When it comes to marble and natural stone, no subject causes more confusion than that of sealing the stone, and using the incorrect sealer or a badly applied sealer can be one of the most expensive problems to rectify. So here’s what you need to know:
There are basically two types of sealer, “Surface” (or topical) sealer and “Penetrating” (or impregnating) sealer. Which sealer to use depends greatly on the type of stone and whether it is being used in a commercial or residential application.
A surface sealer sits on top of the stone and initially doesn’t allow anything through. Unfortunately this type of sealer can break down very quickly and become ineffective, as well as turning yellow, peeling , or showing up scuff and scratch marks, causing the floor to rapidly become dull and listless. The sealer itself can be damaged by spills and etching. A surface sealer won’t allow the stone to breathe properly and can lock in moisture, causing weaker stones such as marble to split and “spall” (literally rot from within). Some marble “cleaning” companies use this type of sealer to achieve a “polished” look, not caring that it never lasts long and can permanently damage your floors. For your own sake please hire an expert such as MarbleCare!
A penetrating sealer impregnates the body of the stone, providing a seal just below the surface by forming a barrier in the pores. By reducing the natural porosity of the stone it helps prevent staining though still allowing the stone to breathe. This type of sealer won’t adversely affect the surface look of the marble or stone but will give you a window of opportunity in which to blot up spills and avoid staining. As with a surface sealer, this won’t prevent against etching, nothing will bar prevention and quick response time in cleaning up spills.
Generally MarbleCare recommends using only penetrating sealers, however there are exceptions. Some extremely porous materials, such as slate and terracotta, need a heavy topical sealer, generally wax or acrylic based, to protect them. Fortunately these floor types aren’t as susceptible to spalling and don’t show up scuffing and scratching as much as stones like marble, and when sealed professionally give great results. Also in some commercial applications it can be cost effective to use a “sacrificial” surface sealer to take the wear, however this requires much more frequent application and maintenance than is practical for most residential clients. Fortunately help is at hand…
To correctly strip an existing sealer and correctly reseal with a high quality sealer which is suitable for your floor type is not something that should be carried out by someone without the knowhow and experience, which is why you need a restoration specialist like MarbleCare that really knows how to get your floors looking beautiful again. MarbleCare can professionally remove existing sealer with a safe, low-odour stripper, reseal with a top quality commercial grade sealer made specifically for your floor type and restore your floor to as-new condition with one of our multi-stage solutions. See our Cleaning and Restoration section for more details on the actual procedures we use.
Marble and stone stripping, sealing and restoration are highly skilled procedures and should not be confused with mere “cleaning”. Inexperienced individuals, such as tilers, carpet cleaners, wood floor refinishers, and others who don’t specialise exclusively in maintenance of marble and stone, can inadvertently ruin a beautiful floor and involve the owner in further expense for professional repair. MarbleCare constantly strives to be the very best at what we do. After decades of experience we use what we genuinely believe to be the very best systems and the finest restoration materials in the world, to ensure you get the very best job and the very best finish, every time. 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
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