Report : Chemicals
It has been a general rule of thumb that the nastier the chemical the better it works. But growing concern about the damage we are causing to the planet we live on is resulting in a search for ever more environmentally friendly treatments. And when the chemicals industry starts cleaning up its act, you had better believe things are changing.
The stone industry does not figure high on the chemical industry’s list of priorities, but even here changes in the chemicals used to stick, clean and care for stone are taking place. And the recession seems to have done nothing to cool people’s enthusiasm for environmental products.
Water-based cleaners and sealers are replacing solvent-based concoctions, and suspected carcinogen’s such as methylene chloride used in paint stripping, for example, are being replaced by more benign ingredients.
There are various forces pressing in on the chemicals industry that are bringing about the change. Consumer concern is one. That is translating into legislation banning some substances and leading to increasing scrutinisation of the industry through initiatives such as the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH) programme that came into force in 2007. It could restrict or ban the use of some of the chemicals currently commonly used – and methylene chloride is one of those being banned.
Just as important to the makers of chemicals is the increasing price of oil, which is the source of many of the most polluting chemicals. For now, oil-based chemicals are still often the least expensive option, but as the price of oil moves inexorably upwards the balance is changing.
Chemicals companies are looking at replacing oil-derived products with ingredients from plants. Cook Chemicals and Proctor & Gamble, for instance, have won a green chemistry award for using a mixture of soya oil and sugar to replace oil-based resins and solvents in paint. The paint has the added advantage of not giving you a headache when you use it.
Producing chemicals from plants sounds ecologically sound and is certainly using renewable sources, but like a lot of what is supposedly environmentally friendly does not always turn out to be so good for the planet when scrutinised. Plants are easiest to cultivate as monocultures. They require a lot of space and the space is often created by clearing biologically diverse forest.
Nevertheless, the change is taking place and for those in the front line of the stone industry that often means learning how to use a new product. As products without solvents normally take longer to cure than those with solvents there is resistance in some quarters to the change.
But as Chris Harrop, Marshalls’ Group Marketing Director, said in the February issue of this magazine in relation to the Group’s moves towards sustainability and ethical trading: “In any market there are always early adopters, followers and traditionalists.” Those who get in early usually do better than the traditionalists who resist the change.
There are compensations to the new chemicals. One is the removal of the harmful affects on the health of the people using them. No doubt that in itself is motivation enough for many companies to move to friendlier products. In case it isn’t, the example of a company in Bristol is given by the Health & Safety Executive. They were fined £30,000 for breaching the Health & Safety at Work Act and £10,000 for each of six separate breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations for not making adequate risk assessments, not preventing or controlling exposure of employees to chemicals, and for not providing health surveillance of employees at risk from using chemicals. They were also fined £10,000 for not reporting a case of allergic contact dermatitis. No doubt there will also be claims for compensation by the employees. (You can find out more about Coshh on the HSE website www.hse.gov.uk/coshh.)
The case arose from workers exposed to hazardous chemicals over a four-year period developing a disease called allergic contact dermatitis. One employee suffered four years of his skin blistering, cracking, splitting and weeping and two other employees suffered symptoms including fingers and hands becoming so badly swollen and blistered that one could not do up his shirt buttons without the skin on his fingers splitting open.
Another compensation of environmentally friendly products is that they can be used with minimal or no protective clothing, goggles or masks and are easier to dispose of – and disposing of some petrochemicals is (or should be) an issue because they will not break down in water.
Those who use chemicals for cleaning stonework, especially products such as paint strippers and poultices, should be aware of what they are using and the restrictions on their use and disposal.
Hazardous chemicals should contain warnings of their dangers on the packaging, although these are not always easy to understand. A series of symbols is used to indicate the level of danger. These were changed last year to an internationally agreed set with codes indicating the hazard they pose. They are listed on the HSE website (www.hse.gov.uk/chip/phrases.htm#abbrev).
The slower curing time of less toxic treatments can be nuisance and some say they do not last as long before the treatment needs repeating. But by changing the way they work some companies have found slower curing times for products such as paint strippers can actually speed up the process of removing paint from stonework. And water-based sealers for floors can be used while the floor is still damp, which can speed up the installation. It all depends whether you see problems or opportunities.
Below are some of the developments in the chemicals used for treating stone
Stonehealth
Many of you, especially those of you over a certain age, will recall happily sloshing on copious amounts of methylene chloride and hydrofluoric acid-based products to remove paint and grime without realising just how dangerous it was and what harm it does, not only to the user but to the environment.
When Brian Crowe started Stonehealth more than 20 years ago with the original Jos gentle abrasive cleaning system he met a contractor at Apsley House, where cleaning tests were being carried out. The man’s sleeves were rolled-up revealing red, weeping sores on his arms. When Brian asked about the sores the operator said that was why he liked Jos so much – because it avoided the sores caused by chemicals.
Brian asked him why he was not wearing protective clothing. He said he had been but the chemicals had burned through it to his skin.
At that moment Brian Crowe resolved that Stonehealth would not touch chemicals that were not safe or kind to the person applying them or the environment. The event contributed to the stated philosophy of the company: Ethical service and products for the conservation & restoration trades. Brian says the UK has lagged behind many other European countries in banning aggressive chemicals, but Stonehealth banned them from its own range anyway.
Today, Stonehealth offer chemicals that are effective but have been formulated from natural ingredients, including vegetable products.
One of their products is Oilrid. Which is a ready-to-use detergent containing oil digesting bacteria. It works without any ‘rainbowing’ in as little as 20 minutes. Another is Ferrid, for removing iron staining, while Cuprid removes copper and bronze staining from stonework.
Stonehealth No 6, 7 & 7S are paint softeners, but you will not get burnt by these products, even though they will normally break down the structure of many paint layers in one application, making it possible to remove the paint even from the pores of masonry. The ideal method of removing the softened paint is with the Doff superheated water cleaner that Stonehealth also sell, although it can also be removed with a spatula.
Greenest of the green
When ex-Office & General people Steve Trew and John Walker decided to set up their own cleaning company they could see the way the market is going and decided to specialise in offering ecologically sound solutions. They have called their company Greenzone and have selected cleaning products from Delphis to deliver their environmental promise.
Delphis were started by two chemists making products for cleaning the bottoms of boats. The regulations governing marine environments are strict, so the products have to be exceptionally environmentally friendly. Two years ago Delphis were taken over by Mark Jenkovich and since then have expanded considerably.
They take an ultra environmentally and ethically friendly approach to all the products they have developed for various markets, including their stone cleaner and floor maintainer. All the products have been developed by chemists in the UK and are made here. They are so green that Delphis were the first manufacturer in the cleaning product sector to gain the EU Eco-label known as the Euroflower.
Their stone cleaner is phosphate free and 100% biodegradable. It is so safe it can be applied without wearing rubber gloves or protective clothing. It contains palm oil, the growing of which environmentalists say is leading to the clearing of rainforests to create plantations, but Delphis say they are careful to buy from sustainable sources. Even their packaging is environmentally friendly and none of their ingredients are tested on animals.
Greenzone are a new company that have only been using Delphis products for four weeks, but say they have cleaned marble and Portland limestone with the Delphis masonry cleaner. “Up to now I have been very impressed,” John Walker told NSS – and he has been cleaning stone for 27 years, so he has something to compare Delphis with. He says potential clients he has contacted have been extremely enthusiastic about the idea of environmentally friendly cleaning.
The price of Delphis products is similar to brand leading alternatives and the company say comparison tests against five other branded conventional cleaning products carried out for Defra accreditation show Delphis products perform 92% as well.
The products are used by the Royal household and have been just been used to clean the area around the swimming pool at the Ritz to avoid any danger of polluting the water. They are included on the list of approved cleaning products of Dagenham & Barking council in London and have also just been through the pre-qualification process to be included on the NHS list of approved cleaning products.
The first question of the Dagenham & Barking form was about the environmental credentials of the products, which shows how the issue is moving up the list of specifiers’ priorities.
Councils cut maintenance costs with QSS treatments
Councils are finding that treating their stone pavements can save them a lot more on cleaning and repair than the treatment costs, especially when it comes to removing the dreaded chewing gum. Treating pavements is starting to become so popular that David Oldroyd, who took over as MD of QSS UK at the end of last year, anticipates sales doubling every year for the next three years at least.
QSS supply and apply their treatments and have been treating some stone paving for British quarries with their Qstone impregnator before it is laid. They are also working with Quatertbridge Project Management restoring and protecting stone paving in markets all over the country, often after tarmac that has covered it for years has been removed.
In Swindon, where they have been treating the pavements for the past two years at a cost of about £5 per square metre, they say the cost of removing chewing gum has been cut from 10p per piece to 2p.
Their product , which was developed by John Emery, who they retain as a consultant, does not seal the stone, but treats it to prevent material, including dirt, penetrating and sticking to it. It also secures sand in the joints so it is not brushed out by mechanical sweepers. They claim that, overall, they can halve the cost of cleaning.
Their latest project with Quatertbridge Project Management involves restoring and protecting the natural flagstone floors in Accrington Market Hall, which Quarterbridge are restoring. The balcony-level space has already been handed over and the current (third) phase encompasses the restoration of the ground floor.
The flagstone floors are in remarkably good condition with a riven finish and tight joints. But they had been overcoated with a red asphalt compound in the 1960s to aid mechanical cleaning. Fortunately, the flagstones had been covered with a hessian slip membrane making the topping relatively-easy to remove. The surface is restored by light sandblasting before being treated. The Market Hall was opened in 1869 and the stone is a local carboniferous gritstone (millstone grit) from the now-defunct Hutch Bank Quarry in Haslingden, local to the site. This quarry supplied a lot of stone paving and walling in East Lancashire until the 1920s.
Quarterbridge say they researched various treatments for the sales floor before selecting QSS.
Director Jonathan Owen says: “We decided on QSS on the basis of finished appearance, cost and guarantee.” He says other finishes they tested materially altered the appearance of the floor, which QSS’s did not. “The deciding factor, though, was QSS’s ability to offer a one stop solution – sandblast preparation and quick-to-install flexible infilling of the (tight) joints between slabs by infilling them with a bonded, brushed-in sand, plus a five-year product and workmanship guarantee. The joint treatment in particular is a concern to us as it must be able to resist both thermal movement and lifting when the floor is cleaned by mechanical scrubber-drier. Minimising ongoing maintenance costs in this environment is very important to the market owners, Hyndburn Borough Council.”
EasiPoint launch eco-friendly protective coating for paving
An advanced, ecologically friendly coating designed to protect natural stone and concrete against water, oil and grease has been launched in the UK by EasiPoint, the specialist walling and paving mortar company based in Chorley, Lancashire,.
Called 235 Lankoprotec, a brush or spray-applied clear liquid, it reduces soiling and staining, prevents the build up of micro-organisms and also makes it easier to remove chewing gum.
Already proven in use in Europe, 235 Lankoprotec is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, being solvent and silicone-free.
EasiPoint say it does not alter the appearance of surfaces on which it is applied and is ideal for use on natural and man-made paving, patios, terraces, barbecue areas, garage floors, facades and forecourts.
It is available in 5 litre containers and gives a typical coverage ranging from 3.5m2 per litre up to 25m2 per litre, depending on the porosity of the substrate being treated.
15-year guarantee with DryTreat
Ceramique Internationale in Leeds have taken on distribution of a range of sealing products that are intended to last the lifetime of the stone being sealed and are backed by a 15-year guarantee.
Called DryTreat, They can be used inside or out for marble, travertine, terracotta, slate, limestone or any similar porous material.
Stain-Proof is a double application impregnator said to penetrate deeply into the material and provide a permanent seal against oil- and water-based staining. Newest in the range is the single application low-odour cleaner Meta Creme, which also restricts mould and mildew growth.
Advice from Stonegate on getting the right treatment
If you want to retain the natural beauty of stone it needs to be sealed against oil, grease and general dirt, and in many instances also against water penetration.
How often do we see floors only six months old with dirt or grease stains that do not come out with normal cleaning? Or exterior stonework just three or four years old having lost its original lustre and now looking drab?
But this can easily be avoided with the correct choice of treatment, say distributors Stonegate, based in Hull.
They believe more education is needed in the UK about which type of cleaners and impregnators should be used in each particular situation and are happy to supply both information and samples for masonry companies wanting to try their product range.
They say a sealer that proves excellent in a kitchen could cause problems if it were used in a bathroom. Outside, the correct sealer can protect exterior stonework for up to 15 years. Water will run off the surface and any dirt that is deposited will be unable to penetrate the pores so it can easily be washed off. However, if a sealer is used that doesn’t allow the stone to breathe it can trap moisture beneath the surface, which can cause the surface of the stone to break up.
Is it correct to use a water and oil impregnator in damp bathroom conditions? No. Black or dark marks just beneath the surface of stone can be caused by moisture being trapped by a sealer leading to mould growth. Feder Primalas 92 solves the problem. It penetrates deep into the stone, acting like a fine web which allows the stone to breathe.
There are more than 20 different sealers available in the Feder range of products sold by Stonegate to suit all kinds of conditions and stones.
For example, CTF40 Oil & Water Impregnator Sealant seals granite and most natural stones, leaving little or no difference to the original surface. Similar is Rep Oil & Water Impregnator Sealant, which gives high protection to more porous stones.
Antique Marbre is an impregnator and colour intensifier that leaves the stone with a deeper lustre and shine. Idrobase 303 is a water-based impregnator, so it does not give off any odour when applying.
Microsil Normal is a solvent-based colour intensifying sealer for granite and engineered stone. It fills micro webbing lines to enhance the shine in granite, while Zimba Black is a solvent-based intensifier designed to enhance the deep, dark colour of polished black worktops such as Zimbabwe Black. It needs to be followed up with coats of CTF40 Oil & Water Impregnator Sealant.
Most of us have seen marble and travertine, in particular, damaged by domestic or industrial cleaners. Such damage could have been avoided by using Detergon R3 from Stonegate, which has a neutral PH of 7. Not only can it release some of the most stubborn dirt but it has antibacterial properties. It has been clinically tested for use in hospitals and food preparation areas.
For more information on the full range of products from Stonegate Tel: 01482 620007.
Good for the environment, good for the stone
NanoTech (UK) Solutions in Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire, are a new company exclusively distributing in the UK and Ireland all the product lines of NanoPhos SA, a Greek company that invents clever nanomaterials to solve every day problems such as sealing stonework in interiors or exteriors. The products were on show at the Ecobuild exhibition in Earls Court last month.
‘Nano’ simply means working at very small scales – a nanometre is a billionth of a metre. Nanophos produce a number of specific applications under the brand name of SurfaPore. Some of them are for treating stone. They coat the inside of the pores of stone. They do not block them, so the stone remains the same as if it were not treated, but they result in the surface of the stone repelling other materials, such as water or grease. SurfaPore has different formulations for different applications to repel substances as required. They are long lasting treatments unaffected by normal cleaning, light or other degradants.
Own brands from Vulcan
After a brief spell distributing Guard Industry’s range of nanoparticle stone treatments, Scott Cooper of Vulcan Products is now selling a range of his own brand of products under the name of VulcaSeal. He says own-brand cleaning products are also on the way, one of which, to clean off lichen and algae, is almost ready for launch.
Vulcan Products were a little company based in Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire that has grown significantly. They now supply tile trims, tools and accessories for the stone and tile trades, waterproofing systems, stone sealants, adhesives, under-floor-heating and more.
The new VulcaSeal products were launched in January. They are user and environmentally friendly water-based stone impregnators that are the result of two years of research and development.
They are easy to apply with a brush, roller or as a spray, quick drying, water and oil repellent, stain and adhesion resistant, non toxic with no silicones or solvents, breathable (important on historic buildings with no damp-proof course), invisible when dry, UV resistant (so they will not yellow or crack with age).
If they are spray applied to a facade they are completely safe so windows, woodwork or metalwork does not need to be masked.
Scott Cooper says the most common product he is in competition with is Lithofin’s market leading Stain Stop, so Vulcaseal is priced to compete with that, although Scott says VulcaSeal is better value because he claims it lasts at least twice as long.
VulcaSeal has already been used in conservation by Szerelmey to treat a granite and limestone stairwell as part of the renovation and modernisation of the RSC theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Next on Scott’s business plan is to get a website, but for now he can be contacted at mail@vulcanproducts.co.uk or Tel: 01451 824 953.
Specialist supplies for stone and conservation
Restorative Techniques are not just offering their newly launched VorTech system, the latest development in the original Jos gentle swirling vortex lineage, but also a range of chemicals and other products for caring for the fabric of buildings.
Restorative Techniques have a strong focus on using their technical expertise in understanding the effects chemical products and individual formulations can have on a material.
They believe all suppliers, especially those who make their products available for use on the wide variations of substrates in historic buildings, should understand the products so they can advise on the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ on a given surface.
By fully supporting both customers and specifiers through the decision making process and by helping them select the right product for the right surface and application, Restorative Techniques say a successful outcome is more likely. It also means less time and money is spent finding the right products for a particular project.
Restorative Techniques are offering a wide range of chemical products that are being marketed under the ‘Restorative’ banner with names that take the Ronseal approach to naming by doing exactly what it says on the tin. ‘Restorative Copper Stain Poultice’, for example, does not leave much doubt about what it is for. Paint softeners are called ‘Restorative Paint Softener Acrylic Types’ and ‘Restorative Paint Softener Polyurethane/Oil Types’.
Alongside the expected poultices and paint softeners, Restorative Techniques are also holding in stock a variety of clays and pulp components for contractors and conservators who wish to make their own poultices traditionally used by the stone industry.
There are occasions when a clay-based poultice is ideal, yet masonry companies do not usually want enough of it to make it economical to buy. If they do buy a large amount they have nowhere to store it. So Restorative Techniques are buying such poultice components in wholesale quantities to sell on in smaller quantities to masonry and conservation companies. They will also supply recipe mixes for the products on request.
In the ‘Restorative’ brand so far there is: Latex Cleaning Poultice; Paint Softener Acrylic Types; Paint Softener Polyurethane/Oil Types; Copper Stain Poultice; Iron Stain Poultice; Sacrificial Wax; Marker Pen Poultice; EDTA Cleaning Gel; Exterior Surface Cleaner; Sepiolite Clay; Attapulgite Clay; Bentonite Clay; Paper Pulp (Arbocel).
www.restorativetechniques.co.uk
Kerakoll floats like a butterfly,sticks like a ‘B’
Carrara marble is not just good for statuary, floors and wall linings, it is also the ingredient in Kerakoll white adhesives that give the products their exceptional spreading properties, which comes from the naturally occurring shape of the crushed marble.
Kerakoll are manufacturers of applied chemicals for the construction industry. Their range includes adhesives, grouts and surface preparation products for the natural stone and ceramic tile industry. They believe they offer an innovative approach and high standards that give their products exceptional technical properties.
Their white adhesives can be used to bed up to 15mm or, in the case of H40 Flotex, up to 20mm thick, which can be an advantage, especially when fixing natural stone.
Their H40 Marmorex has been specifically formulated for use with delicate marble tiles that are sensitive to water, but is also excellent for all types of stone and resin or cement-based engineered stone. It can be used for high resistance tiling on both walls and floors.
Alternatively, H40 Flotex is particularly suitable for large format stone, especially where the back of the tile needs total coverage, although there is no need for back buttering. Both products incorporate the company’s Shock Absorbing System technology.
For more information contact Kerakoll in the UK on info@kerakoll.co.uk or Tel: 01527 578000.
Pisani help you care for stone
Pisani’s main range of stone care treatments is supplied by Stone Care Europe, although they also offer a range from General Chemical Engineering and sell Lithofin products for those who insist on having the brand leader. It means they can cater for all their customers’ requirements.
General, based in Modena, Italy, offer firm favourites such as Imperston anti-stain treatment and KR 33 polish enhancer. Just joining the range is Universal, a treatment that will clean, revive and enhance the shine of any surface, at the same time producing an anti-static effect that repels dust.
Stone Care Europe’s motto is ‘Prevention is better than cure’. The company was formed by a group of professionals that, over the years, has been involved in developing some of the leading brands in the market place.
Stone Care offer an easy to use and compact range suitable for both consumers and professionals and available in both solvent-based and more environmentally friendly water-based versions.
They do also supply a Professional Line for the trade only. It includes an anti-graffiti treatment available as a water-based version called Graffiti-W, suitable for polished and honed stone. There are two solvent-based versions, Graffiti-H and Graffiti-P, for honed and polished stone, respectively.
For worksurfaces, Stain Guard, an anti-humidity and anti-stain protection, is the premium solvent-based product for use on both polished and honed surfaces. Aqua Seal is the water-based version.
Pisani sell products from Stone Care under their own name and can also supply them in customers’ own livery if you are buying a pallet-load. Pisani have just added an own-brand Home Care Kit, suitable for all natural stone worktops and surfaces with water-based cleaners that can be washed down the drain.
Another popular product in the range is the water-based AQ Seal & Tone, a sealer and toner that gives a wet-look polish to the stone.
Celtex Agencies supply the original water-based range
Celtex Agencies in Wales are the European distributors of Aqua Mix, one of the first companies to start reformulating products with a water-base back in 1980.
Aqua Mix are an American company who claim to be first to manufacture and distribute water-based sealers and care and maintenance solutions that were non-toxic, non-flammable, and easier to work with for both professionals and do-it-yourselfers. In 2006 Aqua Mix were bought by Custom Building Products of Seal Beach, California.
Aqua Mix have developed a number of innovative products that solve problems in the tile and stone industry. They include: Renue, a polishing cream that removes minor etch marks from polished marble and limestone; Eff-ex, an acid-free treatment to remove efflorescence; Ex-Treme, a non-flammable, heavy-viscosity acidic cleaner to remove the accumulated dirt of years; and Sealer’s Choice Gold, a premium water-based alternative to solvent-based impregnators.
Aqua Mix do produce solvent-based Ultra Solv, for use on extremely dense or high-surface-tension surfaces such as polished granite and marble where water-based sealers are perceived to be a harder to apply. Even so, Aqua Mix say the solvent they use is safer than those more commonly used in sealants with extremely low volatile organic compounds and little odour.