Is sandstone high maintenance?

Hi Everyone,
For a long time now I've admired the good looks of sandstone. I now have the opportunity to cover a newly built first storey terrace with it, but there are certain things which cast doubt.

1. My building supervisor seems to be very reluctant to use sandstone. I think its a personal thing, but he seems to think that it will wear and pit over time. For a north facing terrace that is fully exposed, will sandstone age much quicker than a ceramic or cement paver?

2. Any suggestions on what is a good sealer to use? I want to retain the natural stone look and don't want any gloss to it. I was suggested the Dry Treat stain proof product, but it costs a kings ransom. $1115 for a 20litre drum :o Any comments on this product?

3. This time of year the birds are very active and I already see one or two presents the birds have left me on the slab. If properly sealed, will the sandstone be protected from droppings?

Sorry for the newbie questions, I don't have much experience with this material and don't know what to expect.

Cheers,
Ray

Where is the sandstone from and is it rock face or sawn face. There are a number of different types and some weather a lot faster than others, generally the easier it is to work the longer it lasts, which is counter intuitive. North facing is best, to be honest if it is a vertical wall without anything in particular running over it I wouldn't worry, it will outlast you and your kids most likely.

I agree with john, it will wear and pit and get dirty.

These things are called "Patina". There are a gazillion buildings in the world built of sandstone that are many centuries old, some tens of centuries.

Some sandstone stairways I've seen have worn substantially after millions of feet have passed over them.

I wouldn't seal it either. You will have to do it annually at best as the sealer breaks down rapidly under UV light.

If you want something that's going to be surgically clean all the time, use tiles, otherwise sandstone gives a lovely "soft" appearance.

cheers,

P

I assume you are refering to sandstone flooring tiles. If that is the case then they will need sealing and stain proofing. Many of the cheaper sealers will have to be applied regularly.

New sandstone tiles look great as do aged sandstone tiles - the trouble is that they go through a "dirty" stage in order to develop the "patina" Midge refers to above. Bird droppings, spilt beer, any sort of oil will mark and stain the surface, and smut (the grey stuff you see on city masonry everywhere) will soon develop.

I have used Cromwellian natural sealer on a small sandstone area under gum trees with excellent results . the sealer prevents the tannin in the fallen leaves and bark staining and dirt just hoses off (not that I hose it :U due to water restrictions). A 20 litre drum costs about $200 and has to be reapplied every year after washing with detergent. The sealer leaves the sandstone looking slightly damp in terms of color change.

Also the only way to stop the sandstone being chemically attacked by bird droppings is to put some sort of film forming finish over it. I believe there is a hard acrylic clear coat the can be used on sandstone.

Thanks all for your input. The sandstone will be used as a terrace floor covering...decisions..decisions...

there is a stone sealer that's guaranteed for 10 years against a range of things - it is a silicon based product and I believe it will work well for the application you're mentioning. It is NOT the stuff usually used by benchtop installers, which lasts around 2-3 months. Personally, I would look for alternatives to sandstone unless the area is very well covered from the elements though. BTW I believe (as mentioned) that there is a vast range of sandstone, from very soft, to very hard .... it will be an important factor in your project to find out which.