Despite being very strong, natural stone has a few enemies:
- weathering- a process of decomposition of rocks resulting from sun exposition, diurnal temperature variation, water freezing in rocks pores and gaps, biological organisms activity,
- deterioration – a direct impact of the polluted atmosphere consisting in rock reacting with active, non-organic chemicals, including gases or acid rains, as well as in changes resulting from microorganisms – bacteria, fungus, algae and lichen activity. Deterioration influences technical parameters and looks of the stone, causing its discolouration, efflorescence, getting covered with patina, and in extreme cases gradual stone decomposition,
- direct human activity which can cause its damage, both mechanical and chemical.
The extent to which the stone will be resistant to external factors mentioned above, depends in majority on its parameters, especially hardness, porosity, absorbability. Despite mentioned dangers, natural stone is one of the most durable and resistant to damage materials used in construction and interior design. In order to enjoy the stone’s looks for many years, simple care treatment and basic knowledge on the stone is enough.
Everyday care activities can be performed with natural methods, using clean water, with an addition of detergent if necessary. For the stone treatment soft fabrics should be used – microfiber, tetra or paper towels. A wide selection of chemical agents for professional stone care is also available in the market. They are used to clean, polish, protect against scratches, removing scale, create anti-slip surfaces etc. Before using, it is worth testing the agent on a stone sample as potential negative effects can be irreversible.