1) What happened to cause my stone to crumble
and seem to dissolve?
Answer
2) A white frost or coating has appeared
on the stone making the color to appear faded. What can I do to get the color back?
Answer
3) Something has stained my stone,
how do I get the stain out?
Answer
4) Why is my stone is
cracking?
Answer
5) Can I mix other cements with
DiamondCRETE to save money?
Answer
6) If I use too much water, what will
happen to my stone?
Answer
7) Do I need to put reinforcement in
garden stones?
Answer
8) How do I know when a stone is ready to
come out of the mold?
Answer
9): Do I have to let my stone cure
and for what length of time?
Answer
10) What causes the air holes in the
stone?
Answer
11) What do I do about the air holes,
which are left in the top of my stone after I remove it from the mold?
Answer
12) Do I need to seal my garden stone?
Answer
13) Can I leave my stones outside all
year?
Answer
14) Our water has a lot of minerals
and/or salt in it. What should I do to prevent efflorescent (the white frost) from
appearing?
Answer
15) I noticed a light froth or bubbly
layer on my stone as it was setting up. What caused this and will it harm the stone?
Answer
16) Black
streaks appearing on the top of your stone when you are using Gray DiamondCRETE?
Answer
1) What happened to cause
my stone to crumble and seem to dissolve?
DiamondCRETE to water, as with other cement mixes, is
critical. Too much water will cause a stone to crumble or appear to dissolve. The
directions say approximately 2 oz of water to each cup of DiamondCRETE and APPROXIMATELY
is the KEY WORD. The light pigments (Antique White or Powder Blue) use less water
than the dark pigments (Charcoal). Therefore, pre-measure your water based on the
formula and hold back about one-third of the water while mixing. When the mixture
becomes very dry and hard to mix add a drop or two of water at a time until the mixture is
the consistency of a thick malt/milkshake and all of the DiamondCRETE has been added.
You may not need to use all of the water to get this consistency so DO NOT ADD IT.
Another solution may be in the mixing of the DiamondCRETE. It should be mixed with
vigor and energy. Using a hand drill motor with a mixing blade attached may help put
the energy into your mixing. Mix vigorously for 2 to 5 minutes in order to activate
the chemicals in the product. This combined with the proper consistency will give
your stone strength.
2) A white frost or
coating has appeared on the stone making the color to appear faded. What can I do to get
the color back?
DiamondCRETE is colored with natural pigment, which
does not fade. This white frost or coating is efflorescent, which is salt and minerals
that attach to the stone from water evaporating. This can occur from minerals or
salt in the water you are using during the mixing of the stone or from sprinklers in your
yard or rainwater. If this has occurred, it may be removed by using a tile or
masonry cleaner such as a phosphoric acid cleaner (follow the instructions on the bottle)
or Muriatic acid diluted with water. For a more natural cleaner, try vinegar and
water mixture. Remember to reseal your stone before placing outside or on a tabletop.
3) Something has
stained my stone, how do I get the stain out?
Concrete of any kind is porous and must be sealed to
prevent stains from penetrating the stone. If a stain has occurred, it may be
removed by using a tile or masonry cleaner such as a phosphoric acid cleaner (follow the
instructions on the bottle) or Muriatic acid diluted with water. Remember to reseal
your stone before placing outside or on a tabletop.
4) Why is my
stone is cracking?
A stone will crack coming out of the mold or at a later
date if the mold is moved during the set-up time. Moving the stone while in its
green stage will cause unseen fracturing which will become evident as the stone ages.
Sometimes even as it comes out of the mold. If it cracks coming out of the mold,
try leaving the stone in the mold longer the next time. Sometimes the very thin
stones can crack easily while being removed from the mold due to them still being in a
green stage. This can be corrected by allowing a little more curing time in the
mold. Another reason for a stone cracking could be water, which got sealed into the stone
and the stone being in extreme cold/freezing temperatures, which can cause expansion and
contraction. Always allow a stone to cure in approximately a 70-degree room for 28
days to make sure all the water has evaporated. Then seal to stone using two coats
of a good concrete/masonry or tile sealer.
5) Can I mix other
cements with DiamondCRETE to save money?
DiamondCRETE is the purest form of concrete and
aggregate. If you mix it with other concretes, they will not expand and contract in
the same way and may not be compatible. The different concrete mixtures will not set
up at the same rate and therefore will not bond correctly. You may have trouble with
cracking and crumbling by mixing DiamondCRETE with other products. However, you may
mix any of the DiamondCRETE colors with each other to achieve new colors or to marbleize.
6) If I use too much
water, what will happen to my stone?
The water amount to DiamondCRETE, as with conventional
concrete, is critical. We have tried to provide you with suggested amounts of each for
some of the sizes of molds available on the market today. However, the dark pigments
absorb more water than the light pigments do. Therefore, you need to pre-measure
your DiamondCRETE and figure the ounces of water needed based on the number of cups of dry
mixture you are using. Then hold back approximately one-third of the water to be
added as needed during mixing. Place two thirds of the water in a mixing bucket and
add the DiamondCRETE to the water. Mixing vigorously. Continue adding DiamondCRETE
and small amounts of water until all DiamondCRETE has been used and a thick malt/milkshake
consistency is obtained. YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE WATER YOU PRE-MEASURED SO DO NOT
PUT IT IN THE MIX.
7) Do I need to put
reinforcement in garden stones?
If it is vigorous mixed and has the correct consistency
(pouring into the mold like a thick malt/milkshake), DiamondCRETE needs no reinforcement.
However, reinforcement is always necessary with conventional concrete. Pig wire is
best as chicken wire may buckle under pressure.
8) How do I know when a
stone is ready to come out of the mold?
A DiamondCRETE stone may be removed from the mold in
about an hour depending on the temperature and humidity of the area you are living and
working in. A cool/damp basement may cause the mix to set up slower. Correctly
mixed DiamondCRETE will go through three stages in setting up. It will be cold, wet
and soft in the beginning, turning warm to hot and still damp during setup and finally in
the harden stage will be cool to cold and feel less damp or somewhat dry. At this
stage it is ready to be removed gently from the mold. You may leave the stone in the
mold longer (up to 5 or 6 hours) but it is not recommended to leave it in over night.
9): Do I have to
let my stone cure and for what length of time?
All concrete has a curing time of approximately 28
days. It is recommended that you cure your stones in an area, which is approximately 70
degrees to be sure all of the water is evaporated. Set your garden stone on pencils,
wood blocks, etc to allow for airflow around the entire stone. This will help to
keep water from being trapped in the stone, which later can cause cracking.
10) What causes the air
holes in the stone?
Air is mixed into the mixture while you are mixing the
DiamondCRETE and water. If you tap gently on the table or board on which the mold is
setting, this will help release some of the air, which causes the small pin holes in the
top of the stone. DO NOT PICK UP THE MOLD AND DROP IT as you might a cake batter.
Remember, moving the mold can cause unseen fractures in the stone, which will
become evident as the stone ages, so be somewhat gentle in the tapping and no more than 30
seconds of tapping is needed.
11) What do I do about
the air holes, which are left in the top of my stone after I remove it from the mold?
It is recommended that you hold back a small amount of
DiamondCRETE powder to use as grout to fill the air holes. If you have mixed colors,
mix the colors in dry form and hold back a small amount of the dry powder for grout so
that the color will match exacting. Mix the dry powder to a very thick consistency,
looking like a paste, and simply fill the air holes by rubbing it in. Take a paper
towel and remove the excess. Filling the air holes will prevents water from setting
in and causing damage to the stone.
12) Do I need to seal my
garden stone?
It is recommended that you seal your stone to protect
it from stains and water being reabsorbed. A good Tile & Stone Penetrating
Sealer, which is not, water-based last the longest in extremely damp/wet climate. A
water-based concrete and masonry sealer may be used, but you may need to reseal the stones
each year depending on your climate. Follow the instructions on the bottle and seal
all sides of the stone completely. Two coats will insure a better seal. Be sure you
have properly cured the stone for the amount of time required before you seal it. If
you seal water in the stone, it may crack in extreme temperatures or freezing weather.
13) Can I leave my
stones outside all year?
DiamondCRETE can and will stand up to extreme weather
conditions when properly mixed and cured and sealed. Refer to mixing instructions
for more information. It recommended that if you bring your patio/lawn furniture
that you bring in your garden art for the winter. You have spent time and money on
these beautiful pieces and you should protect them as you would your furniture. Extreme
and rapid change in temperature may cause your stones to crack such as taking them from a
70 degree environment into a below freezing environment or the opposite.
14) Our water has a lot
of minerals and/or salt in it. What should I do to prevent efflorescent (the white frost)
from appearing?
Efflorescent can appear when the stone is in the setup
stage or during the curing stage or even after it is in use. You may use distilled
or bottled water to mix with the DiamondCRETE to prevent this problem during the set up
and early curing stages. A concrete/masonry or tile sealer will prevent the
efflorescent from appearing after the stone has cured and you have it in the yard. A
good sealer will cause any water to run off the stone and not leave the minerals behind.
Refer to mixing instructions or the Problem/Solution regarding Sealers for more
information.
15) I noticed a light
froth or bubbly layer on my stone as it was setting up. What caused this and will it
harm the stone?
The light froth or bubbly layer on the stone as it is
setting up in the mold comes from too much water in the mix and may weaken the stone. Be
sure to completely cure the stone in a warm environment for 28 days and give it two coats
of a good sealer. This will protect the stone the best. Perhaps consider using
it as a tabletop where it will not be subjected to as much moisture as laying it on the
ground. Next time hold back some of the water and make sure you mix the DiamondCRETE to a
thick malt/milkshake consistency.
16) Black streaks appearing on the top of your stone when you are using Gray
DiamondCRETE?
Cut back on the amount of water you are using
and mix to a thicker batter consistency. (Using less than 2 oz of water per cup of
DiamondCRETE.) Do not let your mix sit in the bucket, pour immediately. Always keep mixing
time to 5 minutes or under and use an electric mixing device for at least 2 minutes.