You should be proud that you are considering sealing your marble surfaces at home! Despite what you may have heard, sealing your marble will not change the look of your marble floors, tiles, showers, or countertops. Also, a properly applied, good quality marble sealer penetrates your natural stone making it even more effective in helping your marble resist stains.
When & Why To Seal
You can seal as often as you feel is necessary, but on average we recommend the minimum of once a year. Though, some customers may prefer every 6 months or less. A good example would be an avid chef in the home who is constantly cooking and cleaning up after themselves. This will cause natural wear and you'll start to see that spills are penetrating the surface quickly and the stone just appears to not be as resiliant to etching as you'd like. That's when applying sealer can really help. Sealer protects against etching by buying you more time for spills left on your marble. Without sealer, spills can seep immediately into the stone causing unwanted damage. Your investment in gorgeous marble stone deserves every bit of return possible. The type of stains marble sealer will protect against are ones from acidic liquids and organic substances that can soil marble by penetrating into the pores and staining the surface. Even water with minerals in it can stain your marble surface, especially without a sealer. Sealers won't fool-proof your marble at home, but it certainly will give an added measure of protection and make future spills easier to clean.
The Marble Sealing Process
What You'll Need:
Marble sealer can be applied to countertops, floors, tile and grout. For countertops you'll need a clean terry cloth or lamb's wool applicator and for floors a mop, natural brush or pump sprayer.
The Basics of Before and After Sealing:
Depending on the condition of your marble, you may need to either refinish, spot remove, repair, intensively clean, or use a daily cleaner before the sealing process. If you're really unsure about the condition of your marble, feel free to give us a call with your questions! The minimum maintenance required after the sealing process is complete is just a simple and easy daily cleaning routine. Additionally, it helps to have a marble spot removal or hole repair kit handy for those accidents and spills that daily cleaning won't take care of.
How A Good Marble Sealer Works:
A penetrating marble sealer will absorb into the pores of a marble surface and provide a seal that protects against stains and dirt. The sealer then needs time to cure and be left untouched for about 3-5 hours. You'll also want to make sure you don't get any liquids or substances on your marble for about 48 hours after application. But if you're sealing marble outdoors, take into account the natural elements outside like tree sap, pollen, etc. We recommend more cleaning and pressure washing to your surfaces outdoors if you wish to seal less often. Either way, sealer works best if you clean the marble surface well before application.
What To Look For In A Good Marble Sealer:
Because of the porous nature of marble, it needs to be able to breath. A marble sealer that allows for efficient vapor transmission is one thing you definitely need to look for. Another thing to look for is a marble sealer that does not change the color or appearance of the surface. Because of other sealers out there that do this, many people have opted to stay away from sealing their marble. A marble sealer should penetrate deep into the pores, into those places that stains like to seep into, and remain invisible. Into the pores are where protection is key, but this fact is often overlooked.
Sealer can be found as solvent-based or water-based. Many people prefer water based sealers since they do not emit fumes and are more environmentally friendly. While both water and solvent-based sealers are highly effective, a solvent-based marble sealer has a stronger carrier than water that penetrates polished surfaces more efficiently. This is because polished surfaces have tighter pores than a honed surface.
How Sealer Fits Into The Overall Maintenance of Your Marble
For brand new marble, sealer is the first step in protecting your natural stone and investing in it's longevity. You then have daily care with a neutral cleaning product, spot removal as necessary, regular liquid polishing, and professional refinishing.
We hope that we've provided confirmation for you on deciding to seal your marble surfaces. It is our passion to see the natural stone in your home looking it's very best! If you have further questions on marble sealer, please call us and we'll be glad to help at 1-800-790-8327.
When & Why To Seal
You can seal as often as you feel is necessary, but on average we recommend the minimum of once a year. Though, some customers may prefer every 6 months or less. A good example would be an avid chef in the home who is constantly cooking and cleaning up after themselves. This will cause natural wear and you'll start to see that spills are penetrating the surface quickly and the stone just appears to not be as resiliant to etching as you'd like. That's when applying sealer can really help. Sealer protects against etching by buying you more time for spills left on your marble. Without sealer, spills can seep immediately into the stone causing unwanted damage. Your investment in gorgeous marble stone deserves every bit of return possible. The type of stains marble sealer will protect against are ones from acidic liquids and organic substances that can soil marble by penetrating into the pores and staining the surface. Even water with minerals in it can stain your marble surface, especially without a sealer. Sealers won't fool-proof your marble at home, but it certainly will give an added measure of protection and make future spills easier to clean.
The Marble Sealing Process
What You'll Need:
Marble sealer can be applied to countertops, floors, tile and grout. For countertops you'll need a clean terry cloth or lamb's wool applicator and for floors a mop, natural brush or pump sprayer.
The Basics of Before and After Sealing:
Depending on the condition of your marble, you may need to either refinish, spot remove, repair, intensively clean, or use a daily cleaner before the sealing process. If you're really unsure about the condition of your marble, feel free to give us a call with your questions! The minimum maintenance required after the sealing process is complete is just a simple and easy daily cleaning routine. Additionally, it helps to have a marble spot removal or hole repair kit handy for those accidents and spills that daily cleaning won't take care of.
How A Good Marble Sealer Works:
A penetrating marble sealer will absorb into the pores of a marble surface and provide a seal that protects against stains and dirt. The sealer then needs time to cure and be left untouched for about 3-5 hours. You'll also want to make sure you don't get any liquids or substances on your marble for about 48 hours after application. But if you're sealing marble outdoors, take into account the natural elements outside like tree sap, pollen, etc. We recommend more cleaning and pressure washing to your surfaces outdoors if you wish to seal less often. Either way, sealer works best if you clean the marble surface well before application.
What To Look For In A Good Marble Sealer:
Because of the porous nature of marble, it needs to be able to breath. A marble sealer that allows for efficient vapor transmission is one thing you definitely need to look for. Another thing to look for is a marble sealer that does not change the color or appearance of the surface. Because of other sealers out there that do this, many people have opted to stay away from sealing their marble. A marble sealer should penetrate deep into the pores, into those places that stains like to seep into, and remain invisible. Into the pores are where protection is key, but this fact is often overlooked.
Sealer can be found as solvent-based or water-based. Many people prefer water based sealers since they do not emit fumes and are more environmentally friendly. While both water and solvent-based sealers are highly effective, a solvent-based marble sealer has a stronger carrier than water that penetrates polished surfaces more efficiently. This is because polished surfaces have tighter pores than a honed surface.
How Sealer Fits Into The Overall Maintenance of Your Marble
For brand new marble, sealer is the first step in protecting your natural stone and investing in it's longevity. You then have daily care with a neutral cleaning product, spot removal as necessary, regular liquid polishing, and professional refinishing.
We hope that we've provided confirmation for you on deciding to seal your marble surfaces. It is our passion to see the natural stone in your home looking it's very best! If you have further questions on marble sealer, please call us and we'll be glad to help at 1-800-790-8327.