Best Sealer for Carrera Marble Countertops

[InstaGraham]

Hi Stoners,

I'm building a new house and have 2cm Carrera Marble being installed in the kitchen. The marble is not honed. I didn't want to spend the extra $800 to seal it, and I figured I could read instructions and do it myself. As for the sealers available out there, after reading a few forums on the net, including here, it sounds like everyone has their opinion to which one works for them and that's the one they stick to.

Here is a list of sealers that I've read about and think about going with:

1- Akemi Nano
2- STT SB + FE final coat - pretty pricey
3- Tenax Hyrdex
4- Bulletproof - recommended by the marble supplier
5- 511 porous plus or impregnator
6- Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking to seal somewhere around 80 sqft of countertops. Would a quart size of the product be enough for the project?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Joe Little]

Personally , 1,3,or 5 . All work well .
Just be diligent with acidic liquids with a polished marble , wipe up quickly .
you will get some etching ,no matter what sealer you use,
It will not prevent the stone from etching .

[Mark Meriaux]

x2

One quart is enough to seal 80sf multiple times.
Acids (vinegar and citrus) WILL cause surface etching.
No sealer will prevent etching.

Make sure the tops are clean AND DRY prior to applying any sealer.
Apply a liberal application of sealer and allow it to dwell (keep it wetted) for 15+ minutes.
Remove any excess sealer with a dry cloth
Allow the sealer to fully cure (overnight) prior to any major food prep

[Stone Dude]

I would recommend MB-24. It's water based and VOC free. A lot of people shy away from water based sealers but this one does a great job with Carrara and other white marbles.

There are a lot out there that will do the job.

[graniteman]

Tenax Proseal
Miracle sealant 511 porous plus

X3 on no sealer will stop etching

[ronald hannah]

The Tenax "Hydrex" will protect against water but not against oil etc.

We are big fans of the Tenax product "ProSeal".

As others have stated, the stone must be dry, allow to dwell, wet on wet application etc.

[flav]

DryTreat Stainproof Plus

[ageless]

We use Tenax Proseal

[InstaGraham]

Thanks for the replies and help so far guys. Greatly appreciated!

Etching....on marble? No wayyy....

We've heard all the cautionary tales about marble and the many spots and etching that will come with it, but the wifey threw it all to the wind and what the wifey wants, most likely she'll get. So my job was to try to protect it as best as I can and with your help so far, I hope to keep some sanity in the kitchen.

So far it looks like the Tenax Proseal is getting the most endorsements. I've watched defusco's youtube vid on it and look around the net and this product seems legit. With some research and your recommendations, the Tenax Proseal is a winner in my book, not to mention it's priced pretty well.

Any recommendations on where to buy?

I've seen on some website including ebay, that its going for around $40 for the quart plus $10 shipping.

Thanks again for your help everyone!

[GuyboR]

Any recommendations on where to buy?

I've watched defusco's youtube vid on it

Did you learn anything from the video from DeFusco? If so, then show him some love and thanks by buying it from him. (He is also a great sponsor of the SFA)

[Matt Lansing]

If you want to go the extra mile there are some other products out there, after you seal it, that will add a protective sacrificial wax coating to the stone. Think of it like waxing your car. The liquids will bead up and sit above the marble and prevent it from etching for a bit longer.

I like SCI's Countertop Polish. You apply it just like waxing a car. Buff it on and let it dry to a haze then buff it off. The counters will feel super slick. It only lasts a few weeks so you will need to apply it often but it can help quite a bit with the etching. You can buy it at Home Depot and such.
Here's a link http://stonecare.com/Products/Polishing ... -8-oz.aspx

We also exclusively use the Tenax ProSeal for our sealer as well so your making the right choice there!

[InstaGraham]

Found the link to Defusco's site and the order has been placed. Thanks again for the help guys.

Just to get it right:

1- Clean marble with mild soap and water
2- Dry with microfiber towel
3- Apply Sealer -
Use a sprayer, spray and spread with a paint brush or gloved hand
or
use a paint brush to apply sealer
4- keep wet for 15mins
5- wipe off with dry towel
6- let cure for 24-48 hours
7- repeat for second coat? or is that overkill?

[Mark Meriaux]

Step 2.5 - make sure the stone is completely dry (not just dry on the surface). If any moisture is present in the stone, then the sealer won't be able to penetrate and do it's job.

Step 3 - I've gotten away from spraying. Atomizing the sealer allows much of the solvent (that helps it penetrate) to evaporate before it gets to the stone. I just pour small amounts onto the surface of the stone and spread it around with a saturated cloth or a gloved hand.

Step 7 - You can apply a second application, but you can also test a small area. Pour out a small puddle of sealer, and if you notice that it "darkens" the stone, then it's a good idea to go ahead and apply a second (or third) application.

[flav]

Lots of great tips here from everyone. Just one thing to look out for is that your step 5 'wipe off with dry towel' should be more like 'buff dry with lots of paper towel until you can't feel anymore sealer on the surface'. It is very important that you don't leave any excess sealer on the surface since it can become sticky as it dries. If you are doing multiple coats (which is highly recommended for marble since it is so porous), then they should be done consecutively with 5-15 minutes between coats. You can tell its time for a second or third coat if the sealer appears to have been absorbed in the stone. You know you're done when the stone won't absorb the sealer within 15 minutes.

The idea of sealing is to get the sealer molecules (the solute) absorbed into the stone before the solvent (water or ethanol) evaporates.

An easy yearly (or monthly if you want) check to see if the counter needs to be resealed is to put water on the surface. The water should bead up. If it doesn't, or gets absorbed by the stone in 10 minutes, its time for another application of sealer.

Some of our clients that want marble in the kitchen will opt to have the marble honed before its installed such that when the marble etches in the future the etching is not as visible.

[Matt Lansing]

Be careful using the "mild" soap. Dish soap can contain skin moisturizers that don't rinse away easily and will build a film on the stone over time. If the stone is clean then just go ahead a seal it. No need to add water to the situation as the water will penetrate the stone and cause the sealer not to penetrate unless you wait a good 12 hours after washing them down. Always best to be safe.

Also, I like to use old t-shirts for buffing the sealer off. Paper towels just don't work that well for me for this application.

After sealing you will also want to wait an additional 12 to 24 hours before using or getting the counters wet. It can also affect the effectiveness of the sealer.

[Alex DiPietro]

We too use proseal. Wipe It off promptly it gets sticky and hard to remove fast. Also, Tenax says that a second coat does nothing.

[Stone Dude]

We too use proseal. Wipe It off promptly it gets sticky and hard to remove fast. Also, Tenax says that a second coat does nothing.

I'm only guessing, but I think they say that because it dries so fast. It's the same approach I have to sealing. Saturating coats that stay wet for a long time will continue to absorb and travel through the stone. Thinner, lighter applications dry faster. This means they dry closer to the surface. if it dries instantly, it doesn't have time to travel through the surface.

When we seal floors, we do it this way. Regardless of what we are using, we want to see it dry within a few minutes. The trade off is that it doesn't get sealer deep into the body of the stone, so if you have something that makes a heavy etch mark, it can also get behind the sealer and stain, if you leave it long enough.

If you have all the time in the world, you can keep the surface wet for 30- minutes or more on the first coat, then top it off with super thin coats 24 hours later.

[Jaxgranite]

Okay...WOW. What is everyone charging to seal. $xx/sq. seems a little pricey. Do I need to raise my prices??? There is only one method I have heard that has any effect on resistance to etching and it is by the makers of Dry Treat. It was very costly to get whatever was necessary to complete the process, so I shot them down quick, but I could see paying $xx or even a whole lot more for that. Aside from that, Dry Treat is an incredible sealer on it's own. But seriously I believe the real issue here is $ xxx TO SEAL THE TOPS!!!

Prices edited out by Dan R.
Prices discussed in member's lounge.

[Stone Dude]

Okay...WOW. What is everyone charging to seal. $xx/sq. seems a little pricey. Do I need to raise my prices??? There is only one method I have heard that has any effect on resistance to etching and it is by the makers of Dry Treat. It was very costly to get whatever was necessary to complete the process, so I shot them down quick, but I could see paying $xx or even a whole lot more for that. Aside from that, Dry Treat is an incredible sealer on it's own. But seriously I believe the real issue here is $ xxx TO SEAL THE TOPS!!!

Prices edited out by Dan R.
Prices discussed in member's lounge.

Dry Treat had a product in the past that failed miserably. They have a new system out called Vitremela. It is a UV cured coating. It's expensive to get set up. It uses a large UV light to run over the counter to cure the coating.

There is also ClearStone, which is a cured Polyurethane coating. Both of these will be etch proof, but you have to know how to apply it, and you have to know how to charge for it.

I don't understand what your issue is with charging to seal the tops. There are a few factors that come into play; Cost of the product, how many applications, the stone you are sealing, do you have to make an extra trip to do it, etc.

[Jaxgranite]

I have no issue with charging to seal the tops. Although a rate of xx dollars per sq. seems a little high IMO. I was actually looking for some insight from the rest of you. I always felt a little guilty charging half that for a 15 year sealer like dry treat. I genuinely was considering that I might need to raise my prices.

Edited by Dan R.
Prices discussed in the member lounge., for the second time!

[JOHN_T]

Nobody seems to be using Stt Sb and Fe any more always one of my Favorites but expensive

[Stone Dude]

Nobody seems to be using Stt Sb and Fe any more always one of my Favorites but expensive

It's expensive for a reason. I'm not entirely sure if it's available anymore.

[Stone Dude]

I have no issue with charging to seal the tops. Although a rate of xx dollars per sq. seems a little high IMO. I was actually looking for some insight from the rest of you. I always felt a little guilty charging half that for a 15 year sealer like dry treat. I genuinely was considering that I might need to raise my prices.

Edited by Dan R.
Prices discussed in the member lounge., for the second time!

It depends on the process. Dry Treat is one of the easiest, fastest sealers to apply. There are two part systems, 3 part, 5 part systems. It depends on what you're selling. If you're doing a good job and backing it up, you should charge for it.

As for manufacturer warranties, tread very, very carefully.

[Clyde Kingry]

The Tenax "Hydrex" will protect against water but not against oil etc.

We are big fans of the Tenax product "ProSeal".

As others have stated, the stone must be dry, allow to dwell, wet on wet application etc.

Per TENAX... (is this inaccurate?)

Anti-stain, water and oil proof. Recommended for polished marbles. Can be for external use. Does not change the color of the stone. HYDREX operates on the surface of materials, and prevents liquids from penetrating the material.

http://www.tenax.it/scheda.asp?cat=1268 ... 1&sez=prod

[ageless]

The chemist in Verona told me that Hydrex was made to protect against water. They recommended ProSeal for water and oil. Just as Ron has stated.

When I got their product book, I saw the exact same information your posting so I brought it up to my sales guy and he said it does protect against water and oil. I haven't tested it as we just use ProSeal. If I get a little time I'll test it out and see how it does.