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Expert Answers
QUESTION
Can I use an Epoxy Sealer on Stone? Can an epoxy sealer be put on sandstone? Or, should I stay with say "StoneTech Bullet Proof Sealer"? Application: countertops.ANSWER
ANSWER - It is not recommended to put an epoxy coating over the surface of any stone. First because it traps in moisture and stone needs to breath to avoid deterioration. An epoxy coating will wear over time leaving traffic patterns. It is major and expensive job to refinish an epoxy coating. It is best to use a breathable penetrating type of sealer. If you want more of a wet look then use an enhancer sealer that is breathable and penetrates. Go to Cleaners and Sealers for links to websites to major stone sealer manufacturers.Good Luck.
30 thoughts on “Can I use an Epoxy Sealer on Stone?”
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We have over 6,000 sq ft of slate flooring. The originally applied HMK S239 has worn in high traffic areas. Should we use a penetrating, high gloss sealer or a clear epoxy to improve gloss durability?
It looks like this product is a surface sealer that requires stripping for reapplying. Although maybe you can reapply the sealer without stripping over the worn areas.
You need to contact the sealer manufacturer and ask them if you can reapply over the existing or if you do need to strip it as what product to use to strip it. If you go to another type of sealer you will have to strip this one off first. There are enhancer sealers like Miracle 511 Seal and Enhance that doesn’t require stripping when you reapply, and it is a breathable sealer.
What if you are wanting to cover up stone tile countertops with epoxy with say something other than clear and you didn’t care about saving the stone underneath. Would that be possible?
Anything is possible. Depending on what type of epoxy you use and how it is installed would determine on how it would perform over time.
Struggling to find a solution. We have 4 mostly flat on the top hard rock boulders. Tops are about 2ftx2ft. But they arent completely flat. About 1ft thick. Wanting to make small tables around circular fire pit. Is there a clear solution (preferably thick) that can be poured on the tops to make a 1ft x 1ft level spot to set drinks? Would epoxy be ok in this scenario as over 75% of each stone could still breath?
There are polymer modified mortars that could be applied to make the top of the rock hard; assuming it is a granite. I don’t know of any clear coatings that you can buildup. You could check into decoupage varnishes or polycrylic material to see if it would be compatible and whether it can be built up to the extent that you want.
I would just grind the top of the boulder flat. You can give it a heavy texture or a smooth finish.
I have Miracle Stone on my garage floor and my front stoop. Inside the garage does not need re sealed, but the stoop outside does. I want to buy a couple gallons to seal the pad, where can I buy this? It is epoxy and is thicker than most other sealers.
From what I can tell Miracle Stone is an epoxy flooring with river rock embedded in it. You need to call Miracle Stone to find out what type of epoxy they used and where you can buy it.
I have a natural stone staircase outdoors that is only 2 years old and rapidly deteriorating. We are upset with the landscaper that put these stones in, and realize that at some point will probably have to replace them. I am hoping that there is an epoxy or something that I can use to stop/slow the deterioration and fill cracks. Suggestions?
The deterioration of the natural stone is a symptom of a problem. When there is a problem typically it is not due to a single deficiency, but rather due to multiple compounding deficiencies. Treating the symptom doesn’t remediate the problem that caused it. You have to identify the problem in order to prevent the condition from reoccurring.
The deterioration in natural stone is called spalling. Normally that is due to the stone being subjected to excessive moisture. Minerals (forms of salt) from the concrete substrate, the stones and setting materials dissolve in the moisture. The moisture migrates through the stone to evaporate at the surface where it precipitates the expansive minerals causing the deterioration.
The stone is likely being subjected to excessive moisture due to poor design and improper installation. The stone itself may have weak physical properties that gives it a propensity to deteriorate under those conditions.
A good feature of natural stone is that it is possible to refinish it to look like new. Depending on the type of natural stone you have and its finish, you potentially can grind the surface down and re-hone it. Although that only treats the symptom of the problem, so the symptoms will reoccur if the problem isn’t corrected.
Good morning Donato,
I’m hoping you could help me with this one. We have a fairly big outdoor slate table purchased from Costco about 10 years ago that is outside year round in Ottawa ON. The slate are pieces imbedded in cement and some of the slate pieces are starting to come off in thin layers.
I was wondering if topping the table with a quarter to a half inch of a clear epoxy would work in preserving the look of the table while extending it’s life. If epoxy is not an option, do you have any other suggestions of something we could put on this table to stop the slate from coming apart?
Thank you,
Slate is a layered metamorphic natural stone that allows it to be split into thin sheets. So it has a tendency to cleave particularly when it is subjected to moisture and freeze thaw climates.
Normally you don’t want to put a non-breathable coating over a stone that may trap moisture in it. There are no standards in the industry in terms of coating it other than with breathable sealers. Breathable sealers don’t make the stone waterproof but it does make it water resistant, but sealers don’t last very long; maybe a year or less. Slate is very dense and impervious so it doesn’t absorb much. There are enhancing sealers that can give the slate a wet look. As it wears you can reapply the sealer without stripping it.
Whatever you do you should experiment to make sure you get the results that you want.
Question: We have a cracked sandstone patio that needs attention. What would you recommend we put on the top to make it more smooth. A few layers(about 1/4 inch have crumbled off the rest of the stone. Would self-leveling epoxy work?
Don
Sandstone has fairly weak physical properties compared to other quartz stones. If it is installed in a way that moisture is trapped under the stones and there isn’t a path for the moisture to drain away then sandstones will have a propensity to spall and cleave. So the degraded surface is a symptom of a excessive moisture problem.
Treating the symptom doesn’t correct the problem. You can powerwash the stone and remove any loose material and then let dry out, and then apply a sealer that will help retard the degrading. It doesn’t fix the problem and you then have to seal the stone every 6 months to a year. Chances are to fix the problem would require replacing the stone and installing it in a way that prevents moisture from collecting under it.
Putting a patching mortar over it won’t solve the problem and it will likely continue to degrade.
What is the best sealer for a granite countertop out there that does the job and lasts. Price is not an issue for me.
All sealers are temporary and need to be reapplied at least annually depending on what the granite is subjected to in terms of climatic conditions and what the granite is used for. Sealers don’t make the granite stain proof. Although if spills are cleaned up timely and with the right cleaners and properly maintained, the the sealers can be very protective.
Keep in mind that a true granite is very dense and impervious so it absorbs very little of the sealer. Of course that means you don’t need much sealer so it is less costly to seal. It is important to wipe the stone down with a lint free cloth right after applying the sealer so there isn’t any left unabsorbed on the surface that can become tacky.
Rule of thumb is if water drop beads up tightly then the sealer is working. If the water drop spreads out then it is time to seal.
Some of the better known sealers are listed on our resource page at https://ctasc.com/category/resources/cleaners-sealers/.
Hello Donato,
We have natural “pebble” stone tile installed as shower floor.
Some of the darker stones have started crumbling. Prefer not to tear it all out. Looking for some waterproof epoxy product to bind to stones that are deteriorating. Use 511 to seal.
What epoxy/other product recommended to extend this floor life?
Thanks in advance! Ryan
There is no product that is designed for or recommended to repair crumbling stones. The crumbling stones may be the symptom of the problem, which may be that the stone is being subjected to excessive moisture due to defects in the shower floor installation and you might have a relatively weak stone in terms of its physical properties. Using a clear epoxy might help temporarily, but they tend to yellow over time.
Hello Donato!
I have an outdoor balcony deck with slate tiles in San Francisco near ocean beach exposed to temperatures changes and a lot of moisture. I will be sealing the slate tile outdoor deck soon (that has already been power washed), but I have a dilemma between choosing 2 different products, not knowing which would be the best for me (note: I don’t care how the deck looks, just want it to be waterproof).
1. First option: is applying primer and special epoxy waterproof coat of chestnut color.
2. Second option: is applying 2 coats of clear Prosoco Sure Klean Weather Seal Siloxane PD sealer, which is prediluted water repellent.
Which option should be the best for me (time and funds is not a concern), as I truly need to waterproof my deck and I don’t care for how the slate tile outdoor deck looks after either option, since I rarely go there, just would like a professional opinion what’s the best product.
Thank you kindly!
First of all, if you have a real slate it is impervious. Per the ASTM C629 to be a building slate it must have less than 0.5% absorption, which makes it technically impervious. Thus water is not going to flow through it.
It is the grout joints and perimeters that are more likely to allow water to travel below the slate.
Using a sealer over the stone does not make it waterproof. All sealers are temporary. Some last longer than others depending on the environment and conditions it is subjected to. I have never seen a sealer last as long as the data sheet says that it could last.
Applying an epoxy coating over the slate would prevent moisture going through the grout joints, but doesn’t prevent perimeters or other penetrations or transitions from allow water through unless they are treated separately. It is never recommended to coat a natural stone with an impervious coating as it can lead to other degrading conditions and staining.
Although the only legitimate way to waterproof a balcony is to do it before the slate is installed. You have to have a primary roofing membrane over a sloped substrate and that needs to be built up with a mortar bed and then that mortar bed should be coated with a secondary waterproof membrane. Both membranes should be flashed up the adjacent restraining walls and all transitions joints should be caulked with an ASTM C920 sealant to keep it water tight.
In theory, if you remove all the grout in the slate installation and properly install an ASTM C920 traffic grade sealant in the grout joints and seal all transitions areas to prevent water from getting under the slate, if done correctly, t will in effect prevent water from migrating under the slate. Although there is no standard for this process and it technically doesn’t make the balcony waterproof.
Thank you Donato! One more question please. I will caulk with an ASTM C920 sealant (sika flex) all around base perimeter (where floor meets the wall and under balcony sliding doors). The leak that I have on my ceiling is under the balcony and is exactly under where the sliding doors are located up on the balcony.
I was recommended the following product: DRYLOK® Floor & Wall Masonry Waterproofer (https://www.drylok.com/products/drylok-floor-wall-masonry-waterproofer). It’s clear color (so the slate tile look is preserved) and 2 coats will be applied. Is it a good option to use it on slate tile balcony to waterproof it, especially the grout joins and gaps between tiles?
Thank you!
Your leak could be at the transition of the door threshold. Often exterior sliding doors will have a weep system so water that gets into the track has a way to weep to the exterior. Make sure they are not blocked and those transitions are caulked.
I am not familiar with the Drylok Floor & Wall Masonry Waterproofer. It says it is for stone, but there are many types of stone made of different materials. Since they say it gives a gloss then it is more of a surface coating that can be slippery and could develop foot traffic patterns. I wouldn’t expect a latex based product to wear well. The slate is very dense so it won’t absorb much. They don’t mention mortar on the website, but it might seal it.
Remember you will only be treating the symptom and not the underlying problem, so there are no guarantees.
Thank you Donato! Just a clarifying question please.
1. What does it mean “leak at the transition of the door threshold”? Is it the 2″ area between the sliding door’s porch/bottom and the tile floor? If yes, should this area be thoroughly caulked or any other area? The entrance to the house from the balcony’s sliding door’s sits 2″ higher than the floor and there’s 2″ of the wall that meets the floor underneath the doors.
2. What does it mean “and those transitions are caulked”? What specific areas are those: around, under or near the door?
Thank you kindly!!!
Any transition from different materials will have some sort of a transition joint that can be vulnerable to allowing water to pass through. All transition joints should be caulked (filled) with the ASTM C920 sealant.
We inherited my dad’s house which he built himself. The flooring is flagstone, unsealed, and very uneven. Is there anything we can put on the floor to even it out?
Flagstone shape of natural stone is normally a very irregular product that some select because they appreciate that look. If wasn’t installed well then it might be more irregular and uneven than is reasonable.
There isn’t anything that would be recommended by the natural stone industry to even out the flagstone surface. You can seal it to make it easier to clean and maintain. If the flagstone was structurally sound and you had the room to raise the floor a bit, you could potentially adhere a new tile to the flagstone to end up with a different and level look.
Our home is build on rock and we have incorporated the rock into our basement, allowing the beauty of the Canadian Shield to form one end of the room. I would like to minimize the depth of natural fissures in the rock.. I can go quite deep to remove soil but it is a rock face….would a resin placed into some of the fissures help seal them or would it be detrimental to the natural breathing of the rock?
In terms of fabricating natural stone from blocks of natural stone, it is normal for the fabricator to fill those fissures with a low viscosity resin to penetrate and stabilize the fissure. Fissures are naturally occurring crystalline mineral inclusions that have weaker physical properties and will degrade over time depending on the environment it is subjected to.
We used a large limestone slab to make a fire pit table. Can I use a resin, maybe with color, to make a thin layer on the slab to make it a little smoother & keep it from getting stains?
There are different grades of limestone in terms of its physical properties. Some are more dense and absorbing than others. Limestone can be polished so you could have a stone restoration company polish the stone to a relatively high level.
During the polishing they can seal the stone with a penetrating type of sealer to make it more stain resistant. You have to reseal every so often depending on the climatic conditions it is subjected to and how it is used.
It isn’t recommended to put a non-breathable coating over installed natural stone as it may trap moisture and lead to degrading of the stone.