Slate Oil

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Yeah, slate oil. Since I consider the Faithful here the best techno guys in the world, I'm gonna ask a really off the wall question. We have a very large green slate patio that is probalby 30 years old. 12" x 12" slate in mortar on top of a concrete base. We have been here about 20 years. Over the years the green slate has turned white around the edges, say an inch or so next to the mortar joints. More so in the areas that stay wet longer after a rain. My research indicates that slate has oil in it, and I figure the oil on the edges is being leached out by a combination of the mortar and the bacteria that live on the edges. I've coated the slate (probably 1500+ sq. ft) with Stone Glamor, a silicone sealant, but it just slows down the leaching.

So I've been running an experiment to replace the oil in the slate. One small area I coated with 30W motor oil, near zero improvement. Another with mineral oil (better than the motor oil, but still poor), and the third I shot with CX. Did the CX this afternoon, and after about 5 hours it's damn near got the edges back to the same color as the middle of the tiles.

So the preliminary results are to swab the patio with CX. Sure it will stink for a few days, but it will look real good. While the motor oil and mineral oil soaked right in and was gone, the CX stayed on the surface and is still soaking. Thinking about ttrying da Judge's 50/50 lacquer thinner and CX mix for another test.

Any of you Faithful got any experience with slate?

UV, the easily entertained......

[Tony Meola]

Vic

No experience with slate, but if you lived up here in NJ the EPA would probably be carting you off because one of your neighbors would probably have called them on you. Tony Meola

[Harry Babb]

UV
I have a copy of a book entitled 1001 used for Duct Tape. I see a new book on the horizion entitled 1001 uses for CX written and published by Vic Roy. I cannot wait to try CX on my stuff from Outboards to motorcycles to Bertram parts.
Harry Babb

[Sean B]

I think you've got calcium and lime leaching out form your mortar.
If that is it, sealing the mortar joints should stop it

[Bruce]

I think Sean has it right with the calcium from rain and the CX is dissolving it or coloring it unlike the motor oil.

[Sean B]

If it is calcium staining, you could get it off with muriatic acid, try 20% diluted w/ water.

I must admit, I got a good giggle out of you spraying CX on your slate patio stones. Whatever the alternate uses are for it, I have to think that you are going to find them all

[In Memory of Vicroy]

I've tried acid on the white areas and it does not seem to remove the deposits or whatever it is. Anyway, further report: after overnight soaking in the CX, the white stuff is gone, just plain gone. The CX is still shiny, meaning it has not all soaked in. Will let it sit the rest of the day then wipe it off. Will also try another area with CX cut with various percentages of lacquer thinner.

Like one of my old law school profs said "there are more ways to skin a cat than feed it melted butter".....

UV

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Slate update: Wiped the straight CX tile off this morning and it looks great. This afternoon did one little section with 60% CX the rest lacquer thinner and a third area with 25% CX and rest lacquer thinner. After a couple of hours the 25% CX seems to be doing as good as the straight CX. Temps here in the 90s day and 70s overnight. Will report tomorrow morning before heading to the camp early to change oil, filters, etc. in AJ to get her ready for the fall Howdy Boating season. I'm getting real fond of Howdy Boating. Much less work, cost, worry and a lot easier on AJ & me than bashing around the Gulf in nasty whitecapping head seas. Backing up to the Prop Stop or the new place, Sun Buns, is just as exciting as catching a blue suit. I even got a new butterfly book to i.d. those little suckers. PETA may induct me into their hall of fame.......

UV, gone around the bend?

[Ironman]

Vic:
Another CX wonder.... That white stuff is most likely from the tap water or sprinklers.. It could be the chem from the water straining out & laying on the stone like dust?
In my masonry experience (39yrs)Its a real problem on some jobs.
Lots of factors involved, like chemistry from ground acid & who knows what leaves a job looking crappy.
Sometimes we use low alkali cement products..
I did more than one job a few years ago where we removed. the whole inside flooring of houses ,from extreme cases of chipping up & deterioration...Housing developments on old cow pastures.Replaced the floors with a low alkali cem W/ visqueen barrier.
Sometimes linseed oil mixed with terpentine shines it up for a while.
Bottom line is if you can figure out a SURE fix youll be Wealthy er.
Wayne
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[CaptPatrick]

PETA may induct me into their hall of fame.......

UV,

Thought you was already a life long member of PETA.
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People Eastin' Tasty Animals

Yo Fren'

Patrick

BTW I found a really neat Redneck Doorbell....

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Wayne, thanks. Now you Faithful see why I posted the off the wall slate deal here - there is always a bona fide expert here. Wayne, come to think of it, the areas of the patio that are the most affected are those that get hit by some of the sprinkler system heads. We have real soft water here in Baton Rouge, but 30 years of even soft water will do some carnage. Maybe the CX mix is the silver bullet - time will tell but it's looking real good right now with the thinner mix seeming to work just as good as the pure stuff. Good news is I have plenty of CX.

Ole Fart, that doorbell reminds me of the oyster. Who was the first guy to eat an oyster? or ring that doorbell?

I gave my secret PETA membership card to Randall to smuggle into Panama for me and he forgot to give it back.

UV