Natural marble has a light color and rich texture. It has a large share of use in construction and decoration projects. Reasonable selection of stone can better display the natural beauty of stone. Although the use of stone is beautiful, it can improve the quality and taste of the building space, but many problems will arise if you do not understand its characteristics.

01

Cracks appear on the newly paved ground stone of the commercial square

A commercial square has not yet officially opened, and the newly paved marble floor has been damaged, with severe cracks and holes. Some cracks are like spider webs, some cracks are radial like lightning before a thunderstorm, and some deeper cracks have darkened inside, which seriously affects the beauty of the stone.

Cracks in the marble floor

Witnessing the scarred marble floor, the first reaction of many people is that the stone material is solid, how can it easily break and break? In fact, stone is not as solid as imagined. If the stone is not processed properly during the processing, transportation, and installation, it is very easy to cause damage to the stone surface. (For example, in the stone cutting process, the saw is run on the surface of the stone board, which causes cracks in the stone. The stone is not protected by the back net and adhesive, and it is bumpy during transportation, which causes the stone surface to be damaged. During the installation process, it was polluted by external water sources, which exacerbated the damage of the stone.)

02

Causes of cracks and breaks on the surface of natural marble

The main reasons for the cracks and breakage of the natural marble surface can be summarized into two aspects, the structural reasons of the stone itself and the reasons for artificial use (that is, factors such as mining, processing, transportation, installation, and use environment).

On the ground of the commercial square, the main reasons for the damage of the stone were:

(1) The natural stone itself is rich in sutures and there are a large number of hidden cracks.

Natural stone has a rich pattern on the surface. This trait also makes the stone colorful, but it also brings many problems to the use of stone. Because these patterns are the stone’s suture (waterline), it is a weak part of the stone surface. Once squeezed and bumped, it is easy to turn invisible cracks into surface cracks.

(2) Insufficient stone health time, resulting in empty drums.

During the stone pavement process, cement wet paste is used. When it comes into contact with water and alkaline substances, chemical reactions occur and it is easy to cause cracks in natural marble. The paved cement does not get enough health time, the cement is not firmly bonded, premature stepping on, and the weight of the stone will cause the stone to deform and empty. The stone is hollow, and it is easy to cause cracks on the stone surface when it encounters dragging heavy objects or grinding in the early stage of renovation.

(3) Six-sided protection is not standardized, and stone cannot effectively resist external pollution.

Due to the high water absorption rate of the paved stone and the absence of a protective agent, the stone cannot effectively prevent foreign pollution. For example, when the humidity in the air is high, the stone will absorb moisture and expand; when the weather is dry and the air is dry, the stone will automatically release the moisture inside the stone. Frequent dry and wet changes, contraction and expansion will accelerate the deterioration of the stone cracks.

03

Suggestion for plate crack treatment

If cracks and local damage occur on the stone surface, a high-quality resin glue can be selected for surface repair treatment to restore the decorative effect of the stone surface. Broken or damaged stone will seriously affect its aesthetics. It is recommended to replace the stone that meets the requirements for use.

When repairing the surface of stone, please pay attention to the following:

(1) Before repairing the stone board surface, ensure that the board surface and cracks are clean and dry. Otherwise, the adhesive strength of the repaired colloid is not strong, and it is easy to fall off again.

(2) The adhesive for repairing the stone surface must have good adhesion, filling, permeability, and polishability to ensure the construction quality of the adhesive.

(3) When repairing the surface of stone, it is necessary to ensure that the colloid is full, full, and does not collapse, so that the ground rubber can be truly integrated with the stone.

(4) The waterproofing of the stone surface needs to be in place and meets the construction requirements. Doing a good job of waterproofing the stone and reducing the water absorption of the stone can effectively resist the erosion and damage of external factors; delay the weathering of the stone and improve the stain resistance and corrosion resistance of the stone.

Natural marble is a treasure given to human beings by nature and a rare and non-renewable resource. Although people use stone in buildings, because of its physical and chemical properties, problems with stone occur repeatedly, and even cause irreparable losses. Therefore, only through scientific application and proper care can the use value of paving stone be realized, making it high-end, atmospheric and upscale, and bringing more beautiful decorative effects to the building.

Source: Stone Research Institute