In houses that have stone floors, it is common to make use of sealers. This is where stone sealers help. To ensure the longevity of your stone flooring, stone sealers are used.
Stone sealers are normally of two types. They can be water-based or solvent-based sealers. In both cases, the water and the solvent act as carriers which helps in setting the sealer components into the stone. Water-based sealers undergo evaporation while solvent-based sealers undergo wear and tear. In both cases, the sealers are short-lived.
Sealers must showcase the below properties to ensure the longevity of the stones:
· The sealers must be stain-resistant
This is the entire purpose of making use of stone sealers on the stones. Some sealers come with stain resistance and can be used in particular applications. For example, in the kitchen, a stain-resistant sealer will ensure the stones have oily stain resistance. The stone sealers that inhibit moisture can lead to eventual but slow deterioration of the stones.
· The stone sealers must be chemically resistant
No matter where you have stone floors, there are always chances of the stone coming in contact with chemicals. It is for this reason that the stone sealers must be chemically resistant so that the stones do not corrode and lead to further damage.
You must consider stone sealers that are good for the health and environment, often some stone sealers make the floors slippery which makes it a hazard for those who live in old age homes or schools. Some solvent-based stone sealers make use of Volatile Organic Compounds. These compounds are ozone depleters which are not good. However, most water-based stone sealers have little or no VOC. As a result, they are environmentally safe.
· Stone sealers have to be slip-resistant
This means that when the sealer is applied to the stone, it must not make the stone slippery. This will lead to a lot of mishaps in a lot of cases. Particularly in houses where the elderly live. Their bodies can be fragile and slipping on such floors can be dangerous if not fatal.
Stone sealers are not permanent solutions to maintain the natural look of your stone. As a result, they must be reapplied now and then to help maintain the stone as a whole. So, the stone sealers must be easily reapplied and shouldn’t be a hassle.
A lot of people are known to compromise on the natural look of the stone by applying a stone sealer. It is for this reason that the stone sealers when applied must result in the desired look.
The advantage of using stone sealers is that it helps in the preservation of the stone, helps with easy cleaning of the stones, and leads to lesser etching among other advantages.
Conclusion
If you are looking to preserve the natural look of your stone flooring and other components that you have used in your house, it is best to make use of stone cleaners. There are a lot of companies that offer different types of stone sealers. You can refer to the website of Catastone Care and restoration for more details.
