In fact, if anything, sandstone is actually a very soft and delicate stone and needs to be cared for.
The reason it is so popular in the the UK is because it was in abundant supply and was easy to work with. Being a soft stone, it was easy to cut and shape – which lead to thousands of stunning architectural designs coming to fruition.
But through excessive rain and the freeze/thaw/freeze nature of the Scottish climate, sandstone can deteriorate if left unmaintained – causing damage to the stonework.
Sandstone is naturally porous and can easily absorb a lot of moisture. If the moisture cannot then escape, the sandstone begins to decay and loose its structure. This is why the likes of a leaking gutter should be dealt with quickly. If a sandstone wall becomes saturated, it may not be able to dry out properly.
If the sandstone becomes overly saturated, it presents a real risk that the internal metal cramps can begin to corrode. As the metal cramps corrode, they begin to expand, adding pressure to the sandstone causing it to crumble from within.
Plant roots can penetrate sandstone and cause the stonework to loose strength as the roots begin to expand and break the stone apart. While moss and algae may cause staining to stonework that requires cleaning, roots from larger vegetation can cause significant stone decay if left unattended.
Sandstone masonry work is a skilled profession but sadly there are many builders out there who believe that sandstone is just like brickwork and use cement to patch up damaged stonework. Cement will immediately stop the sandstone from breathing which in turn will cause the stone to not dry out when wet. This increased moisture, combined with the weather changes over winter can cause significant damage to the stonework of your property.
At WERE: Conservation & Contemporary Stone our Historic Scotland Trained Stone Masons cover a range of conservation practices and heritage techniques.
Our knowledge is applied across a wide variety of projects, ranging from traditional hand carved masonry to the realisation of full-scale building restoration and repair projects.
We deliver the highest quality work for our customers. Our team of craftsmen specialise in delivering Complex programmes of work for listed buildings. Always sensitive to the needs of our clients and the area’s we work in, we pride ourselves of working efficiently with minimal disruption of our client’s day to day activity.
We take a holistic approach to your home or commercial property. Giving you a simple and reliable experience that brings the beauty of stone masonry directly to your door. If you would like to know more about our services, please feel free to get in touch and let us know a bit about the project you’re planning.
Email andrew@were.co.uk
or
call +447932 716716
We look forward to hearing from you
