Thursday, June 11, 2009

How Does Sealer Help In Natural Stone Preservation?

The natural stones are beautiful and durable. However, to keep it intact, the sealers are very important. They are applied right at the time of the installation of the stone. Keep in mind that it should be changed after a regular interval to keep the natural stones in the best of the shape.

There are different types of sealers and each of them has its specialty. So, it is important to learn about them before deciding over what to choose.

The water repellents silicone is actually the synthetic oils. They leak from the surface and migrate. However, because of their nature, they attract dust and do not have a long life. At the same time, these sealers can darken the surface of different types of natural stones. This is why this sealer does not have too much of popularity.

The Siliconates are, on the other hand, very useful for the light colored stones. This inexpensive water based silicone can also be used in the concrete surfaces. However, one should not apply this to the important surfaces or on the dark colored stones. If it can not absorb a product, it will disfigure the surface. Since the sealer repels itself, it is not possible to recoat it.

Damp moping is useful to pick up small abrasive soils and other staining agents. This is the bets option for most of the smooth surfaces and can be applied daily. However, it should follow the dusting or vacuum.

A very advanced sealer is Siloxane. It is moderate in cost. However, it is very useful for the surfaces that are placed outside and have to endure the rough weather or too much of humidity. This sealer does not make the surface dark. The base of the solvent is normal. Some emulsions have also ensured that they follow the restrictions of VOC.

You may have come across the Stearates in the chain stores. However, they are cheap and obviously deliver a very poor performance. So, they are not a very good option. However, you can use the oil repellents that repel oil along with all other liquids. You will get plenty of options there.

The drying oils are actually the natural polymers like linseed, Tung, and soy. They have a tendency of getting yellow with the age. Still, the solid form the oils are very useful means to seal the surface of the natural stones. The waxes are turned into paste or emulsion to make it a sealant. However, they are short lived and have to applied after a regular interval. Some times, the waxes are used for finishing as well. This can add a distinct shed to the stone.

The silicates are useful for the surfaces that have lost some minerals due to exposure to the rough weather or chemicals. Along with repairing the pores, it also provides protection from further attacks. However, the application needs special attention and expertize.

Though the coating is not a common phenomenon with the natural stones, it is used to keep the stone away from the abrasive. Still, it is advisable not to use it on the natural stones. The residues of the soaps are useful sealers for the natural stones. They are completely reversible and prevent the stone from becoming dry.

1 comment:

  1. I'm so glad that you did this! My husband and I are going to be putting in stone counters in a month or so, and we've been trying to figure out what sealer we could use. It looks like natural stone sealers can be successful! We have three small children, and my fear has been have the countertops are going to be stained, and quickly, but it looks like sealers are the way to go to prevent that!

    Sara Welsh | http://www.venatostone.com/products.html

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