Challenge: Damaged Cantera

Cantera, a unique type of natural stone, is a volcanic rock valued for its beautiful texture, durability, and a softness that is conducive to cutting and carving. As such, it is a stone of choice for ornamental or architectural design pieces, like this table base. Notice in the BEFORE images, two of the corners of this base have pieces broken off. We were contacted by the moving company that caused this damage while moving it for one of their clients in Phoenix, AZ.

When we repair a flat stone surface, such as a countertop or floor tile, we can use aluminum oxide abrasive pads mounted on a hand tool or floor machine to remove excess adhesives and blend the repaired area with the surrounding stone, but with the limited surface space and the textured stone finish, we had to approach this repair job differently.

Our Solution: Cantera Repair and Cleaning

First we used a vacuum with a fine brush hand attachment to remove dust from the main surface. To prepare for the adhesive application, we wiped the surfaces of the damaged portions of the base, as well as the individual pieces of broken stone with a clean rag and acetone.

For the adhesive, we used a tinted epoxy. We had to use great care when we applied the epoxy, to ensure that when the pieces of stone were pressed into place, there wasn’t excessive squeeze-out left behind. We also had to work quickly because of the fast set time of the epoxy mixture. We pressed the pieces of the stone into place, working with the smallest pieces first, and then bigger ones, until the base was completely reassembled. We quickly removed any squeeze-out before it had a chance to set so that the repaired areas would have a seamless appearance.

As you can see in the AFTER images, we restored the table base to its pre-damaged state. Ironically, the repaired areas are actually stronger now than the stone itself.

To learn more, visit our Cantera Services page.