Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - PA. Bluestone spalling

Hello,
The treads of my front steps are Pa. Bluestone and freezing weather has lifted up some pieces of it. The steps have a coating of solid stain on them. What can I do this Spring to help prevent this spalling?

Move to Florida.

Hi, rjordan,

I'm not sure what you mean by "solid stain"...

Has it been a year or two since the steps were sealed?
If this happens all year, sealing might not help, the stone might just be soft. If it happens more in the winter, you may have moisture entering the pores and expanding as it freezes to cause spalling of small pieces. In this case sealing will probably help.

You might inquire at a local stone yard for a sealer specific for bluestone.

Hope this is helpful, but perhaps someone else more knowledgeable will come along .

Connie

Thanks,
I put a coat of concrete stain on the treads last Spring. I will call the distributor to see what he recommends.

move south,,, flagstone's a sedimentary rock formed by layers 1 on top of the other,,, we split stone w/steel wedges in the rift ( layer ),,, stone'd split off in sheets which we could then chisel to the dimensions needed

replacing the bad stones is the only way i know.

Are you saying the Pa. bluestone was defective and I should replace it with the same or replace it with something else. I assume if I use the same material, it can happen again.

I believe a nearby home has bluestone and will check to see if their steps have spalling. Their steps were installed a few years before mine. I just saw a recent job on "This Old House" show where this stone was used for a patio.