Granite/Marble/Stone Issues

Patty

Now that I have a bit of time on my hands, I thought I would share a bit of information with everyone who has concerns regarding maintenance and/or protection of granite, marble or natural stone.

A company called Stone Care International, based in MD, manufactures various products that I recommend highly for granite, marble, etc...They do have a website and, although their product line is available at HD, you can also order small or large quantities, online, directly from them.

They make a great sealer which I recommend to my customers. Although they recommend sealing once a year, I recommend it twice a year.

They have a polish which is fabulous (application is similar to car waxing) which can be done as you opt. I recommend a monthly application.

They have a nice cleaner/shiner which you can use daily, or as needed.

Most importantly, I would tell you to check out their line of stain removers.
They are a poultice product and each one is designed for a particular type of stain whether it be ink, oil products, red stains such as wine, etc...

The ones I feel a need to keep in stock are the oil and the red stain one.
Especially for kitchen countertops, the oil stain remover is a must-have.

If anyone has an interest in this company or their product line, go check out their website at www.stonecare.com. It is informative and educational. I let all of my customers know about their products and use them myself.

I hope this helps, especially for the person who asked about the oil stain. (See demonstration 'how-to' on the website.)

Edit: P.S. I use these products myself!

Mike Finley

Patty what do you think about the notion that granite doesn't need to be sealed?

Patty

Mike, I know a few people that don't believe sealing to be necessary but there are more that do think it is a fantastic preventative maintenance measure. And, from my experience, limited as it might be, I am one of those that is a proponent of sealing. I've seen too many wine spills that have permeated granite (especially the lighter tones) and would have otherwise never left a stain if the granite was sealed. I also think that, over time, cooking oils will leave their mark easier with untreated/unsealed granite over granite that was treated/sealed. It really comes down to how particular a person is and how much time they want to invest in keeping their counters/floors/showers, etc...looking like new. I compare it with a car. Do you ever wax your car? If so, do you really think a drive-thru wax can compare with a hand wax? Of course it can't. And over the life of a car, will the paint be more protected if you maintain the exterior vs. never washing it or waxing it?

So, yes, I believe that a sealant is the way to go. It's all a preventative maintenance issue, in my opinion. And, after shelling out thousands for beautiful (expensive!!!) granite countertops, my customers usually don't mind taking the time, or nominal dollars for the product, to keep their granite looking good. After all, granite can end up being a "forever-lasting" home improvement investment and I think people, for the most part, will see the beauty in maintaining it correctly!

Now, if only my car looked as good as my countertops! Gotta work on that!

Patty

....after reading my posts pushing those products for granite, I think I should call SCI and ask to be their company spokesperson! Maybe get a little commission for the endorsement, as well!

Mike Finley

Patty I only ask because I feel my knowledge is very limited on the subject and really need to educate myself and am interested in others opinions, especially those with more experience of it then me. On the sealer side is all this stuff, wonder if you agree with it?

The answer is YES. All Stone surfaces need to be sealed. However many factors need to be considered when choosing the correct sealer. First, the type of stone. All stone is not created equal. How porous a stone is and how fast it absorbs liquids is called the absorption coefficient. This coefficient is extremely important when choosing a sealer. Granite generally will have a higher absorption coefficient than a polished marble. Limestone can be extremely absorbent. The higher the absorption coefficient, the more difficult it will be to seal the stone.

To get a general idea of how absorbent the stone is, place several drops of water on the surface of the stone and time how long it takes for the water to completely disappear. If the water disappears in under one minute, consider the stone very porous. If it take up to 3-4 minutes, consider it porous. If it takes more than 5 minutes, consider it slightly porous. This simple test will also give a good indication of the quantity of sealer needed to protect the entire area.

How do we protect stone and other porous materials from staining. There are so many sealers on the market today. Which ones are best? Which ones really work?

It can be very confusing trying to choose a sealer to protect stone. In the past several years, the stone restoration and janitorial industries have bombarded the market with hundreds of products to seal, protect and polish stone.

Fortunately, all of these products fall into only two major categories:
1. Coatings
2. Impregnators or penetrating sealers.

Coatings:
Coatings are sealers that place a sacrificial coating on the surface of the stone. This is a film that lays on top of the stone acting as a barrier to prevent water, oil and dirt from entering the pores of the stone. Coatings can be classified into two general types: 1. Strippable, 2. Permanent.

COATING OR IMPREGNATOR?
How do you make the determination between a coating or an impregnator?
They both have their advantages and their disadvantages. The following
summary should be studied carefully when choosing the proper product:

Coating-Advantages:
Coatings are sealers that place a layer on the surface of the stone.
1. Coatings are generally economical. The initial application is relatively low cost.
2. Coatings are generally easy to apply. Unskilled labor can learn to apply them in a short time.

Coatings-Disadvantages:
1. Since most coatings are typically softer than the stone itself, they will usually scratch, mar and scuff very easily, showing traffic patterns soon after application. This will require frequent buffing, burnishing or re-application.
2. Coatings can build up and can cause an unsightly appearance, producing an unnatural, wavy, plastic look to the stone.
3. Poor quality coatings can turn yellow. This is especially true if the stone is exposed to UV light.
4. Coatings require frequent stripping and reapplication. The chemicals and abrasives used in the stripping process may cause damage to the stone. Typically, certain stripping pads and stripping brushes can scratch some softer stones. Some wax strippers can harm certain stones such as agglomerates, eating away at the polyester binders.
5. Certain coatings may block the breathing capability of the stone. Moisture can become trapped below the surface and may lead to spalling.

Impregnators-Advantages:
1. Most impregnators will not change the appearance of the stone.
2. Most impregnators do not require frequent applications. Since the impregnator is below the surface, it will generally last several years before reapplication is necessary.
3. Most impregnators are not affected by UV light since they are below the surface where UV light cannot penetrate. For this reason they can be used outdoors.
4. Impregnators are typically hydrophobic, while some are oiliophobic.
5. Floors that have been impregnated are easier and less expensive to maintain than non-impregnated or coated floors because the stone is harder than the coatings.

Impregnators-Disadvantages:
1. Impregnators that are solvent-based smell bad and are flammable during application.
2. Solvent-based impregnators are harmful to the environment producing high VOC (volatile organic compounds).
3. The initial cost of most impregnators is relatively high.

When choosing the proper product for protection, the above guidelines should help. Always talk with the manufacture or distributor, and let them know where you plan to use their product. They can be very helpful if you tell them all the conditions that apply.

Patty

Mike, that last post was excellent. It contained a lot of valuable information for those that have interest in this area. I, personally, do not recommend the coating products. If you re-read the article, the disadvantage list states most of my personal feelings on this. And, at the risk of being redundant, I will just let the article speak for itself.

As for the impregnators (alright guys....I know there's a huge joke heading our way with this one.... ), these products are what I recommend for sealing. Moisture will be allowed to escape and the product is good for both highly porous product as well as nonporous product, i.e. stone or concrete vs. granite or marble. It is a bit expensive but not so that it will break the bank. It can be used indoors or outdoors, as well. As for fumes, I'm not a chemist, but I really don't notice any fumes. (Maybe, I've been around the stuff and lost my sense of smell? ) Not sure about fumes.

But, yes, the impregnator sealants are my choice. Not only are they a great preventative maintenance item but they are user-friendly and the consumer can do this themselves, year-after-year.


I also like the polishing products and the cleaner/shiner products. I recommend these to everyone. Not only is it inline with a good maintenance program, but it will make your granite look "shiny and pretty" all the time!

See what happens when you let girls post here? Pretty soon I'll be throwing happy hour and serving appetizers!

go dart

we've seen a large swing to quartz, both silesstone and cambria. although not as beautiful as granite its easy to live with and the installers haven't broken a single piece.

jvcstone

That is a good , informative post by Mike that covers just about all one needs to know about sealers. As a stone guy, I would never recommend a topical, or surface, coating for any stone, under any circumstance. If you want plastic, buy plastic, but don't smother a natural product that is much happier if it is allowed to breath. Impregnating sealers do just that, and for the most part the newest generation sealers are not solvent based products so the "chemical" smell and environmental impact is not such an issue any more.

Now a little rant. I work with a lot of different stones--mostly limestone from different places in the world_ and in my experience, different sealers work differently on different stones. What might be a great product on stone A can make stone B look like crap, while a different product might work real well on stone B. It all has to do with the density, porosity, chemistry, and a host of other factors. And yes, there are some stones marketed as granite, (but not really) that it is pointless to try and seal. There is no way that they can absorb anything, and if the sealer is left to dry on the surface, it can become the source of trouble.

There is a huge problem in the natural stone market- flooring and counter top- and that is a total lack of knowledge on the part of designers, and sales people about what they are selling. The result is inappropriate material being sold for the intended use, and unhappy homeowners. No amount of sealer can ever keep a calcite based stone from etching in a kitchen environment, or some of the more porous stones from staining.

JVC

__________________
John VanCamp
www.jvcstoneworks.com

daveincincy

Patty, thanks for the info and link to Stonecare. This info might help me out with my current dilemma http://207.142.132.36/showthread.php?t=7538
I might have to make a run to HD or Lowes and see if they carry it in our area. I did buy a bottle of the Black Diamond Stoneworks cleaner, which I was told is a daily use product (similar to Shower Clean). I figured I'll use that once I get everything cleaned and resealed. Any comments on the Black Diamond products? I have some leftover sealer from them also that was used originally after the remodel of our bathroom. Our shower is quite the mix of different materials (i.e. porcelain, limestone, travertine, etc), and I've found it difficult to find a good, SAFE product that works on all of these.