Santa Fe Floor Care

Sealing Stone in Wet Conditions

There are no pat answers to sealing natural stone, which is why we recommend that an informed professional always be called on for determining the best solutions for your stone. Not only are there are many types of sealers that perform differently and accomplish different things, as you will see in the following article from Fred M. Hueston, Chief Technical Director for Surface Care and troubleshooting expert, sometimes sealing may not be appropriate at all…

I receive several calls a week with questions about the use of impregnating-type sealers for use on outdoor stone as well as interior stone, such as showers, water fountains, and other wet areas. The questions are all basically the same: Should I seal my stone in wet conditions? Let me explain why stone in wet areas should not be sealed.

But first, there are a couple of definitions you’ll need to know…

Impregnators or penetrating sealers: Impregnators are designed to penetrate below the surface of the stone and deposit solid particles in the pores of the stone or to coat the individual minerals below the surface of the stone. These sealers restrict water, oil, and dirt from entering the stone. Impregnators can be solvent or water based. Most impregnators are vapor permeable.
Vapor permeable: Vapor permeability describes a stones breathability, or the ability to allow water vapor to pass through it.

The Case for Not Sealing Stone in Wet Environments

Most of the impregnators on the market today are breathable. This simple means that the stone will be protected from water entering the pores of the stone in liquid form but will allow water vapor to pass. Sometimes, stone is exposed to unregulated humidity and temperature fluctuations, and the result is condensation. Impregnators are breathable. Therefore, vapor can easily penetrate into the stone. One would think that this is positive, but once the vapor enters the stone it can condense and become a liquid. Since impregnators protect against water in its liquid phase, the moisture becomes trapped within the stones pores and will not escape until it turns into vapor and evaporates.
Trapped moisture can result in all kinds of problems. For example, stones with iron content can oxidize. If there are natural salts within the stone, the salt can dissolve and cause pitting and spalling in the surface of the stone. Aesthetically, the stone will appear darker since it is constantly wet.

More Research Will Be Necessary

There are currently several people in the natural stone industry doing experiments to demonstrate that sealer in wet environments can cause these issues and to discover in what circumstances, if any, sealers in wet environments may be appropriate. For example, sealed shower walls may be fine, while sealing the shower floor may pose problems. Although their findings are not yet published, I strongly believe that care should be taken when sealing stone in wet environments.

Santa Fe Floor Care
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Bryant W.
19:58 07 Jan 25
Brian did a fantastic job. Looks new like the day we built our house. He was friendly and professional and I would highly recommend Santa Fe Floor Care to anyone!
Kenny K.
23:09 30 Dec 24
We’ve used these guys twice to seal our tile grout. Professional, reasonable in price, easy to work with.
Rachele B.
18:09 23 Dec 24
We’ve had Santa fe floors come do surface repairs a few times. They are quick, reliable, reasonable and have excellent customer service! I highly recommend them!!
andrew N.
15:21 13 Dec 24
I was absolutely blown away by the exceptional hardwood floor and limestone cleaning service I received from Sante Fe Floor Care for my new construction home. Rodrick, our technician, was not only incredibly knowledgeable but also incredibly professional and courteous. He took the time to explain the entire process, the type of solution they use, and the best practices for future maintenance.The results were nothing short of spectacular. My floors look brand new! The attention to detail and the care he took in cleaning every nook and cranny was truly impressive. I highly recommend Sante Fe Floor Care to anyone seeking top-notch cleaning services, especially for new construction homes. They exceeded my expectations in every way.
Candy C.
16:48 12 Dec 24
We have been using the services of Santa Fe carpet and floors for almost 10 years. We have always been very pleased with the results. The team does excellent work and I'm always very comfortable with them in our home. This visit included tile floor and grout cleaning, and the results were amazing. Thank you, Santa Fe for your excellent work and commitment!
Bo Z.
18:14 11 Dec 24
We recently used Santa Fe Floor Care to clean our tile floor and seal the grout. Both Roderick and Brian were very professional and did a superb job at a reasonable rate. I would highly recommend Santa Fe Floor Care.
Stefania Rigo de R.
20:21 07 Nov 24
Bryan was very professional. He called to inform me he was on his way. Arrived on time and answered all my questions in detail. The carpet had some heavy traffic areas the were quite dirty. They all came out and it looks and smells terrific. I also had grout cleaned and I am very happy with the work. A visible difference in the kitchen and bathroom. I highly recommend Santa Fe. I have used them for over 15 years and they are consistent in their high quality service.
Shannon A.
23:02 27 Sep 24
Very knowledgeable, professional and punctual! We purchased a nine year old home in Sun City, all tile floors with two carpeted bedrooms. The home had been well cared for but the floors needed attention. Mr. Young came out, measured everything and visited with us, made suggestions and then clearly explained the process. We received a very fair quote and all the work was done well within a tight time frame. The floors are stunning! He also did a lovely job on a huge, 40 year old wool oriental carpet. We highly recommend Santa Fe Floor Care!!!Mr. and Mrs. James Armstrong
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