Stone Repair Resin – How to Fix Holes in Stone
I have had many enquiries about how to go about repairing holes and chips in stone flooring, especially of course in relation to limestone and travertines.
I wrote this article for the tileandstoneblog. Some of you may find it very useful.
Stone Repair Resins
Repairing holes or damage in filled or unfilled travertine or even marble may seem daunting but is relatively straightforward with the right materials and tools.
You will require the following materials to carry out a successful repair.
Stone Repair Resin, Hardener, Color mixes if required, Disposable Gloves, Flexible Spatula Set, 4” Heavy Duty Wide Scraper, Masking Tape, Methylated Spirits or Thinners and a set of Hand Diamond Pads 60, 120, 220, 400 and 800 Grits which are color coded Green, Black, Red, Yellow and White
Stone repair resin comes in two different types (viscosities) either thick paste (usually described as Knife Grade or Tixo) and then liquid which is self explanatory. We favour and use Klindex Stukko Tixo and Klindex Liquid but there are other makes around.
Both types are available in five different base colors Paglierino (Straw), White, Black, Green and Red. It is also available in clear or transparent.
If there is an instance where none of the base colors are suitable then color mixes can simply be added to change the base color to suit.
In the main Paglierino (Straw) is suitable for most travertine’s without altering the base color at all.
METHOD
Always wear gloves, Stone repair resin is harder when set than most stone and is particularly difficult to get off the skin and nails when set.
1. Thoroughly clean the hole or crack ensuring you remove any loose debris, dirt or loose stone this is usually best achieved with a thin scraper and then finally a vacuum cleaner.
2. Apply a light coat of methylated spirits or thinners to make sure there are no traces of wax or dirt left in the crack or hole.
3. Tape around the hole or crack using a good quality masking tape.
4. Remove enough Stone Resin to fill the hole from the tin and mix together with the hardener supplied on a mixing palette or old tile.
5. Fill the hole and then scrape off any excess so that the filled area is level with the masking tape. (Note very deep areas may require a two stage application).
6. Take a little of the excess resin and roll into a ball between your fingers until it starts to skin and harden. Once this happen remove the masking tape and scrape off the excess using a 4” wide good quality scraper flush to the stone.
7. Finally once hard use hand diamonds to smooth out using the grits until you reach the finish required.
I hope you find this rough guide useful!!! It by no means covers everything to do with repairs and I may drop an additional guide on regarding methods for wax repairs. In the meantime if anyone else has any other tips to add to this article feel free.
Kevin Martin
Marble Life Ltd
