Mix one gallon of water with half a cup of ammonia, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide—a gentle reminder: ammonia and bleach do not get along. Use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to clean light-coloured stones. Use acetone or lacquer thinner to clean dark-coloured rocks.
Chemical, mechanical, and thermal methods can remove cement from stone surfaces. Chemical processes involve acid-based solutions to dissolve the adhesive, while mechanical methods include grinding, sandblasting, or chiselling the cement away. Thermal methods involve using heat to weaken and break down the cement, making removing it easier.
Ashlar exquisite, tooled masonry is considered the finest style of stone masonry. Chisel-dressing is used on the stones' bed, joints, and faces to smooth out imperfections and ensure horizontal and vertical joints.
The Mohs scale was developed in 1812 to rank the hardness of ten different minerals. On a scale from 10 hardness to 1 softness, diamond is a 10, while granite is the most burdensome natural stone at a 6. Both marble and limestone are metamorphic rocks that rank third.