Although Natural Stones such as marble & granite are very durable, they are not impervious or indestructible. Sometimes accidents happen and breaks occur. To make proper and lasting repairs, it is imperative to know how the feature was originally fabricated and installed - so that the repair can both match its original appearance and be reinstalled in the most stable condition possible. For HILGARTNER, is also critical for our staff to continually pursue research of new developments in patch and repair materials so that all options are known and can be evaluated for material interaction, effectiveness and longevity. Particularly when driven by finished appearance, there are times where the "right" decision can only be determined by the customer. Educating our customers about available options is fundamental to HILGARTNER's philosophy regarding how your stone's condition may be repaired.
When possible, bringing a damaged article to our Fabrication Shop - easily accessible from Interstate 95 in Baltimore - is the best solution to have a chip or a break repaired. Whether a family heirloom, an old clock or a small end table top - a Shop Repair yields the best results.
Larger stone stuff tends to be broken by one of two culprits: Vehicular Impact or the nasty partnership of Mother Nature & Jack Frost.
In both Residential and Commercial environments, vehicles run into things and damage them. Repairs to such damage often involve a combination of repairing existing stone, fabrication of new matching stone and installation at the impact area. HILGARTNER is unique in that ALL of those tasks can be handled in-house, by HILGARTNER employees.
Over time, exposure to harsh weather can break the watertight seal in exterior joints on structures, whether they were caulked OR pointed. Once joints are open, normal rainfall will allow WATER access to places it was not intended to be. In and of itself, such water penetrations may not be a problem. However, when Mother Nature brings in Jack Frost, that water freezes and can apply a virtually unstoppable expansion force; literally strong enough to move mountains. Over time, such movement can be catastrophic to a stone building. However, when caught early and understood, HILGARTNER can take the remedial steps to halt this movement and restore stability.
Do you still have questions about how HILGARTNER can help you? Please visit our FAQ page for answers to our most commonly asked questions, sorted by category of work and type of client.
