Cultured Stone

trades01

i have recently took on a job to finish a contractors job to finish laying some cultured stone ledge stone to be exact. he was fired from the job and i can see why. but my problm is that he has got mortar all over the face of the rock. now when i lay stone i wash the stonel with a luke warm water at the end of the day so no mortar is left on the rock. what can i clean the rock with after mortar has set up for a coupe of weeks? this is in a house for a firplace.

Tscarborough

There is no good way, really. You might have to remove those stones and replace them.

__________________
It ain't Rocket Science unless you are building rockets.

stacker

depending on how much is on the stone,you might could try a small wire brush.and even then would use it very lightly.DO NOT,use any type of acid product on it.spic and span might remove some,works wonders.good luck

__________________
life is short,do your masonry naked!!
http://ok.local.yahoo.biz/knabemasonry/index.html

RZB

I Know my supplier sells a specific manufactured stone cleaner, for products like cultured stone. It's milder and won't bleach out the coloring in the stone.

CJKarl

Don't use a wire brush, you could "burn" it and leave streaks of grey from the metal.
Stiff plastic brush.

__________________
There's Always A Market For Quality
http://www.kaufmannmasonry.com/

stacker

thats why i say lightly.i have taken mortar from stone with a wire brush with no effect to the stone.

__________________
life is short,do your masonry naked!!
http://ok.local.yahoo.biz/knabemasonry/index.html

Tscarborough

I use a wire brush on it to remove mortar, but not old mortar. For the little spots, I just chip it off with my knife, or touch it with my rotozip, but for large amounts, those won't work.

__________________
It ain't Rocket Science unless you are building rockets.

genecarp

Whatever you decide to try, take a piece or two of the cultured stone, put mortar on the face just like the other guy did, then let it dry, and begin to try to remove it with different methods. after you find what works, then go at it on the installed fireplace..G

__________________

scotbox

when installing cultured stone over hardi backer, what is the best method ?

Blockade

Follow the manufactures recommendations; each company has a specific recommendation, there in nothing generic about a custom made product. Both for taking off old mortar and for installing the product.
Typically you start at the top and work your way down for stone that needs to be pointed/grouted after it has been installed such as river stone and the reverse for ledge or stacked stone. This could be the reason why the stone has motar all over it in the first part of this post.