief time, you'll want to use a hot pad or trivet when placing a hot pan on it. · Integrated sinks are not available, as with solid surfacing. Quick tipQuartz surfacing is available in colors not found in nature, as the crushed stone is generally mixed with pigment. Take advantage, and choose a color that dazzles while still looking like stone.To cleanThough it's important to always follow your manufacturer's specific instructions, CAMBRIA, a leading producer of natural quartz countertops, recommends washing with warm water and a pH neutral, non-abrasive cleaner.Cost:Similar to natural stone, expect to pay $70-$250 per square foot.

Concrete

What it isMade entirely of natural materials, this hardened mixture of water, cement, sand, stone and pigment isn’t just for your basement floor anymore. It can make quite a statement up in the kitchen, and homeowners are taking note, as evidenced by its quick rise in popularity. The counters can be pre-cast to fit a mold or cast on site. Concrete must be sealed properly to resist stains and water damage. However, like the aged charm of a well used butcher block, many fans of concrete argue that there's beauty in the way the an unsealed surface ages. Pros· Can be worked into different shapes, such as integral sinks and decorative edge treatments. · Custom details like integral drain boards can be incorporated. · Resists scratches and heat. · Comes in a variety of colors (some manufacturers even allow you to create a custom color) and textures. · Custom cast to your exact specifications. · Much stronger than any other natural surface. Cons· Must be sealed properly to resist stain. · Though sealing protects the concrete, waxing is required to protect the sealer. Most manufacturers recommend applying wax to your product every one to three months, which will help to maintain its sheen and repel liquids. · Cutting on it will leave marks. · Quick temperature changes can cause curling or warping to newly installed slabs. Quick tipFor an added dose of personality, embed vintage tiles, shells or other object in the countertop. Finding concrete to be out of your price range? Investigate concrete tiles; Sonoma Cast Stone offers 25 ½" x 24" sections in four designer colors that work well for projects with limited time and budget.To cleanThough your specific manufacturer's instructions reign supreme, concrete countertop manufacturer Sonoma Cast Stone recommends cleaning with a neutral pH soap, and be careful to avoid abrasive cleaners. Promptly rinse all spills from surface. Wax every one to three months and reseal every one to two years, based on your manufacturer's instructions. Expect to payAbout $55 to $100 per square foot

Laminate

What it is The most common kitchen countertop, laminate is a synthetic material made up of several layers: multiple sheets of kraft paper (like that used in grocery bags), a decorative paper and a melamine plastic coating. Though economical, laminate doesn't have the lasting power of stone; however, manufacturers like Wilsonart offer upgraded, high-wear surfaces with increased lifespan. A slightly more expensive alternative with no dark edges is solid-color laminate, which is made of a colored plastic throughout.Pros · Produced in hundreds of colors and patterns and a variety of finishes. Certain designs replicate the look of granite, solid surface, engineered stone and hardwood, among others, providing an in-demand look at an undemanding price. · Easy upkeep. · Impact resistant. · A coved design, where the laminate eliminates the countertop’s back edge by curving slightly up the wall, makes for easy cleanup. · Cost savings, due to reduced labor and more inexpensive material compared to other surfaces. Cons· Layers make it difficult to repair chips. · Hot items and water seeping into seams may cause layers to break apart. · Kraft paper leaves a dark line at the edges, unless it runs wall to wall or is trimmed with a decorative material such as wood or stainless steel. · You’ll need to use cutting boards. · You can’t clean it with abrasives. Quick tipWorking with a tight budget that won't allow for that more expensive surface? Cover a small area of your kitchen, like an island, with your desired top, and use a complementary laminate as the main perimeter surface.To cleanAccording to Wilsonart, a top manufacturer of laminate surfaces, a damp cloth and mild soap should be adequate for most spills. For more resistant stains, create a paste from baking soda and a mild household cleaner, and give a brisk 15-20 strokes to the area using a nylon bristle brush. If these methods don't work, a cotton ball saturated with undiluted household bleach can be rubbed on the stain for up to two minutes, though Wilsonart warns that the surface must be thoroughly rinsed with water and dried, and prolonged exposure to bleach will cause discoloration. Always follow your manufacturer's specific instructions.Expect to pay About $5-$20 per square foot.

Tile

Remodeling & Design : Products & Materials : Countertops : Your Options What it isDecorative tiles are often used for trim or backsplashes, and hardier types can serve as a countertop surface. They may feature raised, recessed or painted designs. There are main types are: ceramic, porcelain, quarry, glass, natural stone and mosaic. Unglazed tiles (which generally have a matte finish) must be sealed; glazed tiles are impervious to water.The spaces between the tiles are filled in by grout. An epoxy grout is recommended to help resist stains. A palette of grout colors looks like a palette of paint colors—there are that many to choose from. One that is similar in color to the tile is recommended for a more unified look; remember that lighter colors aren't as effective at hiding dirt, and the grout should be sealed to prevent bacteria from setting up camp between your tiles.How they compareCeramic: Ceramic tiles are made from pressed clays with a matte finish or a glaze of metallic oxides and ceramic stains.Porcelain: Porcelain mosaic tiles, also made from clay, are baked at a higher temperature, which makes them thicker. Their color also goes all the way through the tile, rather than just covering the surface. Quarry: Quarry tile is an umbrella classification for tile made out of a clay mixture, such as shale. Terra cotta tile, which retain clay's reddish orange to brown hues and require a sealant, fall in this category.Glass: While the majority of glass tiles are too delicate to provide a durable countertop surface, they're an exceptional choice for backsplashes. Natural Stone: The usual suspects, like granite, marble, slate, travertine and limestone, fall into this category. Unlike natural stone countertops, the stones are actually cut into thin squares that function as tile. Mosaic Tile: Refers to tile made from any material that measures 2-inches square or smaller.Pros· You can put hot pots on tile. · Resists moisture. · You can use special hand-painted designs. Cons· The grout may stain. · The tile surface won’t be smooth enough for cutting or rolling dough. Quick tipFor a personalized look, consider mosaic countertops; or, for something equally unique, combine hand-painted, vintage or imported tiles with inexpensive, monotone tiles for a customized look at a reasonable cost.To cleanThe safest cleaning method will depend heavily on the type of tile you've used, so be sure to consult your manufacturer's instructions. For glazed ceramic, the most common tile countertop material, tile manufacturer American Olean recommends cleaning with a damp cloth and non oil-based household cleaner, and cautions against using ammonia, which can discolor grout.Expect to payAbout $1-$100 per square foot, depending on how decorative and unique a look you want.

Hardwood

What it is
The most common wood countertop you know as butcher block, those thick hardwood maple surfaces that every knife-wielding chef dreams about. Butcher blocks generally vary in thickness between 1 ¼ and six inches, and are made of stacked and glued hard maple pieces; the exposed end grain is the cutting surface. Other woods such as cherry, teak and walnut can be used, though they're generally chosen more for their decorative effect or used on a hutch.
Pros
· Won’t dull knife blades.
· Provides a convenient, built-in chopping/food prep area.
· After heavy usage, in many cases knife marks can be removed by sanding and re-oiling.

Cons
· Requires sealants.
· Should be periodically re-oiled.
· Shows knife marks.
· Prone to water damage so it shouldn’t be placed near the sink without several coats of sealant.

Quick tip
Considering a butcher block island? Hang a pot rack overhead to make food prep even easier—chop those veggies and put them right in the pot!

To clean
According to butcher block great John Boos, it's important to periodically apply a non-toxic mineral oil appropriate for kitchen use with a rag. Never use harsh detergents to clean, and follow your manufacturer's guidelines.

Expect to pay
About $10-$40 per square foot.

Specialty surfaces

Looking for a surface that isn't standard in your subdivision? Read on to learn about less-traditional materials that provide a fresh new look.

Lavastone

Lavastone is heating things up in more ways than one. Best suited for homeowners craving a natural top in a color well outside the typical range, the enameled material comes in an unlimited pallet of colors. Offered by manufacturers like Pyrolave, the glazed volcanic rock is non-porous, keeping stains at bay. Cost: $210 and up.

Glass

One of the newest materials to hit the kitchen, glass is losing its china doll status. The highly polished surface is available in almost limitless colors, shapes, thicknesses and textures. Its non-porous nature keeps it stain-proof and hygienic, and it can handle hot pots. Take note: dropping a heavy object on it can cause a crack, chip or break; such a break cannot be repaired, and the countertop must be replaced. Glass will also scratch, and should not be used as a cutting board. Like stainless steel, it shows fingerprints. Edges must be rounded for safety purposes. Cost: $60-$150 per square foot.

Paper-base
Say sayonara to stone. Richlite’s paper-based countertops provide a durable-as-stone and heat and stain-resistant surface that's more than just a unique countertop alternative. Used in commercial kitchens for years, Richlite is available in six colors including sage, slate black and nutmeg. Using only sustainable materials, Richlite is the first company to offer hemp-based countertops, which are both heat and stain-resistant. Cost: $65-$75.

Semi-precious surfacing

Choose a real gem for your kitchen—literally. You'll get a luxe look with Concetto by Caesarstone, semi-precious surfacing, designed by one of the world’s first manufacturers of quartz surfaces. Available in exotic turquoise, carnelian, jasper and more, the countertops use a mineral binder to join pieces into a smooth and shiny countertop, perfect for your entire kitchen or as a breathtaking island accent piece. Cost: $300-$400.

Don’t head out your front door without your cabinet door when you go countertop shopping. A sample made all the difference on a recent trip to the showroom. With a custom-cherry flat slab in hand, a designer helped the client quickly settle on a grayish limestone cousin with distinctive veining and a soft patina. The client found she was willing to trade some durability for what she felt was the perfect complement to her new cabinets.

Posted by huligar at 07:15 PM | Comments (0)

A New CBN Grade for High Cutting Rates

As a result of continuous product development, Element Six is introducing with ABN700 the latest addition to its ABN range of CBN wheelgrit products.

Ranked with regard to particle strength between the well-established products ABN200 and ABN800, ABN700 combines in application particle strength and thermal resistance with free cutting breakdown characteristics similar to ABN800. ABN700 can be used for all vitrified bond types, but was developed particularly for softer vitrified bonds, which may not require the particle strength offered by ABN800.

ABN700 is also available in a nickel-clad form under the name ABN760P for use in high-performance resin bonds. Thermally stable resins in particularly, may take advantage of the combination of medium strength and a sharp, free-cutting performance.
To provide the toolmaker with a choice of abrasive to enable optimisation of the tool for a specific application, the Element Six ABN range now comprises a total of five products. Each provides different crystal strength, degree of thermal stability, crystal morphology and particle shapes.

Posted by huligar at 07:08 PM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2005

Manually Polishing Granite Should Be Ban.

The entire course of Iraivan Temple will be carved manually, even polishing of some stones. Shown in the pictures below are steps involved in polishing of red granite slabs for the sanctum sanctorum background. Thiru Mariappan and Thiru Sellamuthu both specialists in this field take around 12 to 20 days to complete one slab.

The process is as ancient as it can be. The finish is truly remarkable. It involves using iron powder 'Urukupodi' to level the already fine-chiseled surface. This is done by grinding iron powder with a granite block over the slab.

Black grinding stone called 'Sannakal' in Tamil, is used next to remove dirt and stains on the granite slab. Third phase involves polishing with Greenstone for a shiny finish.

Later bluestone powder is used for a finer look. Using a flat copper spoon, emery powder is then rubbed over the surface with water. Finally white stone powder is smoothen with a flat tin spoon. All the eight red slabs needed has been completed and awaiting shipment. The Crystal Lingam will certainly look outstanding with such fine touch!

With all the tools on the market, this should not be going on. I can only guess what those guy get pay.

Posted by huligar at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2005

Residents organise to fight Stancliffe’s proposals to extend Dale View

Residents of Stanton in the Peak District have set themselves up as SADE – Stanton Against the Destruction of our Environment – to fight Stancliffe Stone’s proposals to extend their Dale View quarry in the National Park.

The group’s first publicity stunt was to form a ‘human chain’ around the area of the proposed extension of the quarry on Saturday 30 July.
About 100 people turned up, not enough to encompass the whole area by linking hands, although the organisers had anticipated that outcome and had ribbons for people to hold in order that they could spread out far enough.
Nick Moor, chairman of SADE, said it showed how large an area was involved in the proposed extension that it could not be ringed by the protestors linking hands.
SADE was formed following the High Court’s ruling that Stancliffe could not resume quarrying on the footprint of Endcliffe and Lees Cross quarries under the conditions of an existing planning permission granted in 1952.
The National Park Authority argued that the quarries were redundant and therefore, although the planning permission remained valid, new conditions could be imposed before work was resumed there. Stancliffe contested that decision, first in the High Court and then to the Appeal Court, but the decision was upheld (see the July issue of NSS).
Faced with the prospect of severe restrictions on their operations at Endcliffe and Lees Cross, Stancliffe decided at the turn of the year that they would rather extend Dale View Quarry, which they were already working. They tried to bring the appeal to an end, but the local council argued that the matter should be determined and the appeal continued.
After the Appeal Court reached its decision in June, Stancliffe held a meeting with local residents on 1 July to explain their intentions to extend operations at Dale View. About 50 people attended. The residents say this was the first they had heard of the proposals.
Stancliffe, based in Matlock and owned by York stone quarries Marshals, say they will be submitting a planning application regarding the extension of Dale View to the Peak District National Park Authority at the end of the summer.
A spokesperson for Stancliffe told NSS that the proposals have been amended as a result of comments made by local residents. Notably, the size of the proposed area to be worked has been reduced and additional tree planting is proposed to screen the workings from the village.
Stancliffe also propose a programme of on-going restoration of the site, the net result of which would be that the area actually being worked at any one time would be smaller than the area currently being worked.
The company say that if they receive planning permission to extend Dale View they will revoke their quarrying rights to Endcliffe and Lees Cross and carry out restoration work there.
Protestors have occupied the site for the past five years. They say they will leave when they have confirmation that the site will not be quarried. They are concerned that a Bronze Age stone circle known as Nine Ladies should be protected.
The residents of Stanton say the proposals for Dale View will still take quarrying near to Nine Ladies but will also mean it is far nearer the village. Nick Moor is concerned that the extension of the quarry will spoil an area used by tourists to park in order to visit Nine Ladies and the National Park.
He is also concerned about lorry movements, although Stancliffe say there will be no more than the current 16-18 a day in spite of planning permission that allows up to 30 movements a day.
The company say the quarry extension will safeguard the jobs of the 68 people they employ and the character of the Peak District, where 70% of the stone from Dale View is used, both for restoration and new build.
The residents say it is they who will pay for that, both in the lost value of property and the loss of amenity.

Posted by huligar at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2005

Beneath Moscow, A stunning Stone In the subway tour

In 2005 the city Moscow is celebrating their 70th anniversary of its subway system. Underground stations was once seen as barely hospitable spaces that you tolerate in order to get from one place to another, That was never the case for natural stone enthusiast.

The Moscow stations that was built in the 1930s to the '50s, were envisioned as '' the people palaces" and used to show the achievements that socialism brought to the Soviet Union's workers and peasants. Of course it was the same workers who build the first 13 stations in only 3 1/2 years.

Each station has a unique design using complex decorations and materials from all over the country, including granite, quartzite, limestone, 20 kinds of marble, and semiprecious stones, plus bronze sculptures, majolica panels, stainless steel columns, glittering chandeliers, bas-relief friezes, stained-glass panels, murals, and mosaics. You can easily spend a day touring the city without ever seeing the sun.

Ploshchad Revolyutsii Conveniently located between the Kremlin and Red Square, Alexei Dushkin designed this station in 1938. The main hall has a series of marble-lined arches, decorated at either end with life-size cast-bronze sculptures by Matvey Manizer. Each figure represents and'everyday hero" from the revolution and the early Soviet state.

Mayakovskaya Also designed by Dushkin, this station won the Grand Prix for urban design in the New York World's Fair in 1938 and is considered one of Moscow's most beautiful. The spacious main hall's columns are an unusual combination of marble and stainless steel. Posthumously named for Vladimir Mayakovsky, the station contains a bust of the poet, who committed suicide in 1930.

Komsomolskaya Named to honor the Communist Youth League (Komsomol), this station has two linked sections. The older and more graceful, built in 1935 with rose-colored marble and majolica panels of metro workers, was also a prizewinner at the New York World's Fair. The newer section, from the early 1950s, is an ornate hall with elaborate chandeliers and glittery military mosaics.

Park Kultury One of the first stations to be completed, it has elegant, clean lines and a series of arches with lovely carved stone bas-reliefs by Sergey Rabinovich. The scenes portray an idealized citizenry engaged in sports and recreation such as skating, tennis, soccer, and playing the violin.

Posted by huligar at 01:19 PM | Comments (0)

Why is every one putting down natural stone

Today I read an artical written in the Washigton Times by Ann Geracimos.

It was title Counter chemistry

this artical seems to be putting down natural stone. Every time I look around it seems like some one is takeing the worse of the worse to represent the stone world, they point out all the problems but never the cure. It is time we started to make our vioces heard.

I hope you all will take the time and come up with a great responds and post it in the comment area on the news feed.

Zodiaq, Silestone, Cambria, Celador, Corian, Ceaserstone, Richlite. The words sound like catchy names for airlines or soft drinks but actually are brand names for hardy materials at least partially manufactured in chemists' labs and used mainly for kitchen and bathroom countertops.
Slate, stone, marble, limestone, butcher block, stainless steel, concrete and glass are other, somewhat more "natural" options, each with its own advantages and drawbacks.
The choices available in today's market serve nearly every aesthetic and functional requirement. Innovations are constant, involving new textures and new finishes. What about a "leather" or matte finish, concrete that feels as smooth as marble, or a surface imbedded with fossillike patterns and other decorative bits?
The range of colors can be dazzling, too. DuPont advertises that its Corian product comes in no fewer than 100 colors. Silestone, a so-called engineered stone, is produced in 38 colors, one of them a bright red surface shot through with sparkling silver.
Then there are edge options to consider. Silestone's brochure shows 11 shapes, none a totally squared edge. (Squared edges are more prone to chipping.)
The current issue of Consumer Reports offers results of tests done in nine generic categories of surfaces and lists a number of brand names for each where applicable. Each category has been judged for its ability to withstand stains, scratches, impact and heat.
The magazine's chart also gives prices. Laminate, which is a molded paper-and-vinyl acrylic product often called by the brand name Formica, is by far the least expensive at $15 to $30 per square foot, while stainless steel, at $120 to $160 per square foot, is most costly. A solid-surface product such as Corian is in the middle range: between $40 and $85 per square foot, as is ceramic tile at $10 to $80 per square foot, and engineered stone at $50 to $85. Granite is slightly more expensive than engineered stone.
Engineered stone, a nonporous quartz compound set with resin, was rated best for overall performance; limestone was last.
Such ratings are a method of helping people decide what is best for their particular needs. Another time-tested way is relying on the advice of professional interior designers accustomed to working with a range of materials and suppliers.
"People think they will find the perfect countertop -- like finding the perfect spouse," says Donna Ralston-Latham of DRL Total Environments Inc. in Alexandria. The sentiment is echoed by Ann Unal, president of the local chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association who is associated with Tunis Kitchens and Baths in Chevy Chase.
Both women -- experienced designers well-versed in trends in the kitchen and bath world -- say there is no such thing as the ideal pick. The choice of a countertop depends on multiple factors, such as the size and style of the room and the kitchen's function within the house.
To help clients decide among a bewildering variety of colors and materials, designers suggest collecting attractive images of finished rooms pictured in magazines and books in the belief that favorites eventually will emerge.
"Quartz is easiest to take care of -- much more than granite," Ms. Ralston-Latham says. "Granite, too, is a hard product, but it can be porous, and it does have to be sealed more than once and is subject to stains and cracking." Marble, too, is porous, she notes. Concrete she calls "a nice product" but one requiring a lot of time because it can take experts five to 20 weeks to install because it must be poured and set several times.
Quartz "leads the pack at the moment," she says, in part because of its hygienic qualities and resistance to mold and germs. Granite, too, is popular but, to ensure all the counter matches, must be bought at a wholesaler such as Marble Systems in Fairfax, which imports stone of all kinds in great quantities.
"We have 120 colors of granite alone," says Leslie Allen, a sales associate at Marble Systems. "It is like having a work of art around. Realtors tell me a real upgrade in a home that somebody is hoping to sell requires having granite countertops."
As many as 12 engineered-stone products are available in the Washington area, according to Dick DeChant of Counter Intelligence Inc., a Silestone distributor in Silver Spring that imports its supply from Spain. (Cambria claims it is the only American producer of quartz surfaces.) "The wildest colors are designed with Europeans in mind," he says, explaining samples that include turquoise.
Quartz is one of the hardest natural substances known, but neither Silestone nor Zodiaq, a quartz product from DuPont, normally can withstand extreme abrasive action or extremely high temperatures without damage. However, opinions vary on the durability of engineered stone surfaces versus granite.
Ms. Unal doesn't dismiss laminate, in spite of its less exalted status. She calls it "an excellent material of modest price. It's hard and not easily scratched."
Corian has been around for several decades and was the best-known of so-called solid-surface materials, often chosen for its color. "But a lot of things scratch or stain," Ms. Unal cautions. Marble, being porous, needs care. A cut tomato left face down on white marble most likely will leave a red stain. Certain shades of granite, too, she warns, can show an oil stain.
Limestone or stainless steel may be chosen for aesthetic appeal, but neither is without problems. Limestone stains; steel shows fingerprints and dents. Slate, Ms. Unal warns, tends to scratch, and butcher block will both scratch and stain. Soapstone, too, scratches and needs oiling. Concrete, which can cost as much as granite, can chip if someone is careless, and it's difficult to repair.
"People always look for something different," Ms. Unal says. "The proper choice depends on context." She even has used glass on occasion, to add an elegant note and provide lightness for an accent shelf above a counter.
"If you can imagine it, you can make it happen," says Miss Allen, standing amid hundreds of stone slabs from all parts of the world in Marble Systems' warehouse. Standard 9-by-6-foot slabs, weighing as much as 1,500 pounds each, come in nearly every pattern and hue.
"You can easily spend $50,000 on a kitchen countertop," she notes, looking at an expensive blue-veined piece from Brazil that might pass for an unframed painting or piece of sculpture. a

Posted by huligar at 05:06 AM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2005

THE OWNER BUILT

HOME & HOMESTEAD
STONE MASONRY

Next to plain dirt, stone (or rock) is the least exploited of all materials for building construction. And like earth—which has been used for centuries in building walls, floors and roofs—rock is most readily available at little or no money cost.h="281" height="199" />

It can be gathered (usually free for the hauling) from any streambed, from abandoned mines and quarries, or from open fields and embankment cuts. There is hardly a region in the country that doesn't contain a substantial resource of building stone.

Maps and aerial photographs of one's region are generally available, and can be employed to advantage in locating building stone. Agricultural soil maps are revealing and thorough. Geologic maps indicate existing pit and quarry sites as well as the type and structure of the rock. U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey maps cover nearly every section of the country. They are especially helpful in locating abandoned ore mines. Tailings from mines are among the best sources of building stone. From aerial photos one can locate such rock-laden features as excavations, outcroppings, cliffs abandoned railroad and road cuts and natural streambeds.

With such widespread availability, one asks, why is building stone so rarely exploited by homebuilders? Because building with stone is similar to building with earth: There is a large "time" and "labor" factor involved in gathering and placing the material into a wall. But the average Owner-Builder's time and labor resource customarily outweighs his capital resource, so this cannot always be considered a serious handicap.

Perhaps a more pertinent answer to this query lies in the fact that stone masonry technology—more than any of the other building trade skills—has been traditionally clothed in secrecy. Carl Schmidt, in his little book on Cobblestone Architecture, illustrates this point:

Several very old men, who as little boys saw cobblestone masons at work, readily recall the jealousies among the masons. Whenever a visitor appeared while they were working, they would stop work, hide their tools and do something else until the visitor went on his way. The fact that these men succeeded very well in keeping their own methods a secret, explains the different mannerisms found in the method of laying up the walls.

Through the centuries stone masons also have succeeded in maintaining a respectable, highly paid and somewhat apostolic status in the building industry. Their "trade secrets" are maintained to this day, and include such important items as an intimate knowledge of rock, the correct mortar proportions and use of auxilary materials, the proper selection of tools and organization of work procedure and—finally—an esthetic awareness of the rock in place: The total effect and composition of the finished wall.

Intensive research on stone masonry reveals that no pertinent literature exists on the subject that is applicable to the unskilled Owner-Builder. Stone masons maintain their closed shop. In this chapter an attempt is made to close the enigmatic gap.

With fear of over-simplifying the stone masonry skill it should be stated that the foremost prerequisite of any mason worth his mortar is an intimate—nearly intuitive—knowledge of rock. Pick up a rock. Where the inexperienced observes color, weight and form, the experienced stone mason notices bedding, seams, rift and grain. He first visualizes the rock in place, laid on its natural bedding. Bedding is recognized by a granular change in color or texture. It is mostly prevalent in sedimentary rock, where changing conditions of deposition of sediment under water occur.

Bedding joints are horizontal, but seams are generally vertical, to the rock surface. Seams are regular in limestone and irregular in granite. They occur in rock as a result of compression and tension stresses in earth forms. The direction of greatest ease of splitting in a rock is called the rift. It may be parallel to the seam. A second, more minor, direction of splitting is called the grain. Only the most experienced mason can detect grain direction.

Several simplified systems of rock identification have been devised to assist the mason in his choice of building stone. Rock classification can be physical, differentiating between unstratified and stratified rock, or it can be of a chemical nature, dividing rock into its siliceous (sandy), agrillaceous (clayey) or calcareous (limey) composition. The classical classification of rock, however, is based upon geological origin—ingeous, sedimentary and metamorphic. A composite classification system of the more common building stones, along with their significant construction properties is presented below.

CONSTRUCTION PROPERTIES OF BUILDING ROCK
GEOLOGIC ORIGIN PHYSICAL TYPE ROCK NAME MECHANICAL STRENGTH DURABILITY SURFACE CHARACTER PRESENCE OF IMPURITIES
IGNEOUS(formed from molten material) INTRUSIVEcoarse grained GRANITE good good good possible
DIORITE good good good possible
EXTRUSIVEfine grained BASALT good good good seldom
OBSIDIAN good good good possible
SEDIMENTARY(sediments deposited by wind and in water) CALCAREOUScalcite DOLOMITE good fair good possible
LIMESTONE good fair good possible
SILICEOUSsilica SHALE poor poor good possible
SANDSTONE fair fair good seldom
CHERT good poor fair likely
CONGLOMER fair fair good possible
METAMORPHIC(prolonged heat and/or pressure) FOLIATEDParallel layered SLATE good good poor seldom
SCHIST good good good seldom
NONFOLIATED QUARTZITE good good good seldom
MARBLE fair good good possible
SERPENTINE fair fair poor possible

This chapter is one of the few with no bibliography at the end. The dearth of books may be a continuance of the "closed shop" stone masonry conspiracy mentioned earlier: In any event there are no contemporary manuals on laying up building stone. The Audel reference text on masonry is typical of what is currently available: The stone masonry techniques and tools discussed date back to antiquity. The correct hammer and chisel are identified, as is the manner of squaring huge marble building blocks.

A number of unlikely research sources were used to compile this chapter; but primarily the actual stone-laying experience of the author over the past fifteen years forms the nitty-gritty of what is to follow.

The rock classification system illustrated above can prove of only general value to the Owner-Builder mason. Let's have a closer look at choosing your rock and building with this natural resource. Accessibility of the rock must be one of the prime criterion. An expensive quarrying or hauling operation can be a deterrent sufficient to dissuade one from using this material in his building. In some instances a particularly hard rock is called for-as in floors and steps. Rock with cleavage (a splitting quality) is generally a more valuable characteristic than a block-like monolithic quality.

Of course we desire to build a durable wall, and one that will withstand rain, wind, frost, heat and fire. A building stone "life" ranges from 10 to 200 years. Frost damage is common to softer and porous rock. Again, if rock is not laid on its natural bed-face, frost action will tend to laminate the layers. Another important rule: The strength of the mortar should equal the strength of the rock. An excessively rich mortar is more pervious than a weaker mortar because shrinkage-cracking occurs in rich mortar. Mortar joints are the most vulnerable part of the wall to moisture penetration.

Granites are the least affected by weathering: Limestone and sandstone the most. They are commonly destroyed by surface erosion (from sea salts, for instance) and atmospheric pollution. Rain will leach the cementitious materials found in some sandstone to the surface, where they become brittle, weak and finally flake off.

A number of stone preservatives are available, designed to protect rock from the aforementioned frost and moisture penetration hazards. A waterproofing agent prevents the penetration of moisture but the moisture that does gain access into the wall is not permitted to escape. This is bad. The wall should "breathe", whatever material is used. Moreover, the outer waterproofing layer is a thin skin which differs in physical properties from the underlying material. This difference causes certain stresses to be set u