Water-Related Issues in Your Natural Stone

The recent flooding in the Western, Southwestern and Northern Suburbs of Chicago – causing a Federal emergency re both lower and 1st level damages – also included lots of marble, travertine, terrazzo and granite floors…

It reminded me of ” water absorption” of stone floors and counters, the measurement of the same and the sealing of stone by good craftsmen with good seals and good processes.  Too often a consumer – commercial or residential- simply says: ” has my floor, counters been sealed..?” And if the answer is ” yes” they are relieved without knowing how, what , how many and by whom, with what process; and , by the way, what is the water absorption factor of my marble ( or granite, etc.)?? Water absorption measure is simply the difference between what the stone sample weighs when saturated with water ( preferably distilled ) vs. when it is then heated over 24 hrs in an oven to dry completely… Usually three tests are done to show a mean or average of the measures. E.g. Travertine – that hot spring and fissured, holy hybrid of Limestone-Marble has a water absorption of app. 1.50% whereas some of the really great Granites for water repellent show and average of .18% or .20 %, much lower absorbency.  Those Granites are like Baltic Brown and African Red, New Imperial.  So – the consumer needs to think more often and harder about choices of stone for showers, entries, counters and areas possibly subject to flooding..aside from the under-floor which means so very much…