Steve Hanson

Stone surfaces are very common in both commercial settings and homes alike. At some point, your customers will ask if you can seal their stone surfaces. If asked to do this service, you'll need to use either a topical sealer or an impregnator. What's the difference?

Topical sealers are coatings that are designed to protect the surface of the stone from water, soil, food, etc. Impregnators can be either water-based or solvent-based and are designed to penetrate the surface and become a repellent. In other words, they keep contaminants out but don't stop moisture from evaporating.

How do you know what to use? If your customer is concerned about cost, a topical sealer may be the way to go because it's less expensive (at least initially). Topical sealers are also easier to apply so if your technicians are not skilled at working on stone floors, it will be easier for them to work with a topical sealer. The downside of applying a topical sealer is that it is soft, so it will scratch easily and show traffic patterns fairly quickly after application so you may need to buff or burnish more frequently and reapply the sealer more often. Make sure your customer understands this because it will probably end up costing more in the long run.

An advantage of using an impregnator is that most won't change the appearance of the stone. Since the sealer impregnates the stone, you won't need as many applications as you will for topical sealers. It may be more expensive initially, but in the long run there are less maintenance costs.

The downside of using impregnators is that solvent-based products contain VOC's, which are harmful to the environment. Some water-based impregnators may also contain harmful chemicals so if you provide environmentally friendly services this may be something to consider.

Before making any decisions on whether the stone should be sealed and what type of sealer you should use, consult with a stone floor expert to make sure you make an informed decision. Then be prepared to discuss the best solution with your customer.

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Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.