|
Back to home page
|
|
24428
Smiley Road, Nisswa MN 56468
phone: 218-963-1313 or 1-888-326-0063
|
Tips
for Concrete Statuary Care by Sculpture Gardens
|
| Safety:
Concrete is a very hard and durable material, it is also
brittle and can be chipped or broken when moved, dropped
or struck with a hard object. The use of proper padding
and good judgment when handling and transporting is necessary,
as well as a good safe and stable ultimate location for
your statuary. It is also suggested with small
children, pets or other concerns that some items such
as benches, bench legs, multi- pieces structured on top
of one another, items on pedestals, etc. may be glued
or silicone together once in a permanent place for safety
concerns. Our statuary is sold separately due to designing
your own garden themes and for transportation purposes.
|
Placement: It is best to place your concrete statuary
on crushed rock to allow drainage and air flow. This
helps to avoid trapping excess moisture and reduces freeze
/ thaw damage. If crushed rock is not possible use sand,
wood chips, bricks, stepping stones or other items. We
sell small rubber bumper pads to put underneath statuary
which can also be used to prevent scratching if placing
one piece on top of another. When possible avoid sitting
in the direct dirt. |
Cleaning: With the sealers we use, you should clean
statuary with mild liquid dish soap such as ivory or dawn
and use a soft brush, such as a toothbrush so you do not
eat into the sealer finish or scratch into your paints.
Most often we find the garden hose with the spray nozzle
attached will remove most dirt and stains, do not use
power washers, they are too strong and could remove
the finishes. |
|
Hot Days: Do not fill fountains or birdbaths with
really cold water on hot days as you may cause the bowls
to stress out from the water temperature change and
possibly crack the bowl. Add warmer water. Remember
when filling the bowls using the garden hose, warm water
usually lays in the hose but it can change to cold water
sooner then you think, so check water temperature before
filling.
|
Winterizing: In this business we can’t bring everything
inside for the winter and if you think about it you do
not bring your driveway or sidewalks inside in the winter
either. There are a few tips. For fountains or other water
contained bowls, drain and pull all plugs so water can
not be retained inside bowl. For all birdbath bowls or
other items of concern, tip them over or cover them when
possible, this will help reduce the snow and water freeze
& thaw inside the bowl. Remove your pumps. It doesn’t
hurt to cover items when possible or bring small more
fragile items in when possible. Remember anything you
can do for preventive maintenance makes your investments
last longer. |
Resealing: Reseal your statuary every 2 – 3 years.
This protects the stains, paints and other finishes used
as well as the concrete. You may not see small chips or
cracks that have happened from normal wear and tear and
these allow the water to penetrate into the pores which
can cause breakdown of the concrete starting from the
inside. With a little routine maintenance sealing your
concrete can prolong the life of your investment. We sell
sealer, otherwise buy a good quality sealer for exterior
concrete. For fountains, birdbaths or other water
contained bowls use a heavier sealer made to hold up to
the constant water that is inside the bowls. .
Statuary Repair: Pieces that have accidentally
been broken or dropped may be repaired by using a good
quality exterior concrete glue. If you chip or break
a part of the statuary, apply some sealer to the area
to seal up the open pores which will help prevent moisture
build up inside. If sculptures have been painted touch
up with a good quality exterior paint or patio paints.
Most of the art work on our sculptures are done with Patio
Paint which is made for concrete and found at Wal-Mart,
Michaels or other finer craft stores. Depends on the size
of area and the base color used, sometimes you can dab
black onto the spot and dab off and you never know you
had a problem, then seal. Some sculptures are made
with solid colored concrete, in this case just seal open
pores up. |
Quality is the key word to making statuary last
longer. Our concrete sculptures are made with Portland
Cement. All raw materials used are purchased here in Minnesota
or made to with stand cold climate weather. Certain additives
are added which promote longevity and quality. All sculptures
are sealed with a Clear Concrete Cure & Seal application
after being removed from the mold. After final finishes
are applied to sculpture an additional two coats of sealer
is applied. Sealers are weather resistant and made
here in Minnesota. Swimming pool paint is used on sculptures
that will hold, retain or be affected by long term water
ware. Quality and customer care are our main concerns.
If you ever have a question or problem, please call and
let us help. Thank you.
BACK TO TOP>>> |
|
|
