The same technology used by dentists to repair teeth is now bringing smiles to the faces of stone fabricators and their customers alike.
Stone repair kits are designed to take the guesswork out of dealing with the workaday chips, spalls, scratches and other mishaps that occur in the field, using special, curable acrylic glues and an array of colored fillers.
Frederick M. Hueston, Ph.D, the Slippery Rock Gazette's own Stone Detective, said the kits offer definite advantages over the traditional glue bucket and makeshift cardboard spreader.
"When a fabricator goes on an install, accidents can happen-either a tool can easily skid across the surface of a counter top or stone will scratch stone," Hueston said. "Accidents inevitably will happen. Installers generally aren't the most skilled people when it comes to types of repair, but these repair kits take that skill level out of the equation. It makes it easier to do a repair in the field."
Braxton-Bragg carries three types of kits: the basic Plexus UV Stone Repair Kit, the Bonstone Chip & Fill Kit, and the high-end StoneLux Professional Repair Kit.
"With these particular kits, it's taken the guess work and the needed skill level (to perform basic repairs) right out of the equation, which makes for an almost perfect repair," Hueston said.
"These kits are a step forward in the stone industry for making repairs."
The basic repair kits contain acrylic glue and a selection of color fillers. "Kits that contain actual crushed stone make it a little bit easier," Hueston said. "It takes a little bit of the color matching out of the way, but you're still using some very basic glues or adhesives you have to mix."
The Bonstone Chip & Fill Kit uses the trademarked Last Patch Gel, which is a stable patching compound. It offers seven colors of granite dust and powdered tints, plus mixing and application tools.
Both the Plexus and the StoneLux repair kits include a UV acrylic cure light, also known as a blue light, which is basically a catalyst for the acrylic. "Those are probably the most advanced kits... but they require the least amount of skill to give you a perfect repair," Hueston said. "In the past, repairs were very, very iffy. The traditional method-(using a) can of glue and the colors- takes a lot of training, and a lot of practice.
"The disadvantage is there is a great degree of skill involved. Color - matching is important. If the installer doesn't have a good eye for color, the repair can be botched. It won't look like a good repair."
Of the three basic types of glues used in the stone industry-polyester, epoxy, and acrylic-it is the acrylic that is most suited to repair work, Hueston said. "The advantage to these is they are curable... which makes them extremely durable with really good bonding capabilities."
The use of cured acrylic glues to make repairs is a technique borrowed from an unlikely source. "This technology, it's new to the industry, but it's not new technology," Hueston said. "It's actually borrowed from the dental industry. They use these acrylic glues to do repairs on teeth."
With prices ranging from $34.95 for a basic kit to about $2,000 for the deluxe, fabricators have a several options to choose from. "Just like you have a choice in anything else, you can go out and buy a Mercedes or you can go out and buy a Honda," Hueston said "It depends on how many repairs you are making."
The more repairs made by a company, the more sense purchasing a high-end kit makes, Hueston said. "They both do the same job, but you have more options with the more advanced kits."
One question that fabricator might ask about the kits would be, "Why would I spent upward of $2,000 when I can do the same thing with a can of glue and some colors?"
The return on investment could be significant, Hueston said. "The average repair is going to be anywhere from $200 to $500. With a kit that costs you $2,000, it doesn't take long to regain your investment."
The kits simplify repairs. "It takes very little practice to make these kits work," he said.
"Under normal circumstances, barring exotic materials, you don't need much training."
The kits are more suited for contractors than DIYers, Hueston said. "It's unlikely a home owner would use this kit because of the cost. I doubt very much a homeowner can go out and spend that kind of money to do a one-time repair. Generally, a home owner who owns a granite or marble counter top is probably going to be of the income that they'd rather pay someone for that type of work, instead of trying to do it themselves."
The investment in time to learn to use the products is minimal. "You can be a pro within a day," Hueston said. There are instruction videos, training classes offered at distributors such as Braxton-Bragg, and even the Stone and Tile School located in Florida.
There are some drawbacks to the use of the kits, however, Hueston said. "You can't do very, very large repairs. If you had a patch that was larger than the circumference of a penny, you are probably going to use a standard glue."
Very shallow scratches also require a special approach. "If it's very, very shallow, most of the kits recommend you take a Dremel tool and make the scratch a little deeper so the glue has something to bond to," Hueston said.
An alternative to using glue to fill very deep scratches is the Polishing Pro System Total Restoration Kit offered by Braxton-Bragg. The system uses a specially designed high-speed polishing pad and a proprietary mix of grit polishing powders to actually grind down the surface surrounding the scratch and polish it to match the rest of the stone.
As with every industrial product, there are some common sense safety measures to utilize when using a stone report kit.
"You are dealing with UV light," Hueston said. "You don't want this in your eye. It could cause blindness. You don't want to actually stare at the blue light. I would recommend wearing gloves particularly if you are sensitive to glues. A lot of people have allergies. If you are using any type of solvent, acetone or anything like that, wear chemical resistant gloves."
Very rarely, the adhesive will react to the stone. "There is always a potential of a chemical reaction," Hueston said. "Any time you have stone that is either resined or impregnated with glues at the factory, there is the potential for an adverse chemical reaction.You won't get explosions. You won't get the stone blowing up in your face."
What you will get in those extremely rare cases is glue that turns smoky or cloudy, marring the appearance of the repair, but there is a simple fix, Hueston said. "If you put in the glue on there, and it clouds up on you, remove it by heating it lightly or using a solvent and then preparing that area with more solvent. Generally, that will take care of it."
And, lastly, like a good smile, the kits are not only a matter of convenience but also of smart marketing, Hueston said. "Put yourself in the place of a consumer who has an issue with a countertop that is scratched. For example, contractor one has a can of glue and a piece of cardboard. Contractor two has a sophisticated kit.
Who is going to look more professional? Who do you think is going to be paid more? There is a distinct marketing advantage for having these type of kits."
Hueston, a nationally known consultant, is the founder of Stone Forensics. He holds Bachelor of Science degree in chemical and physical science from the University of Central Florida and a PhD in technical science from Bridgewater University. A certified master stone craftsman and architectural conservator, Hueston has appeared on The Discovery Channel, HGTV and several local talk shows. He has published more than 100 articles on stone installation, care, and restoration.
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