If you have adobe, you just may need the Adobe Doctor - whether you know it or not.
For 15 years, John Schimon, who owns the business, has been helping restore adobe buildings and homes throughout Arizona, but mostly in the Old Pueblo.
"Tucson has the most burnt-adobe buildings in the U.S.," said Schimon, who lives on the northwest side.
From the 1960s through the '80s a lot of homes were built with burnt adobe, he said, estimating that approximately 15 percent of the houses in Tucson are adobe.
Sealing adobe is important because without it, the material will fall apart.
"It'll show deterioration over time depending on the type and quality of adobe," Schimon said.
"Sealing keeps the water out. Water is the enemy - not sunlight, not time, not humidity - water."
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One of the most critical stages is preparing the adobe before applying the sealant.
Loose, crumbly adobe must be removed. Then the bricks are hosed down with water; damaged ones may be repaired, said worker Adan Acedo.
After the sealant is applied a procedure can be done to restore an individual brick or section of bricks to their original look, Schimon said.
Schimon charges by the square foot for sealing and by the brick for repairs.
The sealant, which Schimon developed specifically for adobe and which is good for five years, is water-based and made with a styrenated acrylic along with silane-siloxane silicone. A Phoenix company mixes it for him.
"The sealant goes on white, turns lavender and dries clear," Schimon said.
Kimberly Daly and her husband, Shawn, live near East Orange Grove Road and East Skyline Drive. They had their home sealed because the adobe was crumbling.
"It became a structural and aesthetic concern," she said.
A friend who works with KB Home recommended the Adobe Doctor to them.
"The guys worked really hard and they seemed to have fun working," Daly said. "They are also respectful and courteous."
Schimon, whose business is licensed, bonded and insured, is also very "old-school."
"I work with a hand-shake. We do not work with a contract. My signature and warranty are on my estimate," he said.
Go online to www.adobedoctoraz.com for more information.
"Water is the enemy - not sunlight, not time, not humidity - water."
John Schimon
Contact photographer A.E. Araiza at araiza@azstarnet.com
