SFA: What's the Answer?
Six Sealer Coats and Staining Continues
rarac
I have honed white Quartzite Giotto countertops and backsplash installed in my kitchen. The fabricator sealed the countertops with Miracle Sealants 511 Impregnator. Within a few days of installation, a to-go container was left on the countertop and left an oil-ring stain. The fabricator applied a poultice and removed the stain.
I then ordered Miracle Sealants Porous Plus to do a second coat of sealer, as the manufacturer claims it to be better-suited for very porous stones. The backsplash was installed a few months after the countertops. Knowing how easily the stone stains with oil. we applied two coats of the Porous Plus. It continued to stain so we removed the oil splatter stains with a poultice and applied four more coats of Porous Plus per the manufacturer's instructions.
The backsplash now has a total of SIX coats of Porous Plus sealant on it. It is STILL staining from oil splatter behind our cooktop. We have been very careful about getting oil splatters on the backsplash and have almost completely eliminated cooking with any oils or cooking meals that splatter (hard work for a serious home chef!).
Should I remove this sealant and try a different product? What product will work best to prevent oil stains on very porous quartzite? Can I apply a better product directly on top of the current sealant? Any and all advice would be much-appreciated.
Dan R.
SFA Member
Quartzites, in general, are better served by sealers with larger/more solids (since the pores are considered to be on the larger size). We use Tenax Pro Seal (solvent-based) and Tenax Skudo (water-based) to seal quartzite, with success.
Dan R.
Morris Granite
Morris, Ill.
815.228.7190
morrisgranite@sbcglobal.net
http://www.morrisgranite.com
Mitch@ASW
SFA Member
What Dan said. Proseal by Tenax is one of the best sealers on the market.
Mitch Korth
Production Manager, Austin Stone Works
Austin, Texas
Mitch@AustinStoneWorks.com
"If you don't know where to start, go back to the beginning" -Alphonse Soady
rarac
Thanks Dan R. I have seen other recommendations for Tenax products so will give it a try. Do I need to remove the Porous Plus sealer I have on there first, or can I apply Tenax over the Porous Plus?
UPDATE: I just spoke with Tech Support at Tenax. They recommended spraying either the Tenax Skudo (water-based) or Tenax Proseal (solvent-based) directly over the sealer I have on there. They thought the Proseal would do a better job so we will try that.
They also mentioned that Tenax is coming out with an oil-stain remover for natural quartzite that will only take 15 minutes for stain removal. This product will be available in a month or so.