The House on a Hill Project: Stone Armor
We have finished up with our House on a Hill Project and are pleased to announce that our deck is now 100% sealed! Not many people know this, but sealing your natural stone decking is vital to preserving and protecting your natural stone. You can clearly see the sealed stone (left side) versus the non-sealed stone (right side).
Stone Armor: Our Deck Sealer of Choice
Stone Decks are beautiful accessories to any backyard living area. They are naturally beautiful, host many hues of radiant colors, are tough & rugged, and provide a secure area for walking. In fact, many people believe these decks are so tough that they do not need to be sealed or protected. This is a common myth that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Truth be told, all natural stone needs to be properly sealed to protect it from the following elements:
- UV Rays – solar rays can fade and wear down natural stone over time. If you notice your stone looking faded or discolored, UV erosion is most likely the cause.
- Water & Oil Spills – although natural stone is tough, it’s not impervious to discoloration and corrosion from oils and water.
- Salt Water Protection – many pools nowadays utilize salt systems to generate chlorine. This is a healthy and efficient source for chlorine generation but the by-product of salt water can cause corrosion issues (just like ocean water).
This list of protective benefits from Stone Armor is fairly short but comprehensive. It is recommended that you reapply this product at least once a season due to wear and tear over time.
A few hours after we sealed the flagstone, we tested our application with a bottle of water. As you can tell, our water does not absorb into the stone at all. As a matter of fact, it beads up and is easily blow aside by the wind or a leaf blower (for those who enjoy some heavier outdoor toys).
The Importance of Protecting Your Natural Stone
As we mentioned in our bullet points above, protecting your natural stone is vital to every backyard! There are various forms of natural stone; Stone Armor protects the following:
- Flagstone
- Limestone
- Slate
- Travertine
- Sandstone
- Tumbled Stone
- Saltillo Tile
- Austin Stone
- Other Natural Porous Stone Surfaces
We’d like to credit the video below to Stone Armor and their YouTube channel. This video shows just how powerful this stone sealant really is; the leaf blower just blows the water right off the stone like marbles on a table.
Protection from Moisture
All natural stone is susceptible to constant moisture, both above & below ground. This means that your beautiful stone deck is afflicted by water due to rain, dew, evaporation, condensation, human interaction and ground water (below soil level). Constant contact from water can cause a wide range of issues for stone protects, including:
- Mildew & Algae Growth
- Discoloration
- Weakening of the Stone
- Cracking
Our Stone Armor product soaks into the porous material of natural stone to seal all of the “voids” that exist throughout the stone’s molecular structure. This keeps the internal composition of the stone healthy and dry; the way it was meant to be. The benefit of such treatment: longer lasting stone that is both vibrant in colors and resistant to weather exposure.
We utilized our pressure sprayer to prepare our flagstone decks prior to installing the Stone Armor product. Pressure washing your deck is a very important step in the installation process. It removes small dust, debris and miscellaneous particles from your deck. This provides a much better bond between the stone and the Stone Armor once applied.
Heat & UV Protection
As we’ve already eluded to above, Stone Armor also protects your stone from the wear and tear due to UV Rays and Heat. North Texas is home to intense 100+ degree days in the summer. Wouldn’t you like to know that your outdoor oasis is protected in such elements? Stone Armor creates a protective barrier that keeps your stone healthy in the tough elements of Texas Heat.
We would like to point out: Stone Armor is not a one-time application that will forever protect your product. This product (like all outdoor products) wears out over time; mainly due to foot traffic (wear) as well as sunlight & water (tear). It’s recommended to reapply this product once every season to ensure your stone has a strong layer of protection designed to keep it healthy and strong.
It took our team two days to install the Stone Armor product for over 6,000 Square Feet of Arizona Flagstone. That’s an incredible pace for such a large surface area to install this product. At Advocate Construction, we care about doing the job quickly and efficiently.
The Application Process
Prepping your work space is a critical aspect of any construction process. Our team spent adequate time preparing the House on a Hill Project to apply over 6,000 square feet of Stone Armor. There are various methods of preparation, but what we found worked the best was:
- Removing Outdoor Furniture
- Pressure Washing the Deck (the day before the product was applied)
- Preventing Foot Traffic (for 2 hours after product is applied)
Stone Armor has a very quick setting time and often dries & cures within 2 hours from application. We utilized a pump sprayer (same as a bug sprayer from your local hardware store). Using a pump sprayer provides a controlled spray and decreases the amount of waste and spill over into the pool and other surfaces that we did not need to seal. Having the right tools is part of our protocol – we always show up prepared for the task at hand!
Only At Advocate Construction
At Advocate Construction, we work diligently to provide the very best in quality products, installations and new construction. Our teams are trained in all aspects of home and backyard construction & renovation. We work diligently to study new products, such as Stone Armor, to provide our customers with a one-stop-shop for Home Contractor Services.
If you’d like some more information over our products and services, please feel free to give our office a call! We’d love to meet you at your home and provide you with an estimate over any aspect of your home that you’d like serviced!
In the meantime, we’d like to invite you to read one of our informative articles over other areas of our business: