• Services
• Gallery
• Testimonials
• Our Mission
• Stone Care
• Library
• Geology 101
• Info Request
• Partners
• Poetry
• The Team
• Store
• Contact Info

Sealing

There's a lot of misinformation out there concerning sealers and the process of sealing. We're going to give everyone reading this a quick, five minute overview on sealers and sealing that should help clarify what a sealer is and what sealers do. If you have any questions about sealing after reading this, e-mail or call us; we should be able to answer your questions.

Sealers can be separated in a couple of ways. Primarily, there are two types of sealers: penetrating sealers, also called impregnators, and topical sealers, which reside on the surface of whatever you are trying to seal.

Here's how sealers work, as a general rule: sealants are designed to prohibit contaminants from being absorbed into the material they are trying to protect by creating a barrier between the environment and the material.

With a penetrating sealer, that barrier is composed of microscopic solids that are carried into the material by water or solvents (see above), where they bond with the molecules of the material being sealed, residing just beneath the surface. Penetrating sealants have two benefits. First, because they reside just beneath the surface, they do not change the appearance of what is being sealed. Second, also because they do their work just beneath the surface, they usually last longer than topical sealants, sometimes a lot longer.

Topical sealants usually are applied in multiple coats, building up several layers of protection on what's being sealed. Topical sealants can be acrylics, urathanes, or lacquers, and often give the floor a noticable glossy finish.

Sealers can also be separated by their chemical make-up: water-based and solvent-based. This distinction has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the sealer, only the method for driving the sealer into whatever is being sealed. The water or solvent is merely the carrier of the stuff that does the actual sealing. Solvents typically have the ability to carry the sealant more deeply into dense surfaces, such as granite and gneiss.

It's a common misconception that solvent-based sealers are superior to water-based sealers. Today, with the rapid advancement of water-based sealers, that's not the case anymore. Water-based sealers are becoming more and more popular, especially here in CA, where state environmental regulations make it difficult for companies who manufacture solvent-based sealers to sell their products in the state. Additionally, manufacturing water-based sealers is a much greener process than that of solvent-based sealers, something more consumers are considering in their choice of sealants.

Several factors determine the type of sealer to be used in each application.

Impregnators are used when owners don't want the appearance of the material changed in any way. Polished stones should always (in our humble opinion) be sealed using an impregnating sealer. If owners want the appearance changed, then topical sealants need to be used (the only exception to this rule is when color-enhancing penetrating sealers are used, which darken and enrich the natural color of most stones).

Topical sealants are also preferred with very porous materials, where penetrating sealers would disappear if applied, carried so deeply into the material that it would give very limited protection. Saltillo clay tiles are a good example of this phenomenom. If you want your Saltillo sealed using an invisible, penetrating sealer, the only way to do it affordably would be to use an inexpensive water-based sealer, apply it repeatedly until the tile repels water, then add a final application of a high-quality penetrating sealer.

Both types of sealers need to be applied correctly in order to be sure what you're sealing is adequately protected. Dry times, cure times, and compatibility of sealers must be respected, or owners will eventually begin having troubles. Penetrating sealers must be buffed off the surface after adequate dwell time, or what you are trying to seal will be left with a dried residue of sealant on it that will show streaks, rub marks, and towel swirls, and may be difficult to remove. Topicals can show brush and roller marks, and some materials can be more difficult to work with (I personally dislike using lacquers for this reason).

One of the hardest lessons homeowners need to learn is that sealants need to be reapplied regularly in order to continue to protect. Timeframes vary depending on the type of surface, amount of foot traffic, whether the surface is exterior or interior, and type of sealer used. If this rule of re-sealing is not honored, the sealant will eventually fail, and you won't like the results. This is especially true of topicals, which can wear down and expose what they are supposed to protect to all kinds of problems. Once a topical fails, dirt can accumulate, sealants can whiten, efflorescence can form, and your floor can deteriorate very quickly. If you own a Saltillo floor with a failed topical sealer on it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

We always like to think of sealers working like the motor oil in your car's engine. You change your oil on a regular basis to avoid big troubles (like a blown engine). Every 3,000 miles, whether you think it needs it or not, you do it, and the benefit to you is avoiding a big bill by not doing it and suffering the consequences. Similarly, you should re-seal your stone, concrete or clay tile floors, stone shower walls, tub decks, kitchen counters, and bathroom vanities to avoid the same big troubles. Re-sealing after a sealer has failed and caused damage would be like changing your oil after blowing the engine - it ain't gonna fix the problem. Sealers are an inexpensive way to ensure all your stone, tile and concrete surfaces in your home stay looking clean and attractive.

The Stone Poets are experts at determining the appropriate sealer for each job, proper application of the sealer selected, and appropriate timeframes for re-sealing before troubles start. Call us for a free evaluation of your stone, tile and concrete surfaces in your home and our recommendations for properly sealing them.