Sealers & Cleaning Agents for Natural Stone Products
Benefits of Sealing – Less Risk, Less Worry & Fewer Stains
Sealants have made huge technological advances in recent years and are almost universally used because they reduce risk and lower maintenance costs by
- Preventing water and oil-based staining
- Making sealed areas quicker and easier to clean.
- Protecting stone from salt attack
- Minimising damage from freeze thaw
- Providing a UV stable protective layer
Bellstone Distributes Sealers & Cleaning Products
Bellstone distributes Miteq products in NSW. Miteq is a family owned, customer focused, Australian manufacturer of specialized products for stone & concrete surfaces that have been tested and refined for 20 years under Australian conditions.
Miteq products are of extremely high quality available at competitive prices with good back-up advice and technical support.
Miteq products have been used at:Darling Harbour; Central Railway Station platforms, Sydney (8,000 sq metres); The Dome, RAS Showgrounds, Olympic Park, (20,000 sq metres); Parliament House forecourt, Canberra; Randwick Shire Council – outside the Palace Hotel.
Products Recommended for Use on Natural Stone
- Penetrating Sealers – Sealer 102 & 103
- Surface Sealers – Sealer 201
- Masonry Cleaners – Cleaner 301
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Sealer 102 - A Water Soluble Penetrating Sealer
A water soluble, sub-surface, penetrating sealer that:
- Repels water and other fluids
- Provides stain protection Allows the stone to breathe
- Prevents surface efflorescence (salt blooms)Reduces dirt deposits & lowers maintenance & cleaning costs
- Preserves colour & look - no visible changesIs unaffected by surface wear
- Has no effect on slip resistance Is odour free
This product like most water soluble sealants is better suited to low to medium density stone and stone with higher porosity as there will be a better chance of achieving satisfactory absorption rates to achieve maximum protection.
Sealer 103 - A Solvent Based Penetrating Sealer
Sealer 103 is a solvent based, sub-surface, penetrating sealer that will
- Repel water and other fluids
- Provide stain protection Allows the stone to breathe
- Prevent surface efflorescence (salt blooms)Reduces dirt deposits & lowers maintenance & cleaning costs
- Preserve colour & look - visible changes are slight only (see photo)
- Beunaffected by surface wear
- Have no effect on slip resistance
- Produce odours & fumes when applying – protection is required
This product is well suited to all Bellstone products because of their superior density. It is the penetrating sealant of choice on very dense, low porosity stone because it has smaller molecules that allow higher absorption rates that affords better protection.
The piece of Willow sandstone (natural split surface) has been treated with sealer 103 on the right hand side of the arrows and the area on the left remains untreated. The treatment is only noticeable if patches are left unsealed as evidenced by this sample. If a surface is thoroughly and evenly treated, differences in colour or character are undetectable to the naked eye.
This sealer offers the best protection for stone around salt water pools.
Sealer 201 - A Solvent Based Surface Sealer
This is a solvent based, surface sealer which results in a protective layer bonded to the outer surface of the stone. It acts quite differently to sub-surface, penetrating sealants. This sealer is best suited to more porous stone.
Sealer 201 will:
- Provide a strong, smooth and clear barrier on the surface of the stone
- Repels water and other fluids
- Provides stain protection
- Reduces dirt deposits & lowers maintenance & cleaning costs
- Enhance the natural colour of the stone resulting in what is sometimes described as a ‘wet look’
- Be UV resistant
- Produce fumes & odours when applying – protection is required
Sealer 201 is recommended for all slate used indoors as it reduces dust and enhances its intrinsic colour.
This sealer should not be used on polished surfaces.
Surface sealants will provide a smooth, water proof coating on the stone surface which makes maintenance much easier but colour darkening will occur.
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Kali limestone on the left and Willow sandstone on the right - treated with Sealer 201. In both cases the colour on the right hand side of each tile has become darker and the surface has been left with a gloss or semi-gloss finish.
Surface sealers are not recommended for use on sandstone especially in wet areas or around pools as rising moisture trapped under the bonded, protective layer can cause salt damage and delamination with wet/dry and heat/cold cycles.
Cleaner 301 - A Heavy Duty Cleaning Agent
This is an extremely concentrated heavy duty degreaser/detergent. It will remove oil, grease, grime, food stains and most dirt marks from nearly any surface. It is also a neutralizer that should be used if your tiler has used an acid wash to remove grout stains after fixing, as it will help prevent acid damage to the stone surface.
Cleaner 301 is non-flammable, has a mint fragrance and may be used with pressure washers, steam cleaners or automatic scrubbing machines.
Things to Remember - Before Applying Sealants
- Sealers are modern marvels of technology that help protect stone but they won’t prevent damage arising from physical (scratches) or chemical abuse (acids). Choose stone wisely to suit the intended purpose – this is the best protection of all.
- Before applying any product on natural stone (or other surfaces), conduct tests on sample pieces or a small area of the surface that is hidden from view, to see if you are happy with the result.
- The level of protection offered by a sealant is directly proportional to the amount of sealant applied and absorbed – don’t be a scrooge!
- Before applying a sealer, thoroughly clean the surface. If the surface is marked and stained (e.g. fat, food, leaves, moss) apply cleaner 301 first then wash off to prevent existing stains and marks being encased forever.
- Don’t apply sealants to poorly drained outdoor surfaces where there is rising damp, water rising under hydrostatic pressure or water carrying dissolved salts that somehow gets under the stone surface – you will lock the salt laden moisture under the protective barrier. The water evaporates and escapes but the salt cannot. The trapped salt once crystalised can cause incalculatable damage.