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The following article will help to make the application & use of Floorseal Natural Stone Sealer Breathe easy.
This guide should furnish the user with enough information to understand the product & how to use a penetrating sealer.
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Floorseal Natural Stone Sealer Breathe is a water-based sub-surface sealer sometimes also referred to as penetrating or impregnating sealers. The active content within this sealer is held in suspension within the carrying agent. The product becomes embedded into the pores of the material it is applied to. This natural stone sealer is breathable as it does not form a skin/film/lacquer on the surface.
Typically this product is applied twice approximately 40 minutes apart, possibly only once on very dense or fully polished surfaces such as a highly polished marble.
Floorseal Natural Stone Sealer Breathe is a water-based liquid with a water/oil repellent polymer within. It should be applied at full strength (do not further dilute with water) and allowed to soak in, the carrying agent dries/evaporates leaving the polymer behind. This type of sealer is non-film forming.
This type of breathable penetrating sealer is used to repel liquid staining or general damp/water penetration. The repellence of water/oil based staining is its primary function.
Usually nothing, penetrating sealers are exactly the same as an impregnating sealer, it is just a different name for the same type of sealer. The name simply indicates to the user that the sealer is a sub-surface sealer (which will be non-film forming).
Once applied the sealer is locked in the pores of the treated surface. A non-film forming sealer repels moisture from within. A non-film forming sealer helps to repel general water-based staining, rainwater or oils. There is no visible coating/lacquer, so Natural Stone Sealer Breathe is described as non-film forming. For this reason Natural Stone Sealer Breathe cannot/should not be seen once applied.
The word ‘sealer’ often makes a novice think that all sealing products are coatings (like a topical sealer described above). This is not the case, Natural Stone Sealer Breathe is non-film forming.
Natural Stone Sealer Breathe does not alter the appearance of the treated surface. For this reason we have to describe it as natural or matt finish.
If it is applied to a polished stone the finish of the stone would still appear ‘polished’ If the stone or tile is a matt/dull/honed finish it would retain the same dull matt appearance.
Natural Stone Sealer Breathe is perfect for sealing when the user does not wish to see any change in appearance of their surface after treatment.
The term we use to describe the sealing action of Natural Stone Sealer Breathe is that that it is ‘in’ the surface not ‘on’ the surface. This product does not make any change in appearance to the treated stone or tile.
*You should always carry out a small test first to be sure.
It is worth carrying out a small test patch to assess if the colour of the stone or tile will be affected. Normally this is not the case, but you should test first. Wait until the product has fully dried and cured to assess the result. It is highly unlikely Natural Stone Sealer Breathe will affect the colour of the treated surface.
Never apply (any type of) sealer to damp stone, the surface should be totally dry. Ensure the surface is clean before application. Try to avoid applying the product when temperatures are below 10C or above 20C. There is usually a little wiggle room in the temperatures suggested but try to keep within them. For instance if sealing outside on a hot day do this in the morning when the stone is still cool etc.
Always make sure the surface is clean & dry before sealing.
Spray, roller or brush the sealer onto the surface and allow it to soak in. Saturate the surface and leave it to soak in for 10-20 minutes (or possibly longer in cool conditions). The greater the amount of sealer that is absorbed by the stone the more affectively it will be sealed. Try to encourage as much Natural Stone Sealer Breathe into the surface as possible (by saturation). The first application is crucial as the stone is at its most porous. The 2nd application tops up the stone to fill any remaining pores which can still accept more of the sealing polymer.
Use microfibre cloths to remove any excess sealer. On certain surfaces you will see little excess. Sandstone is particularly porous so will allow any impregnating/penetrating sealer to soak it quite rapidly. Any excess sealer can be removed by wiping it away with microfibre cloths or running a dry roller over the area to blot the excess off.
If the surface has been saturated with Natural Stone Sealer Breathe you should remove any excess sealer. This should be carried out before the excess before it comes tacky. Typically you should remove any excess after approximately 10-30 minutes. Adjust the time allowed for excess removal based on air and surface temperatures. A test patch can be used to assess this timing.
It is imperative you remove all excess product from the surface. In theory, if you have reached a saturation, you will see some excess product. A water droplet test can confirm that a product is working.
Polished stone (like highly polished marble or limestone) may not require (as) much sealer. There will already be a reasonable degree of surface tension created by the polishing process. We recommend the application of Natural Stone Sealer Breathe to small areas at a time, then wiping/buffing off each slab/tile shortly after application.
Removal of excess product ensures that no visible change can be noted to the surface.
After approximately 40 minutes repeat the process. Apply the sealer sparingly as the first application will already be taking effect. The stone will not except the same volume of sealer during this second application. Again, remove all excess sealer with microfibre cloths. If you are sealing very porous surfaces you may wish to apply a third time or be more liberal with product during both the 1st & 2nd applications.
It is possible to apply the product on separate days (if used as a pre-grout sealer) or a few months/years later as the surface becomes porous again. Applying the 2nd application is best practice but can be adapted/changed if using as a pre-grout sealer.
Drying times will be rapid minutes/few hours, but the cure time can be 6-24 hrs.
It depends on the surface!
You will achieve a greater coverage rate on slate than on a sandstone. As a rough guide, 5 litres of Natural Stone Sealer Breathe will cover approximately 20m2 of surface area (accounting for applying the product twice). This area will be greater on dense or polished surfaces.
The more product you can encourage into the surface of the material the better. The first application is the main delivery of product, the 2nd application is usually a top up.
A classic mistake (when working with any brand/type of sealer) is to try to work to a specific fixed coverage rate. All products must have an indication of coverage rate but it is an indication only. Coverage rates are ultimately dictated by the porosity of the material. A ‘media blasted’ sandstone will be very porous and will usually have a completely different coverage rate to an old worn sandstone flag.
Sandstone will generally always absorb more than a slate tile, even the specific type of sandstone can/will create a difference in the coverage rate.
The more Natural Stone Sealer Breathe you can encourage into the surface the better the product will work.
Using a roller to ‘roller out’ Natural Stone Sealer Breathe as thin as it will possibly (seem to) go will lead to a sub optimal performance. Trying to make a small amount of sealer ‘fit’ a large area indicates the user has a basic misunderstanding of the type of product they are working with.
Natural Stone Sealer Breathe is a breathable, non-film forming sealer which does not alter the appearance of the treated surface. This product can also be used as pre-grout sealer and is permissible in listed/historic buildings. Natural Stone Sealer Breathe can be applied to surfaces where vapour transfer is likely i.e. floors with no damp proof membrane (DPM). But it can be applied to both old and new floors constructed from porous natural stone.
This product is a non-visible natural finish sealer. It is normally applied twice approximately 40 mins apart. All excess should be removed with microfibre cloths (or a dry roller etc). Natural Stone Sealer Breathe can be applied via roller, brush or paint pad & possibly sprayer (external surfaces). The product should be applied liberally and allowed to be absorbed into the surface being treated.
Natural Stone Sealer Breathe can be applied to internal or external surfaces. Such as sandstone, slate, terracotta, limestone, travertine, concrete, bricks, granite, pavers, paths, patios, lime, grouts, historic Victorian tiles & more. Do not dilute, apply the product at full strength.
The information contained in this article is not exhaustive. If you need further information please contact Floorseal at info@floorseal.co.uk
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