The final stage of all limestone cleaning, polishing or restoration service is the application of a sealant. Limestone sealing can be broken down into impregnating and surface sealants.
Impregnating sealants penetrate the capillaries of the stone and protect from within. They can leave your limestone with a natural, or colour-enhanced appearance, but always with the stone surface exposed. Because stone is porous, this sealant is essential to stop any spillages onto the stone penetrating within and damaging the internal structure and causing a deep-set stain.
Surface sealants form a physical barrier between the stone and the environment. Modern sealants are either wax or polymer-based, which can achieve matt, satin or gloss finishes to the stone. Such sealants however cannot be applied outdoors or in wet areas as they are affected by moisture. They are also ineffective if applied to a polished surface as they cannot penetrate the surface sufficiently to bond.
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Contrary to popular belief, impregnating sealants themselves don’t degrade over time. The pores and capillaries that were originally sealed will remain so, however abrasion caused by foot-traffic will create and expose new pores and capillaries which will require additional sealant. Usually, the more people or pets in the property the more frequently the protection will need to be reapplied.
Surface sealants on the other hand are designed to be a sacrificial layer, to protect the stone surface from the external environment. This means that liquid spillages and abrasion will impact the sealant and not the stone surface. These sealants will also be impacted by repeated cleaning regimes.
For more information on how to look after your floor, click on the link below to request a copy of our Athena Aftercare guide.
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We follow up with all of our clients around 1 year to 18 months after our initial visit, based on our professional opinion of when further work is likely to be necessary. We can also provide a price for maintenance immediately on request. However, we would still recommend re-visiting before commencing work to re-familiarise ourselves with your stone
Keeping your natural stone looking stunning is something that we are passionate about. If you have had your stone treated or restored by the Athena Stonecare team then you will have been left with a guide explaining how to care for it. To purchase any of the products mentioned in the guide click here.
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Excellent in every way. The quality of the outcome was beyond expectation and I would have no hesitation in recommending them.
I consistently use and recommend Athena Stonecare to clients and other interior designers. They are organised, easy to work with, and provide great results. Thank you, to the team at Athena!
Excellent service from start to finish. Highly recommend.
The team were professional, polite and very good at what they do. I can not recommend them highly enough for a very good job. Certainly I will be using this company if needed in the future.
The effort and professionalism was exceptional as was the contestant updates and communication before and after the work. WOW! It looks amazing, seeing we not have professionally done for 12 years looks as good as it did then! They are polite and respectful and take great pride in their work! Highly recommend!
Easy process to quote and book. Our limestone floor had been down for 7 years and grout was “looking tired.” We had a team of three working on site for a morning. Very polite and tidy and left the floor looking like new.
