SFA

Can anyone recommend a good source. I picked up some from Walmart but it seems like once you use it the sealer dries/hardens inside the nozzles and it is hard to get a mist - you just get a stream and/or dripping which is a huge waste of sealer.

I took apart the nozzle assembly and tried cleaning but it did not fix it.

We use 2 oz and 4 oz squirt bottles from the craft stores. They have a snap on lid (connected with a tether).Squirt some sealer on and then rub it around with a gloved hand (latex rubber glove) to help break the surface tension and a better penetration for the sealer. these bottles cost about $2 each.

I never used gloves for sealing, but today I sealed my first top with Hydrex and I will for sure use gloves next time, thats some stinky stuff.

Ken, I would think that a crusty old guy like you should use gloves all the time, so those callouses (that more closely resemble barnacles) do not scratch the stone.

The first sign that a sealer is good is that it stinks. Stinky is good.

steven nenzel wrote:The first sign that a sealer is good is that it stinks. Stinky is good.

That is like saying the more fumes a car lets out the better the carbon monoxide is. Not true at all.

This is for an outdoor project so wiping with latex gloves is not as effective as using a brush (as per Cam's instructions) - actually that works well.

A solvent based sealer in a spray bottle will surely gum up. In order to clean the sealer out of the sprayer nozzle a distillate would probably be required. The distillate would in all likelihood, ruin the plastic bottle/sprayer. Any empty clean commercial spray bottle from a janitorial supply store. Or since you are an internet buyer, try www.usplastics.com

Oh boy

Seriously, don't be so serious. I was half joking. But I do have a general stinky rule that says if it don't stink I have my doubts.

I about ran a 90 year old lady out her house today with some Protex. I am not a big fan of that sealer. I think I will try the Hydrex.

The $2 bottles big dan said sounds like a good idea.

we had some bottles thart started melting with sealer in them you could feel them getting warm,so we went back to can.

Good point Dan - since these bottles are only about $1 it probably makes sense to discard after each use. To maximize the use probably would make sense to do all the sealing at one time. I'm sealing individual custom concrete blocks I cast with embedded sandstone/quartzite and with the faces skimmed to show the stone. I'm using color enhancing sealer to bring out the colors of the embedded aggregate. Looks quite cool actually.

What I meant by brush was a stiff bristled brush to work the sealer into the pores - not a chip brush.

Our sealer bag has the sealers in the metal cans, a funnel, some plastic squirt bottles and some towels. We fill the plastic squeeze bottles to actually dispense the sealer. 2-4 oz at a time.

I put some denatured alcohol in the bottle and spray it through when Im done, that clears out the sealer from the nozzle. Some sealers will swell the o rings and seals though.

Stone Dude wrote:I put some denatured alcohol in the bottle and spray it through when Im done, that clears out the sealer from the nozzle. Some sealers will swell the o rings and seals though.

Good idea - I will try that. I wonder if it will work if the sealer has already dried and clogged the system. If not I guess I can do it on the new bottles.

If the sealer has already gummed up, try soaking the entire part in the denatured alcohol.

steven nenzel wrote:Oh boy

Seriously, don't be so serious. I was half joking. But I do have a general stinky rule that says if it don't stink I have my doubts.

Steven,

You can oh boy and roll your eyes all you want at me. USUALLY the if the chemical in question stinks ( sealers, glues, gas ) it's flammable and harmful.

Dustin it's not going to get any better, you're still going to stink it up in the house

wHEN WE SEALED OUTSIDE DECKS AND PAVERS WE USED A BUG SPRAYER AND A BRUSH.

Eddie, my general rule also includes being flammable and harmful. If it isn't, I have my doubts.

BTW, I'm anti envirnomental. I'm sick of the stupidity of much of this movement.

You live in the most environmental conscious state...go figure . It's not a movement anymore. VOC compliance, CARB all that stuff is part of everyday life now just like organic food, organic clothes, etc.

"Organic food" that is quite funny. A friend of mine lives next to an organic farm, and sometimes has been paid to spray their niehbors fields when there is an infestation on the down low. Its all the same crap - one just costs alot more.
If I found a product that worked that was affordable I would choose it, but for now I will stick to TENAX.

Eddie Blanco wrote:You live in the most environmental conscious state...go figure . It's not a movement anymore. VOC compliance, CARB all that stuff is part of everyday life now just like organic food, organic clothes, etc.