How long will it take for Limestone to Dry from being wet, and will the dark spots go away?

QUESTION

THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ARE AWESOME THEREFORE MY QUESTION IS HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR LIMESTONE TO DRY I HAD A PIPE LEAK IN ONE OF THE UNITS AND THE FLOOR GOT THE LIMESTONE FLOOR GOT WET FROM BENEATH, NOW I SEE DARK SPOTS WILL THEY GO AWAY AS IT DRYOUT?

ANSWER

ANSWER - There are 3 subcategories of limestone per ASTM C568.   Their physical properties vary from being vary porous to very low absorbing.

How fast the limestone will dry depends on how absorbing it is, how thick it is, and whether there is underlying moisture that perpetuates the dampness, and what is the temperature and humidity of the area.  If the stone was only temporarily wet and the leak was repaired, then I  would expect it to dry within a week assuming the temperature was 70 degrees F or better and humidity wasn't high.

Sometimes some stones will get damp for an extended time and mineral migration might cause some staining.  This can normally be remediated by having a stone restoration company clean and seal the floor.

 

 

2 thoughts on “How long will it take for Limestone to Dry from being wet, and will the dark spots go away?

  1. RB R says:

    How can I polish my limestone kitchen floor myself? What tools will I need? Can you please provide a link to products from either Home Depot or Amazon so I know what to purchase?

    Thanks!

    • Donato Pompo says:

      The tools and products are available to the public to polish or refinish limestone floors. Limestone normally has a hone finish, although some limestone marbles are polished and are sold as marbles.

      Of course as in all things there is a learning curve to becoming proficient at something. You don’t know what you don’t know…. An experienced and skilled stone restoration company can prescribe the best methods and process to restore the limestone and they can anticipate potential problems to avoid them, where an inexperienced person can’t.

      For larger areas you need a stand-up commercial polishing/burnishing machine that can get expensive. You can also buy a hand grinder and then but the diamond impregnated polishing pads with different levels of grit. For badly scratched stone floors they will use the more aggressive grits (like sand paper) to grind the stone flat and then move up to the finder grits to reach a polish. Professionals will use oxalic acid power to improve the polishing on marble to achieve a high polish. You can search on Amazon or visit the various stone supply stores to purchase the products.

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