PROBLEM
Damaged, Unsightly Limestone Staircase
The owners of this early 1900s residence wanted to restore the historical authenticity to their beautiful limestone stair case. After removing a 1990s carpet runner, the property caretaker knew he was in over his head, so he called Fabra-Cleen. Brian Kornet, the owner, and Lorne Greenberg, a third-generation stone restoration expert, inspected the damage.
Lead anchors, drilled into the stone to hold the carpet strips in place, were dislodged when the carpet was removed, leaving holes about a half-inch wide and up to an inch deep. A layer of hard, crusty carpet glue and decades worth of abrasive damage from ground in dirt and grit diminished the elegant appearance of the stone.
SOLUTION
Limestone Repair, Refinishing, and Protection
Lorne went into the job knowing it would require a hefty dose of patience and hard work. He used a tinted a mixture of polyester resin and hardener to patch the stone and, after ample dry-time, honed the area smooth. With a decorative edge on each step and limited work space, it took five days to painstakingly restore all thirty-four steps and the landing. Lorne’s final step was to seal the limestone to inhibit staining.
The caretaker was so pleased with the outcome that he told Fabra-Cleen, a Kingsway company, that they could consider themselves his go-to stone restoration company for other natural stone restoration work needed throughout the 42,000-plus square foot building.
