Imported (Chinese) Limestone

Ferocious

Anyone have any long term experiences? How does it weather? I was going to use it for window cills.

Suppliers of the native stone say the imported stone is not able for the Irish climate. One showed me a piece of Chinese limestone that he had left out for four years. There were large rust coloured perciptates.
Suppliers of the imported stuff claim there's no difference.

There are some threads here that say imported granite is softer than native. Is it the same story for limestone?

Obiviously there's a price difference. What to believe?

Smcgie

There are a lot of houses built throughout the country built with imported stone. Just because imported granite is softer than Co Down or wicklow granite doesn't make one bit of difference in construction.

The softer stone should be easier for a mason to face so I don't see the issue. On the rust colour - this happens with Irish Limestone too. It seems quite common on limestone and IMO adds character. But if your not like-minded the rust effect can be removed with an acid cleaner similar to brick cleaner. Its not a major job

sculptor

Is the difference in price more than the cost of having to take them out and replace them. The Irish Limestone is tried and trusted for thousands of years.

Smcgie

It would also amaze you the amount of stone quarries that sell imported stone as 'Native'. If your worried OP I would stick to the local stone as sculpter says its tried and tested.

Ferocious

Thanks Smcgie, you're right about them selling as native. You're not really told unless you ask. I'm generally trying to keep things as local as I can and was only made aware of the difference when the quarry near me was much more expensive than others. He only does native stuff.
Plenty of people probably have purchased imported without knowing and may have no issues. I'm sure they're all good for construction, so is concrete. Only going for limestone for the looks but if they look crap after 10 years it could be onto Sculptors suggestion!

I'd be concious though that it maybe like natural slates - I've seen brazilian after 6 years and the roof is all white stipes! A theory is that the quarries are X million years younger than spanish/welsh. I was just thinking is it a similar story for stone?

You can get imported cills, splayed with upstand (correct term?) all in one piece for less the cost of flat native cills with a stuck on upstand piece.
Just asking - what's the catch?!

Smcgie

Labour.. Its cheaper to pay a Chinese person to make these than Irish that's the catch. My best advice to you is to contact a good (or an excellent ) stonemason. Ask him which limestone he is familiar with and is he happy to work and shape with it. He is the man that will let you know any issues you may have with regards to appearance of the stone.

And whatever you do, make sure you check out work that he had completed elsewhere, house or a wall etc. There are more bad stonemasons about than good ones.

sculptor

Theirs no reason for bad work, the techniques are very basic but time consuming, cut the time and you end up with a bad job.
When this lazy git of a builder finishes my roof ( looking for an engineer or architect in the west to kick his ass) I'll get my studio going and run some stoneworking classes for anyone who's interested.
MODS. NOT TOUTING FOR BUSINESS just trying to keep my spirits up.

John mac

sculptor wrote: »

run some stoneworking classes for anyone who's interested.
.

sounds interesting.