Masonry Magazine August 2005 Page. 25
Human Traffic
ON PAVERS AND STEPS, one of the most noticeable weathering effects is human traffic. Walking on stone surfaces can scratch the surface when hard materials, such as pebbles in the sole of a shoe, are dragged over it. In outdoor settings these scratches are less noticeable, while in delicate interiors they may be unsightly.
The second main effect of human traffic is the honing, or polish, that feet and wheels leave behind on stone. The process of walking or driving on stone hones the surface, making it less porous and harder at the surface, and causing a waxy, mellow shine called a patina. Though the process that brings about this patina is similar to polishing a stone, nothing but time can duplicate it. Honing involves the deposit of years of dirt and other matter along with the simultaneous progression of other weathering effects. Like all weathering effects, the formation of a patina also indicates the natural aging of the stone.
Weathering is the sign-post of the stone's progression back to sand. A stone's path to that destination is, as I've stated, varied. How you live with weathering has as much to do with its final effect on your stonework as does its cause. Stone is, like us, the temporary evidence of processes greater than itself. By selecting the proper stone, building it in a thoughtful and appropriate way, and maintaining it over the course of your lifetime, you can enjoy the natural process, along with the stone itself.
Edward R. Westbrook is Founder and Executive Manager of QuarryHouse Inc., a stone masonry that uses both traditional and innovative techniques and stone building materials from around the world to create lasting structures. Westbrook has over 23 years of experience in the construction industry, successfully managing over $25 million in complex hardscape and stone masonry projects, including landscape design, stone design and stone detailing. For more information, visit www.quarryhouseinc.com.
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August 2005
Masonry 23