our front stoop (made out of sandstone) is made out of the main block section, with slabs on top . one of the top slabs has become unstuck .I tried putting it back on w/ morter, not premixed. It didn’t really work. what should I try. premixed? cement? Liquid nails?
Ductape can fix EVERYTHING!!!
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Is the original construction with mortar?
PL Premium. It is a polyurethane adhesive like thick ( really thick) Gorilla Glue..excellent for what you have there. It is in caulk tube, with Liquid nails section of home centers.
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Edited 2/15/2008 5:06 pm ET by Sphere
You mean duct tape CAN'T fix everything?? <G>
I've become a believer in the "PL" Sphere cited. Protect your hands from touching the stuff...nasty!
Clean the surfaces really well first. Is water getting under the slab and freezing going to be a problem?
possibly. how can you tell if original construction was with cement or morter.
Ductape could fix it, just not prettily (yeah I know it's not a word
Ductape can fix EVERYTHING!!!
Did you perhaps mean concrete or mortar? Cement is used to make both. Cement is the binder; mortar is cement mixed with sand, and concrete uses rocks (aggregate) in the mix. Other stuff gets put in, but that's the gist of it. You most likely had mortar between your stones. Some terminology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cement
In which case, I'm somewhat hesitant on the glue approach. (PL)
Not that's its not a good product and won't work - it certainly will and it's fast. But I would lean towards a cementatious adhesive that will better seal the edges of the stone to prevent water and dirt from infiltrating the joint and looking cheep.
Therefore, either use a cement colored caulk (a grey polyureathane) to finish trim along the joint, or reset the stone in a thinset, (being sure to tape the edges of the stones to prevent staining) and decorate the top exposure of thinset with a small amount of matching mortar (matching to the old existing color of mortar). Be stingy with the thinset so's it doesn't float the stone out of alignment or squish out all over the rest of the step. Then let it sit for a day before walking.
I was thinking that the mortared step probably got walked on too soon. Hey, Andy, two votes for mortar if it's subject to water...and you can silicone-seal the joints, too, for more belts to go with your suspenders.