Most weeks I receive calls from people asking how to remove a sealer residue. Sealer residues occur when an impregnating sealer is incorrectly applied. Impregnating sealers (or penetrating sealers as they are sometimes known) are intended to be in or below the surface of the stone rather than ‘on’ it. So, the correct application involves applying the sealer to the surface, allowing a short time for penetration (this might be around 5 minutes, depending on both the sealer being used and the material being sealed) then any surplus sealer, remaining on the surface should be removed with something absorbent, ideally a white paper or cotton towel.All too often though, for various reasons this cleaning away of surplus, whilst still wet, does not take place. Reasons include not reading the instructions and my favourite: “I’ve been using sealers for years, always done it like this and never had a problem.”
A sealer residue can appear in a number of ways: as a dry, white powdery deposit; streaky marks or shiny spots; with some sealers, the residue can take the form of a wet or greasy coating. There are a number of ways in which the problem might be rectified, depending on the circumstances.
For example, if a solvent sealer was used, it is sometimes possible to use a little more of the actual sealer, the solvent carrier-fluid it contains can sometimes re-dissolve the residue allowing it to be wiped away with an absorbent cloth.
For other residues, we would recommend the use of a micro-abrasive cleaner like Microscrub. First apply a little water to the affected area, and then add a little Microscrub and scrub. Rinse well and dry down with paper towels. For really stubborn or thick residues that have been left for some time, a stripper may be required. In such situations, we would recommend a solvent based sealer stripper or remover, such as Strip_it applied neat and left on for a minimum of 30 minutes before scrubbing with a white nylon pad.
Apart from the last remedy (using a stripper) the others should not result in the need to re-apply more sealer afterwards. So, it need not be the end of the world if a sealer residue is left on the surface, but it is of course better to avoid the problem altogether, by applying the sealer correctly in the first place.
Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.
Hi there, I have just had some cement tiles put down in my kitchen. My tiler did the first two coats but I got scared about stains and did the third coat. I did it with a sponge and it left loads of streaks. I thought it would soak in as it was an impregnating stain stop (Lithofin MN) but they just dried on the surface. How can I get rid of the marks?
Miria
Hi Miria,
Ok, it is an impregnating sealer and it will penetrate the material but, the method of application requires applying the sealer and leaving it to sit on the tiles, for just a few minutes, this way the tile takes in what it needs, but, and this is key, any sealer still remaining on the surface after about 5 minutes or so (this of course depends on ambient conditions, the porosity of the material being sealed and how many coats it has already had) MUST be wiped off BEFORE it has a chance to dry. Basically, do not let it dry on the surface, buff it completely off, back to a matt finish while it is still wet – you wil only remove suprlus sealer from the surface, you will not remove any from inside the tile.
As the tradesmen had already applied 2 coats (and they had a chance to dry and cure properly) a 3rd coat would tend to hang around at the surface (each successive coat will penetrate less and less than the previous). It may well have needed/benefitted from that 3rd coat but more care was needed to remove the surplus at the time.
OK, First thing I would try is a test using the same sealer – the idea bieing to make use of the solvent that is in the sealer – rub a smal amount of the sealer on an area where there are streaks, use a white nylon scouring pad if you can get one. Leave it on for a couple of minutes then agitate / scrub some more, then with absorbent paper towels or similar, mop up the liquid then use an old terry towel (preferably not coloured) or microfibre cloth and buff the test area absolutely dry. Inspect to see if the streaks have been removed.
If this works then it is the best method as you are using the sealer, and just re emulsifying the residue without harming/removing any sealer from within (indeed you are giving it a bit more of a top up at the same time).
If it does not work then you could try a couple of other things; A hi pH cleaner like Xtreme Clean from All for Stone. Or even a solvent based stripper However this may result in you needing to re aply additional coats of sealer again afterwards.
Hope this helps
Ian
My gas fire was sealed at the top into my surrounding bricks.This has left an ugly long mark on the bricks. Now new fire and this is now ugky.
Sorry to hear this, do you know what product they used to seal it?
Hi,
Reading through your advice to Miria, if the sealant has been left on the surface and dried, leaving shiny marks, will they eventually wear away or do they need to be removed using the method you have described?
Thanks
HI Emma,
Sure, over time the residue will wear off. However, how long it takes depends on how much residue there is, how thick it is, if it is on a flat surface or one with a texture (on textured surfaces obviously it will obviously wear of the high parts and stay in the low parts. Also, it will depend on the nature and volume of the foot traffic and cleaning regime.
A lot of residue, could take months if not years go wear away naturally,
Hope that helps
Ian
Ian
Hello Ian
I hope you can help! I had a black limestone patio laid 2 years ago and i have never liked the colour. I wanted a really black finish and it just always looked dirty, apart from when it rains and it looks great! So last year I decided to tackle it with disastrous results! I thought I’d researched some decent techniques and products but the first left the stone really sticky (probably my fault) so I stripped it off. Then opted for an impregnating sealer in high gloss which made it look nice and black but didn’t last and now it looks awful again. I’ve come across a product called back to black which has good reviews but my question is; do I need to strip off whatever is on the stone before I apply this and if so what do I use?
Hope you can help…please!!!!
Thanks
Gaynor
Hi Gaynor,
Sorry to hear about your nightmare. OK, not great news I am afraid. First of all, just to clarify, “impregnating sealer in high gloss” It is usually one or the other – if you had a gloss then you had some kind of coating sealer rather than an impregnator – however, some of it would certainly have penetrated the surface a little. The gloss though has now dulled down due to wear, but this does not mean the product is completely gone from the stone, and that is an issue.
I do not know the actual product you mention for restoration, but it is described as a resin type sealer this will be an enhancing impregnator, (we have a similar product or one that does the same thing) However, hey nearly all need virgin unsealed stone (we would not recommend ours on any stone that had been previously sealed, even if it has since been stripped), this is because you cannot always guarantee that you can remove every last trace of old sealer. The way these resin type enhancers work is they need to get into the stone itself and from there they alter how light is reflected back out of the stone, In just the same way that water does, only this method is permanent and does not diminish when the sealer dries, thus locking in the ‘wet look’).
So, you will almost certainly need to remove whatever product you currently have on the stone, even if it already appears to have gone, there will be plenty left in and on the stone (from both previous attempts) to potentially prevent your chosen enhancer from being able to work effectively.
IF you do feel you are able to thoroughly stip the stone back, you would be advised to test a very small inconspicuous area with the enhancer first
Hope this helps,
Ian
Hello
Thanks Ian. What product would you recommend I use to strip the sealer out?
Hi Gaynor,
To b honest I think I would try to contact the manufacturer of the product that you applied, they may have a go-to recommendation. Failing that, any stripper that is designed to remove sealers/coatings including some paint strippers. We do have one but it is only available in 500 ml bottles – it may well work but you might have to try more than one product to find the best one for this particular issue. https://www.allforstone.co.uk/Strip-It-500-ml.html
Hope this helps
Ian
I had lightly natural colored slate installed on my bathroom floor,
shower and around tub. When I returned the contractor finished
with a color enhancing sealer which turned the lightly colored slate
very bright and bold shades of green, orange, reddish and brown. I
never liked this boldness but have lived with it for ten years. Slate
is very expensive. Is it possible to remove some of this intense
color enhancer that was put on my floor years ago and put it back
to a softer more uniform color that it originally was. I am willing
to hire professionals as it would be much cheaper than tearing it
all out. Any comment would be appreciated.
Hi Mary,
OK, some enhancers can be very tricky to remove, some not possible at all. It might, however, be possible to cut back the degree to which it enhances, with a particularly strong solvent. So, yes, I would seek professional help, a pro may be able to conduct a test in an inconspicuous area to see what can be achieved. It may help them if you can recall the name /brand of the enhancer product used.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hello Ian,
I used 511 Impregnator sealer by Miracle Sealer Co to seal a hearth stone. While I was at it I used the same sealer on a piece of black slate just below the hearth.
The hearth turned out fine but a white residue was left on the black slate. Do you recommend using the same sealer and a nylon brush to try to dissolve and remove the residue, or should I use a stripper? The sealer has been on the slate for about two and a half weeks.
Thanks, Janie
Hi Janie,
OK, I think you have self-diagnosed here pretty well!. You could test simply using a white nylon pad and some water, a white nylon pad, water and some mild abrasive cream cleaner – either of those might work. But sure if not the first thing I would try is the same sealer. The white residue is simply excess sealer that has been left on the surface of the slate, – if the slate had a different texture to the hearth, or was denser, or, unbeknownst to you it had a sealer on it already – any of these things could have caused it to not take the sealer in to the same extent. The worst using the same sealer can do is just add more residue, but only if you leave it to dry. So, test a small amount on a cloth/microfiber towel/ cotton pad or similar rub it onto the residue, and buff it dry with clean absorbent cloths. Inspect when completely dry, if it has worked – great – that is your answer if it has partially worked, repeat the test to see if it needs two attempts.
The benefit of this method is that it can remove the residue without removing any actual sealer from where it is needed. If none of the above works, then you may have to try a stripper. IF you do I suggest you approach Miracle for their recommendations.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hello Ian,
I need your help/advice desperately. We recently installed travertine stone in our shower, on the wall and floor. I applied 2 coats of the 511 impregnator sealer and enhancer. I’m unsure if my application process was correct. It cured for about 16hrs and the next day it seemed slightly sticky and very shiny. Since further drying, it’s not as sticky anymore but has high rubber resistance to the touch. I read that the stickiness is residue and I should apply the same sealer to stone to wipe off excess. I proceeded to wipe the excess off with the same sealer and now the stone has a matte finish. Which look is correct? How should it feel when the sealer is applied? Should it be matte or shiny? Did I remove the sealer that previously applied? Do I need to reapply more sealer to give a gloss look because that was the sealer coating? I do prefer the matte finish but I’m not sure if I took off the sealer when I rewiped stone because I thought it was residue.
Also, Should I reapply within a year and if so what process do I need to take to apply new sealant again. Do I need to remove old sealant before reapplication again?
Thank you!
Hi Christina,
OK – first of all, yes the sticky residue is the sealer which has been over-applied and then left to dry on the surface. The product you have used is an impregnating sealer. This means it is designed to be IN the surface as opposed to ON the surface. The application method is usually – apply, wait a few minutes for it to penetrate the stone, then WIPE OFF any remaining wet sealer BEFORE IT HAS A CHANCE TO DRY. Otherwise, that surplus sealer (the sealer that was not absorbed by the stone) will simply be left behind as a sticky residue.
You have done the right thing and by the sounds of it, you have been successful in removing the residue. As the sealer is an impregnator it is not designed to leave any kind of finish be it satin or gloss. – it is not meant to be visible as a coating. The surface of the stone should now be, exactly as it was before sealing – so if it was matt before then it should be matt now. – compare it to a piece of the original stone if you have some. Typically travertine is finished to what is called a fine-honed finish – which is very flat and smooth, but not shiny. In some cases, the stone can be ever so slightly shiny/polished depending on its hardness, so if your stone is now MORE matt than it used to be then you may still have traces of the surplus sealer on the surface (so you could repeat your cleaning procedure). If the stone now looks as it did before (save for any colour enhancement that may have occurred) then it is fine.
The beauty of cleaning with the same sealer is that you will not have removed any sealer FROM WHERE IT IS NEEDED – i.e inside/below the surface, you have only removed the excess/unwanted surface residue – so you should not need to reseal.
As for how frequently you need to reapply – check the manufacturer’s recommendation but it should last a good few years before you need to top it up. The application process is as mentioned in my first paragraph. Hope this helps
Ian
Hi Ian,
Last night I used an unpolished protector on our newly fitted black slate tiles. The instructions were to paint on using a brush and leave to dry and it has left brush strokes all over the tiles (now I know this is surplus protector on the surface!) The protector we used is a water based treatment, do you think this will still work to remove the surplus if I re apply tonight?
Any help you can give will be appreciated!
Thanks.
Hi I don’t see that you have much choice. Try using a white nylon scrub pad/emulsifier, with a little water to see if you can scrub away the residue, If you can then you may not need to reseal as you will only have removed the surplus. If you have to resort to a stripper, then yes, rinse and allow the surface to dry and reapply – should be fine then.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hello
I have put too much sealer on my patio so it looks waxy, much darker and slightly green. I did rub off excess when putting it on but I did I imagine I did it too late so a lot (too much) had dried already.
They are limestone pavers and I used this sealer https://www.venusstone.co.uk/shop/nexus-prosystems/nexus-pro-410-paving-sealer-enhancer-5l
It’s an impregnating solvent based sealer. I want to get some of it off and try fix the colour, what’s the best method for this? I’ve read your recommendation for getting rid of streaks is to put more of the sealer on and wipe it off but would this also work for too much sealer?
I also used a sponge that had green on it, can the sealer take on the colour of the sponge as they were grey tiles but look a bit green now. I have loads of sealer so I’m happy to use a sealer remover and reapply the sealer if that’s the best approach.
Please help, I am so unhappy with my pavers now!
Thank you
Hi Jenna,
OK, I think it is worth a try using the sealer – but try a small test area. It is always worth a go. Apply it let is sit for a few minutes but not too long, not long enough for it to evaporate, then agitate/scrub using a white nylon pad. The solvent in the sealer will have drawn out the green colour from your sponge/scrubber so hopefully, it might help take it off the tiles too. If you have no joy then you might need a stronger paint type stripper. I would see if there is a customer service number on the can and give them a call, they may tell you which stripper/solvent is the best for your situation.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hello,
We had a barbs new Indian stone patio laid and some separate workmen said they’d clean and seal it for us. When they had finished they had not cleaned the stone at all just sealed over all the building dirt, and as the weeks have gone on the stone looks worse and worse, white marks round the edges and marks across most of the stones.
From reading other comments above they only did one cost, I’m not sure of what make it was it just smelt very solventy. Is there a way I can just get this off, it’s ruined our stone and I’d rather just have it taken off now. Is it too late?
OK, well whatever they have used whether coating or impregnating, you are not going to get the original dirt off without removing it. It would be really helpful to know what they used as you could contact the manufacturers for their best advice on removal. Failing that you will have to do some experimentation. You could try: some mineral spiry type paint stripper, Xylene, Acetone, proprietary sealer strippers.
A quick test is to try acetone – and if you have some clear acetone type nail varnish remover to hand – dab a little on to the sealer with a cotton pad and rub if it brings any off then it is at least indicating that the sealer can be removed with some kind of solvent/stripper. We also have a long dwell time formulation called Strip-It on the All for Stone Web site – formulated to evaporate much more slowly than acetone or spirits so it gets a chance to work for longer.
If you find a solution then scale it up, might help to get a rotary scrubbing machine on hire. Rinse well after then you can see about the other dirt (most likely cement haze, some of which may come off as part of the shipping if you are lucky).
Hope that helps
Ian
Ian
I recently purchased some Kandla Grey Sawn and Honed slabs and I was recommended to use the LTP Waterbased External Stone Sealer to seal the slabs prior to installing. It’s a natural finish water based impregnating sealer.
The contractor applied the sealant as directed on the bottle (no mention of cleaning excess away with a dry towel or cloth! – the sealer was left to dry). After an hour, the sealant had dried and left streaky marks across the brand new paving where it was applied. Some patches are darker where the sealer must have gone on thicker and there are visible brush strokes all across my new slabs. Not happy.
Is there a particular recommendation for a product or technique for cleaning this away from the slabs? I did try a soapy water solution but the streaks are so stubborn, they will not budge. I’m afraid my new slabs could be totally ruined.
OK, I have not worked with that particular sealer, but, this is over application. Even if the instructions did not say to remove excess, that is what has happened I suspect,; quite simply, too much has been left to dry on the surface, once the stone has absorbed what it can, the rest will simply hang around on the surface until it dries. The more that is left on the surface the more streaks etc.
You might need something a little stronger than mild soap, like an alkaline cleaner, or worst case a stripper – either might in you having to re apply the sealer again after, or at least topping it up a little. First though I would contact LTP and ask their advice.
Hope this helps
Ian.
Thanks Ian,
I will contact LTP and update with any news!
I have read that a very watered down bleach solution could help or LTP also have a product called Grimex… but I’m concerned about staining the slabs as they’re so light in colour.
Hello! We had our pool coping flagstone sealed today. There was excess in spots but we didnt noticed until about 2.5 hours later. It looked crystallized in those spots. We took a dry white cloth and wiped the excess crystals away. Now it looks like those spots are lighter/more matte than the other flagstone which has a slight sheen to it. Did it get the sealer penetrated that it needed or should we use the sealer to recoat and wipe those spots once the 24/48 time frame goes by? Thank you!
Not sure what sealer you use, if the area where you removed the excess spots is no matt by comparison, that suggests the rest has a slight sheen? IF this is intentional (it is supposed to leave a sheen) then it is a coating sealer ad you have removed some of that coating so you would need to carefully top it up – reapply it over those areas. If however it was meant to be an impregnating sealer then it should be matt all over (if the stone was matt, to begin with), which suggests that there is excess allover.
Or, the slightly shiny stone is correct, the sealer has been al=pplied how it should be, and no excess is there, in which case the dull spots are still residue, there is still some excess there. If it is a solvent-based sealer, then try dabbing some more of the sealer over the spots as you suggested, rubbing it in and then buffing dry. If there was excess it may bring it off and at the same time ensure there is sealer there.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi
We have limestone tiles in our bathroom on walls of shower and bath etc. There is a sealant from one of those guns that runs arpund the esges between wall and tiles. It needs removing and re-doing. However i wanted advice on beat approach as if its a product to remove it they are not usually suitable for porous surfaces such as ours. Any thoughts?
Thank you!! Dawn
OK, you need to remove as much of the silicone as you can by mechanical means – i.e use a scraper, plastic or non-scratching if you can. A good sharp blade from a box cutter/Stanley type knife may also help. Scrape as much of the residue as you can off. If, what you are left with will be covered by the new/replacement silicone then ok. If not you may have to consider using one of the reside removing products. They are likely to be a solvent of some kind and I suppose if you are not careful you could smudge and spread some of the greasy residues around onto the tiles. Try protecting them with masking tape. or cleaning and sealing the limestone first. If you take care though apply a small amounts of the removal product at a time you might be ok.
Look also for a neutral cure system when replacing the silicone – check it is suitable for calcium-based stone
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi,
Our tilers just finished tiling our bathrooms. The plasterer must have painted some liquid sealer to the plastered soffit above to seal it off from water vapours. They must have dripped over our tiles. I tried to clean it with a water and vinegar solution. When the tiles dry I still see the drip marks which look quite ugly. Is there a product that I can purchase to remove these marks.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Hi,
OK, to be honest, you are going to most likely need a solvent. But if you have only a few drops/slashes try some white spirits or clear nail varnish remover with a cotton pad, might be all you need.
Hope that helps
Ian
Hi Ian
I know this is a really old thread but I’ve run out of things to try. I’ve sealed our black limestone paving with Romex Colour Enhancer and it looks great! The problem is that every time it rains, the water forms little puddles on the surface and refuses to get absorbed (it also takes ages to dry!). Any ideas as to what we can do
Best Regards
Clarence
Hi Ian
Not sure if my previous comment was registered. I’ve sealed our black limestone with Romex Colour Enhancer which appear to be a resin based sealer. The colour and look is great but the problem is that every time it rains (obviously that is almost all the time here in the UK), the water forms little puddles and refuses to get absorbed into the stone at all. It also take ages to dry so I now feel like I want to strip off at least a little of the sealer to get rid of the problem.
Please can you let’s us know if you have any tips on what we can do.
Clarence
Help! I’ve just sealed two brand new stone gate posts with ‘No Nonsense’ sealer they have turned from a beautiful stone colour to a uniform cream, it looks like I’ve painted them. Any help very much appreciated.
David
Hi Clarence,
I am not sure how to help here, it appears that the sealer is doing exactly what it is supposed to do; i.e seal and enhance the colour at the same time. Most impregnating sealers are not 100% waterproofers (this is ironically the cause of many complaints as so many people seem to assume that ‘sealing’ means waterproofing when it does not). But they do reduce the amount of water that can get into a stone, and how quickly it does. Some of the more resin type sealers may do this a little more. The way a sealer works is to buy reaction time, to keep a liquid contaminant at the surface long enough for it to be cleaned away. If the water was to be able to soak in very quickly then so would any contaminants being carried by that water.
If you do not like the side effect, of a good sealer doing what it is designed to do, that being that it holds water at the surface a for a much longer time, then I guess you would have to investigate striping it off. I am not sure to what extent you can do this with this sealer, you could try using one of the number of proprietary sealer strippers on the market, or contact the manufacturer of the Romex product to ask their advice. It might be that you have to strip it all out (It is not easy to control the degree to which a stripper may work)
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi,
It sounds like a reaction to moisture. Some sealers are prone to turning milky white when exposed to moisture, especially during the curing. IF this is the case then it means that the sealer has cured that colour and your only option is going to be to investigate stripping that sealer out. For this, you are going to require a sealer stripper.
If the sealer was solvent-based, first try re-applying a little, in an attempt to use the solvent that product is actually in, to re-emulsify the sealer (if the product is water-based this will not work). If no joy then I would try contacting the manufacturer of the sealer to see if they have a recommended product/chemical which they know works. Failing that it is going to be trial and error – different solvents work better or worse in different situations. Try a little nail varnish remover (the type that contains acetone) try white spirits. Or try one of the ready-made sealer strippers on the market, such as our own Strip -It for example.
Hope this helps
Ian
We recently had new honed, black granite countertops put in the kitchen. Because we were remodeling the surrounding areas of our kitchen and was not told to remove the plastic covering left on by the fabricators, we left it on to protect the countertops until construction was completed. When we pulled off the plastic, there were white streaks everywhere where the plastic was not laying flat and was buckled on the countertops. One area is actually darker streaks. The countertop guy came to look at the damage and applied acetone, which removed the majority of the white streaks but did nothing to the darker streaks. Yes, it was sealed, my mistake… I thought it would enrich the color and would blend in but it made it look even worse. I need to figure out how to remove these. It looks terrible and the countertop guy is ignoring us at this point. Do I have to strip the sealer off then use a micro abrasive scrub? I’m sure I am not the first one this has happened to. It’s a brand new countertop and I’m not replacing it. I would be forever grateful if you could help me.
Hi Nancy,
OK, without seeing it and without knowing more about what type of sealer you used (if you used an enhancing sealer they are not easy to remove, if at all). IF the residue of whatever was on the granite (if it was adhesive from the protective cover for example) it may be that the sealer did not penetrate evenly so you might have a patchy application of sealer, in addition, to the issue you had to begin with.
At this point, I would seek professional help. I suggest you contact a company such as Aqua Mix. Or as you appear to be based in Florida, you could try Mapei USA who are based out of Deerfield Beach FL. Give their tech support folks a call – they have a good range of problem-solving products and they may be able to hook you up with a local stone restoration contractor.
Hope that helps
Ian
Hi I have a Indian stone flagged patio fossil mint colours and have used a wet look silicone sealer but there must have been moisture in the flags still now there’s white staining all over the flags what can I do to remove this what’s the best practice
HI,
Ok, well it is going to depend on the actual sealer, and how long you have left it. If it is still feeling a little wet and greasy then rubbing with a little water and white nylon pads, then buffing immediately dry again might do it. If it is older than a few days and completely dry then you may not be able to remove it completely. You would need to try some strong solvents, but this will depend on the actual sealer, some may be improved by using proprietary sealer removers, others by use of paint strippers etc. Suggest you contact the supplier of the sealer for their advice – but unfortunately some enhancing sealers, once cured, will not easily break down.
Hope this helps
Ian
I have a new brushed limestone floor. The installer applied two coats of solvent based impregnating enhancer (granquartz 355E matte) and it looked great but then he applied a coat of solvent acrylic sealer (granquartz 357E Venezian) and it is too shiny. The stone is brushed so it highlights the imperfections and darkened the grout. It looks terrible. So I tested an area with a stripper (K&E DBX) and it got rid of the acrylic and shine but one stone looks blotchy so it may have also removed some of the impregnating enhancer but not all of it. Thus I’m afraid to proceed with the stripper. What can I do? Should I get someone to buff it all off and start again? Or can I buff to just dull the shine but not remove everything? Or can I apply a matte non enhancing acrylic sealer to cover the shine? Any help is so much appreciated!
Hi Heidi,
OK, I do not know those products. What I can say is that most enhancers are also sealers and will not allow a topcoat/ coating type sealer to sit well on top of them. The point of an enhancing sealer is to be an impregnating sealer that adds or improves the colour without adding any unnatural shine – you purchased a brushed stone for its finish, adding any type f acrylic sealer to that will alter/detract from that finish.
The enhancer is within the stone surface, so clearly using a strong solvent stripper is getting through the coating sealer and carrying on to damage the enhancer. I would test out some less aggressive methods for the removal of the top coat. You could try first a micro-abrasive type cleaner such as Nanoscrub by Aqua Mix (Mapei USA have a similar product in their Ultra Care range). These work like exfoliating creams for stone, the mild abrasive is derived from calcium (the main component of limestone) and so will not scratch the stone, but they may be just enough to remove the acrylic shine. They work better if you hire a rotary scrubbing machine and wet vac for the removal of rinse water. The idea here is it so remove the coating while leaving the enhancer intact, as there is no real chemical ‘solvent’ in these products they will work at the surface on the acrylic only.
Failing that, if you find they are not quite doing the job, try using a high pH (alkaline) degreaser, these will often break down acrylic coating sealers, sometimes on their won, but they can also be used in conjunction with a micro-abrasive.
Hope this helps
Ian
Thank you so much! I will give these things a try. If they don’t do the trick, I know of a man who can come with diamond brushes and take the surface down so we can start fresh. I think I will lose the brushed effect and end up with a smoother, honed stone but that would be preferable to the current situation. I really appreciate your taking the time to help me! Have a lovely day.
Hello,
I’ve applied a Color Enhancing natural stone sealer on my outdoor planter and it has significantly darkened the light grey limestone slabs. How can I bring the color back to its original Color without replacing all limestone slabs? I’d like to remove that sealer. Would you recommend mineral spirits? If so, what do I do with it? Thanks.
Hi, I am afraid I don’t have very good news for you. Most enhancing sealers are pretty permanent. We sell a product like this and we really have to emphasize that the customer must TEST TEST TEST – first on a spare piece of stone of they have one or in an inconspicuous area if they don’t, as it generally an irreversible process.
However, not all products are the same. I know that some people have had a degree of success in partially removing ours, using strong solvents. They were not able to remove the product 100%. perhaps 50%, but it helped and you may find you can do something similar and get back some of the colour. You could try mineral spirits, Acetone, Xylene – or a proprietary sealer stripper. Before you go and buy any I would contact the manufacturer of the sealer you have used to seek their advice – they may well be able to suggest the most likely stripper and save you a lot of experimentation.
Hope this helps
Ian
I have just had my limestone floor buffed with a diamond encrusted brush to take off an acrylic sealer that was improperly applied. The person doing the buffing suggests I put on a “densifier.” Would a densifier take the place of an impregnating sealer? I don’t want to change the look of the stone meaning I’d like it to remain a matte finish. So, densifier and then impregnating sealer or just impregnating sealer? Thanks!
Hi Heidi
OK, densifiers are generally used on softer stones where there is a desire to polish them. This is because soft stone will not polish well. The densifier consolidates loose particles and hardens the stone surface somewhat. If you have had a diamond brush on your stone, then do you have a brushed finish? which is a soft finish, not a shiny/polished one? I have to ask do you need a densifier? I don’t think it would do any harm, but perhaps you should just check with the particular manufacturer as some say that it does not affect the colour of the stone nor does it affect the application of an impregnating sealer afterwards (indeed some state that it enhances their effect and acts a primer).
Hope this helps
Ian
I am so grateful for your help and expertise! The finish is brushed but will have a few more brushed applied today to end up “honed” with maybe a bit of patina or soft glow so it’s easier to mop, but it will not be polished. I just expected to apply a solvent based impregnating sealer after this work. I don’t want to inhibit the sealer by adding the densifier. I think I will ask the workers to skip the densifier. Thanks again!
Hi Ian,
We recently had a rainbow Indian Sandstone patio laid. Thompson’s patio and block paving seal wet look sealant was applied in two coats. A day later lots of white patches arrived, we believe these are efflorescences rising to the service, which we were not aware would happen. Our patio does not look a pretty sight at the moment. I have telephoned the manufacturer and they have advised me to scrub the tiles with aromatic white spirit and to leave the spirit on the tile to evaporate. They stated this would remove the white patches but leave the sealant in place. I have tried this on one tile a few times and the white patches fade when the white spirit is applied but come back and look the same. Is there anything you can advise that we can do to rectify this situation? How do we either remove the efflorescence or remove the sealant completely?
Thank you
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
OK, I don’t understand their logic. If the patches are efflorescence, I am not sure white spirit is the answer. If they (the white patches) fade when wetting with just water, then yes it sounds like eff (they will reappear upon drying) It could also be moisture reacting with the sealer; if the surface was not completely dry before adding the sealer, or there was some moisture ingress (overnight, from beneath, etc) before the sealer had fully set – then this can sometimes cause ‘whiting-out’ of some sealers. The action of white spirit on such patches may also temporarily render them transparent – only to reappear again s the spirit evaporates. So at this point, I don’t know which it is.
The fact that they say the white spirit won’t remove the sealer, and the fact that it is a wet-look sealer suggests it is a resin type and these can sometimes be affected by moisture in this way. They are also more difficult to remove as they are more resistant to chemicals such as solvents like white spirit.
OK, Ii, it is efflorescence, instead of using white spirit, try something mildly acidic (the theory being that the efflorescence has risen through the ‘breathable sealer and been deposited on top – using a dilute, mild phosphoric acid cleaner such as our Grout Haze PLus (don’t use a brick acid or HCL) should help to dissolve it without causing any issue to the sealer. You may have to repeat this process a number of times until it is all gone, or no more returns.
If it is in fact the sealer itself then you are going to have to resort to stronger strippers to remove it. If they cannot recommend one then you will have to conduct some trial and error. We do have a very good safer stripper called Strip-It which is often very effective.
Hope this helps
Ian