Definitely agree with Amber Tiles above. Natural stone will require continuous sealing over their lifetime but it is an easy process and well worth it. The efflorescence are unfortunately unavoidable if the salt is in your paver/concrete. Get on to the sealer straight away and it actually prevents it from coming out all over the place. Are you concreting in the pavers? There is different trains of thought on efflorescence. You can wait for it to come out or you can seal it straight up. If you wait you will have to acid wash them down and let them dry prior to sealing. You may end up doing this anyway. Efflorescence take elbow grease to get off. 1 part hydrochloric acid to 10 parts water usually, with a scrubbing brush. As it's acid make sure you follow the instructions to clean stone down. I had to increase the acid proportion 1/5 to get the efflorescence off. *** It can etch the paver so trial it first. If you have a heated gurney wash it down using that. Tip: get the acid off straight away and dont do it in full sun. The acid if left to dry can stain your limestone a rust colour. Do a meter at a time. Use a good penetrating sealer and make sure you keep the name for future sake. Depending on the look you like get the appropriate sealer ie natural, wet look etc. Again, trial it first to see if its what you like. As for fence, monument is an awesome colour. Will bring the look of space in. Will be a big job. Are you doing this? Monument is a Colorbond colour. Nearly all brands of paint do it but each brand has a slightly different pigment base. If you do go this way, see if you can find out what brand your builders used and use the appropriate outdoor wood fence monument paint so the base pigment is the same. I hope this helped. Anneke

The Marble Man - would like to share information for your consideration - Manmade, engineered stone is also known as agglomerate, manufactured stones or reconstituted stones. They are made from a combination of approximately 7% resins, cement, and coloured pigments and upwards of 93% natural stone chips such as quartz or marble. These materials are bound together to make a slab. Engineered stones are designed to emulate natural stones such as marble and granite and are an extremely popular alternative to natural stone in building today. Some of the engineered stone brands include Caesarstone, Essastone, Quantum Quartz, Silestone, Technistone, Smarstone and HanStone. These stones are similar in composition, varying only by a few percent in total quartz used. Their differences lie in the colours, patterns and applications offered. Some engineered stones are just made for benchtops whereas, others can be used for tiles. For you the home renovator, builder or owner the preference to choose engineered stone over natural stone is purely a personal one. Natural stone is attractive because of it’s unique inconsistencies in colour, texture and patterns. The Marble Man enjoys the qualities of all natural and manmade stone. When you view engineered stone for consideration for your home, you will see a more consistent colour and patterning in the stone. Take the time to view the full sheet of stone and consider the overall look and effect of the colour you choose for your interior. There are many reasons why engineered stones are being chosen over natural stone: Engineered stones are durable, scratch, stain and heat resistant * They come in a variety of colours and patterns Natural marble is susceptible to etching and staining, however a marble look can be created with the etch and stain resistant properties of granite, making it a good choice for high stress areas such as kitchen benchtops and bathroom vanities The quartz used in the engineered stones is a similar hardness to granite and rates a 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness It is easy to clean and will require less long-term maintenance like granite if cared for according to manufacturers instructions. Please be sure to speak with the sales team about your uses of the benchtop, stone, surface and address how you plan to use the surface before finalising your choice. Manmade, reconstituted stone is only ‘resistant’ to scratching, staining and heat and therefore hot pots must not be left on for extended periods, cutting boards should still be used under hot pots, pans or dishes. Spills must be cleaned up immediately as in the case of any natural stone to prevent stains. It comes with a manufacturers seal therefore additional sealing is not usually necessary. * In our experience engineered stone kitchen benchtops and bathroom vanities do chip and scorch, however we have developed processes to repair even large chips making them virtually undetectable, and to restore the factory finish to surfaces damaged by heat. Enjoy your home, enjoy the stone you choose for the benchtops in your home. The Marble Man is happy to assist with stone information, repairs, polishing and sealing all stone surfaces. We service Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Northern NSW, Sydney and Canberra for all stone repairs, polishing and sealing Stone surfaces - simply call 1300 627 626. Learn more on The Marble Man website - www.themarbleman.com.au

How exciting renovating your kitchen. Making it your own. Changing the old for the new. Learning all about stone and how you can use it in the home. So much to learn, so much choice, so many different types of stone for benchtops on the market. The Marble Man specialise in repairs polishing and sealing stone with 27 years experience working with all stone - natural and manmade - can assist you with information on stone. Take the time to learn about stone - www.themarbleman.com.au. Give The Marble Man technicians a call 1300 627 626. We can advise you on Natural marble, granite, limestone, travertine and engineered stone - such as those manufactured and sold by various brands. All produce outstanding, high quality stone to be used for kitchen benchtops, bathroom vanities and other uses in the home or commercial environment. It is important to look after stone. All stone for benchtops, bar tops, vanity units and tables require regular care to keep them looking clean and attractive. Some natural stone benchtops are porous and if not sealed can be susceptible to staining. The Marble Man specialises in removing stains from kitchen benchtops, bathroom vanities, bar tops and tables using a poultice or special cleaning products. Our trained technicians will assess your stone to determine the level of cleaning it requires and recommend the right products to keep your stone benchtops looking like new. Give The Marble Man technicians a call 1300 627 626. Take the time to learn about stone - www.themarbleman.com.au.

Stone polishing of kitchen bench tops, bathroom vanities and furniture made from marble, granite, quartzite, onyx, travertine, limestone and other natural and engineered stones, look magnificent and add value to your home when they are polished. The Marble Man specialises in stone polishing to remove dull spots, scratches, etching, ring marks and stains from all natural and engineered stone kitchen bench tops, bathroom vanities, bar tops, countertops, coffee tables, dining tables and other stone furniture using the latest equipment and our unique polishing systems developed over the past 27 years. Our highly trained technicians will restore your stone bench tops to their natural looking best. The beauty of having bench tops, vanities, bar tops and tabletops made from natural marble, granite, travertine, terrazzo, onyx, quartzite, limestone and engineered stones such as Caesarstone, Essastone, HanStone, Silestone and Quantum Quartz is that these surfaces can be polished to erase damage and reveal the original appeal of the stone. The benefits of professional polishing are numerous and will keep your stone kitchen bench tops, bathroom vanities, bar tops, countertops and stone looking and feeling like new. Marble and stone kitchen bench top polishing and stone bathroom vanity polishing will remove scratches, dull spots, etch marks, discolouration and stains High gloss marble, limestone, travertine and onyx kitchen bench tops and bathroom vanities will once again look highly reflective after polishing Matt honed marble, limestone, travertine and onyx kitchen bench tops and bathroom vanities will look and feel smooth after polishing Semi-gloss marble and stone kitchen bench top surfaces and bathroom vanities will look clean and satiny Caesarstone, Essastone, HanStone, Silestone and Quantum Quartz kitchen bench tops, bathroom vanities and kitchen bench tops will regain their new factory finish The ambience of your kitchen or bathroom will be improved Regular maintenance of your kitchen bench top and bathroom vanity will be easier Give The Marble Man for all polishing, repairs and sealing stone surfaces - 1300 627 626 View www.themarbleman.com.au for more details on stone and The Marble Man services.