Construction - Preventive Maintenance
AUTHOR: Julio Agüero
Preventive maintenance is our ally in lowering costs and reducing headaches. Severe weather, high humidity, sea breezes, intense UV radiation, exposure to the elements, dense vegetation, and microclimates are factors that might damage materials.
Exterior wood, roofs, outdoor walls, exterior floors, coralline stone or wood decking, walls, and iron railings are some of the surfaces most susceptible to damage from the harsh environment and the passage of time.
Each of the surfaces above requires surface preparation and a suitable painting system, as the case may be, to maintain its aesthetics and protect it. If you wish to consult us about a specific case or if you require a consultancy visit, we can gladly coordinate it. We will expand the topic in future editions to cover each issue.
Today we are going to talk about Coralline stone floors or decks. Many pools use Coralline stone as a deck around the pool. One of the main reasons is that this type of stone is highly aesthetic; it is porous, making it non-slip, and also because its composition never gets hot, and we can walk on it at noon without burning our feet.

Every day customers come to our store requesting transparent sealants to protect this stone from mushroom or green/black wool that forms in it due to its high porosity and because it absorbs a large amount of moisture. When we use sealants, what happens is that they form a plastic coating on top of the stone, sealing its pore, blocking contact with moisture, and generating a counterproductive result: we lose its non-slip capacity. In addition, by placing a plastic coating, the surface heats up; in both cases, we lose the main attributes of the stone.
We recommend first preparing the surface by washing it with Sherwin Williams Builders Base Mildew Inhibitor Remover to remove and inhibit any fungal spores. We let it dry completely. Now we can apply Sherwin Williams Water Based Repellent or Thompson's WaterSeal. These two products do not form any layer and their function is to repel water. They will maintain a natural and aesthetic appearance of the material without compromising its attributes and rather taking advantage of them.
For any questions regarding maintenance or other issues, it is a pleasure to assist you in our store located in Bahía Ballena de Osa, in front of the National Bank next to the Marino Ballena Restaurant.
What to do, Where to eat and Where to stay…
South Pacific Costa Rica Beaches
Looking for business directories, maps or other printouts? We’ve got that too!
Dare to Discover and Enjoy…
Check out…
Need help planning your next trip to Costa Rica? We look forward to help you!
Email: carlos@ballenatales.com
Phone: +(506) 8946 7134 or +(506) 8914 1568
Skype: ballenatalestravel

Free Digital Magazine in Costa Rica Ballena Tales #88
Ballena Tales is an essential free digital magazine in Costa Rica, valid for travelers, residents, and investors



Don’t let your Neighbors go Hungry Tonight!
The Family Support Center of Ojochal cares about families distress and hungry children. And they have some ideas how you can help as well!



ITCZ – Intertropical Convergence Zone
It sneakily snakes her soggy way around the globe, bringing storms, floods, mudslides, misery and also, life-giving rains and reprieve to many areas around the tropical and sub-tropical world. This is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).



How to stay and experience Uvita
Lara Klüter used every minute in Uvita, since she came here as a trainee for Ballena Tales. She knows where to go, what to eat and what you definetly shouldn´t miss, when you come to Uvita!



Welcome to Dominical, your surf dream!
Dominical is the gateway to Osa, Costa Rica’s southern pacific. Crossing the bridge over the Baru opens a portal to an alternate universe of fun and excitement. Especially surfing brings attention to Dominical.



How to build your house and not die trying
Jose Guillen knows how to build houses. What´s his most important learning after being an architect for years? Let´s talk about it!