Stone Enhancer Sealer

[Hoody]

What one do you guys recommend, and what is the easiest fool proof way of applying it ?

I have customer with a tumbled travertine. She was going to have it waxed, I steered here away from that. She wants it cleaned and the colors to pop out some more, and have a "shine look"

Thanks guys!

 

[Mikey P]

Cobb's enhancer works well and is dirt cheap.


Spray, rub in with a lambswool applicator give it 15 minutes and wipe up the excess.

 

[Hoody]

I knew I could count on you, Big Head.

Its only 216 sq ft. 1.50 to clean and 1.00 to seal. She didn't even blink.

Thanks

 

[Mikey P]

I hope it goes horribly for you.

 

[Jim Nazarian]

Enhancing is the easy part, I wouldn't promise a "shine" with typical enhancers.

 

[sweendogg]

Hoodly tumbled travertine naturally does not shine, and any enhanser is only going to seal it and bring out some of the natural colors that otherwise would remain hidden.

If she wants a shine you need a sealer that will give that to her:
High gloss with stone sealing protection
http://www2.dupont.com/Stone_Tech_Profe ... ealer.html
or semi gloss with stone sealing protection
http://www2.dupont.com/Stone_Tech_Profe ... ealer.html

 

[alazo1]

Yeah but if you're going to put one of those products that gives a shine, you're right back to where your steered her away from (topical coating).

Try an aqua pad on the 175 for a bit of a higher sheen. No weight on the machine (dry). If she wants more then that sprinkle some polishing powder, keep it slightly wet with water spray bottle. Neutralize then enhance.

Albert

 

[sweendogg]

NOOO.. the stontech products are not topical coatings, They are designed to seal as well as the rest of the sealer products in pourous stone floors but they help produce a shine on stones that are naturally dull such as ancient and tumbled tranvertine, limestones, and even some slates.

 

[Hoody]

She wants more of the colors to pop when the sun hits it than a shine.

 

[sweendogg]

Then yes you want an enhanser then. Mikey gave a good one. We have always used Stontech products and their enhanser has never let us down.

 

[alazo1]

Not to disagree with you David, but if it's not something on top of the stone that makes it shine, then what is it?. Just read the msds on the Stone Tech ones. Wondering if "Acrylic Polymer" would be the one responsible for the shine?. Have you tried them on Saltillo, how does it look. The local Lowes I think has one of those and would like to get some to try out on some tiles in the garage.

Albert

 

[J Scott W]

The Stonetech Enhancer is a good product. i used it on my own floors at home and was very impressed. Made the colors pop.

I already had Stonetech on my floors when Spinergy Revie Enhancer was introduced. But I have seen it on a few floors and the Revive works great.

 

[sweendogg]

Not to disagree with you David, but if it's not something on top of the stone that makes it shine, then what is it?. Just read the msds on the Stone Tech ones. Wondering if "Acrylic Polymer" would be the one responsible for the shine?. Have you tried them on Saltillo, how does it look. The local Lowes I think has one of those and would like to get some to try out on some tiles in the garage.

Albert

I guess I have to back up a little, the way the stone tech distributer described the product he said it is not like a typical vct wax product. It is designed to penetrate and seal, and yes the acrylic copolymers is responcible for the shine, but unlike a vct product, the way it is formulated, its supposedly safer for stone. We use very little of the product only because 95% of our customers want the floors enhanced.. ie the stonetech enhanser.. 2.5% want the natural look so we use the Heavy duty stone sealer and only maybe 1% want a wet look or its contracted out. We always recommend this product when they want a wet look because if they want to strip the wet look off and put a natural sealer on in the future the products are compatible. I'll ask our tile setter if he's used the product on Saltillo.. (I'm sure he has just never asked him.)

 

[ACE]

I have a residential customer that wants me to put the shine on her ceramic tile. I tried to talk her out of it pointing out that it would create maintenance issues down the road. I was wondering if that super pricy stonetech enhancer would be allot more durable then VCT finish?

 

[J Scott W]

I have a residential customer that wants me to put the shine on her ceramic tile. I tried to talk her out of it pointing out that it would create maintenance issues down the road. I was wondering if that super pricy stonetech enhancer would be allot more durable then VCT finish?

Stonetech's (or other color enhancers) don't wear away like topical finishes becuase they are not on the surface to get worn away. They penetrate the stone. Enhancers can last much longer than topical finishes. The enhancer on my own floor is 4 years old and looks as good as the day we put it on.

It can be confusing, but an enhancer does not really make the floor look shiny, it makes it look "wet." The best way to get a visual image of this is to put a peice of stone in water. The absorbed water makes all the colors look darker and brighter. That is the effect of an enhancer. It just stays that way even after drying.

BTW - The Spinergy Revive Enhancer is not s pricey as the StoneTech product.

 

[alazo1]

Mike, if you're talking about the two links that David posted it mentions not to be used on glazed surfaces.

Scott's talking about enhancers that normally don't add a shine but they will not penetrate glazed ceramic either.

The last 2 big tile cleaning jobs I had had a floor finish on it , good for me . Crappy thing is if you do the job, some months later when it starts to fail she'll have amnesia that you recommended against it. There is a polish out that supposedly works on ceramic that you buff in. Can't remember the name or if it's another marketing gimmick.

Albert

 

[Jim Nazarian]

Outdoor slate that I did last week, used STT Color Enhancer & to slow down "fade" applied their SB the next day, the shiny gloss goes away once wiped & dry.

http://sttsealers.com/products.htm

 

[sweendogg]

I have a residential customer that wants me to put the shine on her ceramic tile. I tried to talk her out of it pointing out that it would create maintenance issues down the road. I was wondering if that super pricy stonetech enhancer would be allot more durable then VCT finish?

Damn. Albert beat me to the punch!! correct enhanser is not the shine product. It is a penetrating sealer for stone and some concretes where the floor is pourous. A true stone sealer will penetrate the entire tile to seal up as much of the microscopic porosity naturally enharent in stone or concrete. Ceramic and porcelain are already sealed in manufacturing and will not absorb a sealer. This is why on Cermaic and Tile jobs only a grout sealer is needed if they used a sanded grout.

Enhanser like has already been stated by Scott W and shown by Jim, deepens the colors and makes the stone appear richer. The product I posted is stone sealer that adds shine by adding a layer of acrylic copolymer to the surface while the rest of the chemistry penetrates to protect the stone. A third product is a natural sealer which gives the stain protection without altering the appearance of the stone.

The problem with a good VCT finish over most ceramic tiles is not really an issue of the wax on the tile but on the grout. If the grout absorbs any of the chemistry of the VCt and later a customer wants to strip and just seal the grout, or even color seal, alot of times you end up with a blotchiness that won't accept any other products.