Lisa Breakspear, head of sales at Mapei UltraCare details the sealing treatments available for sealing a stone floor
Polished porcelain, natural stone and materials like terracotta and agglomerates are all porous – some more so than others. This means these porous surfaces will absorb liquid spills and will take on dirt through foot traffic. Whether installed internally or externally, the porosity needs to be sealed to stop the absorption of liquids/oils and organic build up. Coloured liquids and oils especially, can cause major problems and ruin the aesthetic of the tile.
As well as protecting the material and preventing stains, sealing a porous surface makes ongoing maintenance easier because any organic dirt and spillages can be easily wiped or mopped from the surface.
What happens if you don’t seal?
Not sealing a porous tile allows spillages and organic foot traffic contamination to be absorbed into the surface. Very quickly, it will start to stain and will become dirty. Some spillages, like oil-based liquids, can also penetrate the surface of porous tiles causing staining at a deeper level. Although it’s possible to remove these stains, prevention is always better than a cure. A correctly sealed surface can then be maintained with a safe pH neutral product, to ensure longevity of the protective treatment.
What are the options for sealing internal and external stone? Fortunately, there’s a wide choice of quality treatments for sealing porous stone, like our own series of UltraCare products. Whether the tile is installed internally or externally, the sealer can provide a natural effect or an enhancing treatment, to bring out colour and veining.
There’s also the option to use a solvent-based or a water-based sealer. Both work well, but water-based sealers/colour intensifiers offer various environmental and safety benefits, as well as speed of application. These products can be applied to any residual moisture that might be present in the build-up, whereas application of a solvent-based sealer/colour intensifier needs to be undertaken on surfaces that have fully dried.
What are the pros and cons of a quality sealing product?
There are no cons. If you have a porous substrate, sealing is a must. There’s a case for external stone not to be sealed if you want the stone to age over time and you’re not concerned about staining, the growth of algae and black spot, etc. But the pros are numerous:
You have assurance the porous surface won’t absorb spillages.
External application of a sealer in food cooking and consumption areas ensures oil-based stains and coloured/liquid spillages are easily removed. The same applies for internal areas of food preparation and consumption.
Internally, the UltraCare range includes two sealers that are approved as safe to use in food contact areas.
Once sealed, surfaces are easy to clean. Dirt and spillages effectively sit on the treated surface and are easily removed with UltraCare Multicleaner.
Can anything go wrong?
Correct application is important. Sealers that aren’t applied correctly can leave unsightly residues. These can be removed but involves using additional products and extends timescales. In addition, not undertaking an initial wash before applying a sealer can result in sealed-in installation residues, which often include clearly visible footprints sealed underneath the sealer. Also, a sealer applied over residue won’t be able to fully penetrate the stone’s porosity and won’t perform as expected. These issues can be avoided by understanding the application method before going ahead and outdoors, by taking the weather into consideration.
Understanding a sealer/impregnator takes up to 72 hours to be fully performant is important and knowing floors treated with a water-based sealer shouldn’t be walked on for about three hours can avoid issues, additional costs and reduce workload.
Carefully consider the finished look you want to achieve in terms of natural v enhanced finish. There are solvent and water-based options for both, as well as the option to apply a finishing wax, like our own Opaca matt and Lucida gloss treatments. It’s also worth consulting with an UltraCare expert to see how various treatments look and perform on different types of stone and to check the best methods and tools for application beforehand.
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