>Assuming, that is, that the fountains look as good
> > up close as they do from outside the building...

Oh shit......

You didn't happen to be walking on the other
> > side of the street, didja?  We keep finding pennies on our sidewalk
> > bridge--presumably from the Empire.

Those were probablly the ones my kids tossed off....
> >
That's the standard architect's excuse for
> > why nothing ever matches the way the client thinks it should.

Are you sayin I have the right qualifications to be an Architect?


I wondered whethwer the stone is softer when freshly quarried,
> > and hardens with exposure to weather, but given that it's all billions
>of
> > years old anyway, why would a few years in the weather make a big
> > difference?

I agree. If a stone is not open with deep fissures, or constantly soaked
thru with rain water, from a carving standpoint, stones in a building change
on the outside but not much below the weathering surface.

  What do you mean, "a bit?"  Is the fresh stuff powdery and soft, or is it
more consolidated when
> > sappy?

This is a hard thing to describe in words. There is a subtlety to the way
different stones carve. New quarried stone with "sap" is moister thru and
thru and carves differently and some say more easily than cured stone. I
personally don't feel there is so much of a difference to get excited about.
> >
  Recently spoke to one of our contrs, who reported he had had his
> > granite kitchen countertops sealed.  I didn't think that was necessary
> > w/granite, which I thought was the most impervious stuff in the
> > world--anybody else got anything to report on this?

I agree, not neccessary. For other stones yes.Sandstone is plentiful here
and used for countertops. It does not polish up like granite, it maintains a
nice satin finish. This is sealed with a 3M product.
> >
> > I have encountered Indiana Limestone way up on buildings (Cleveland
>Tower
> > at
> > Princeton U., 180' ), where the stone was subject to severe weathering
>and
> > winds, where the stones surface had a more crystal-like surface, and the
> > interior was like new stone. Thin units such as delicately carved
>pinacles
> > were crystalized and quite brittle. One of the qualities of Indiana,even
> > though the surface may erode and pit, a unit holds its form and will
>most
> > often not break down, like white marble or sandstone.

I included this observation to express my feeling, that due to weathering,
there are changes that take place on the surface of stones on buildings
(exfoliating, sugaring, pitting, powdering). One finds that areas deep in a
stone remain unchanged, from a workability standpoint.

The inclusion offerrous Boo!  Hiss! anchors and pins during construction,
which
> > subsequently oxidized, keep giving guys like me work. There's a bright
>side
> > to everything.

I did not mean to be irreverent! Much of the work I get involved with
consists of correcting this problem.


> > Well, Ralphy Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. thats all for now, hope it helps,
>
>Thanks.  Except for the last, Nickita Moonyi.

Just a sign of affection! Where I come from, everyone gets the diminuative
on the end of their name.

Call Me, Nicky

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