Help!: Radical Approach to sealing

[sjbharris]

Hello I'm new and I know this goes against received wisdom but...

I really don't want to seal the travertine/limestone tiles I am about to buy for my new bathroom. Having spent loads on a beautiful natural product it seems a shame to impregnate it with something as synthetic and toxic smelling as M N Stainstop etc. the Romans didn't use these chemicals and their jobs still look great 2000 years later. So can anyone advise:
1. If I leave my stone totally untreated what will it look like in a couple of years of domestic bathroom use (I have a choice of limestone or honed unfilled travertine, both mottled light brown in colour)?
2. Which is more naturally stain resistant - limestone or travertine?
3. If I compromised and used linseed oil, which is at least a natural product, how much less effective than these modern chemicals is it?
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Regards,
Simon

[pjc]

Have you a water softener and have you any slaves to keep it clean ?

[sjbharris]

Hi pjc,
Very hard water and no slaves, also very lazy myself.

A further thought: The marketing blurb about these impregnators focuses on how they get deep down into the sub-surface capillaries. But since stone is totally opaque surely any visible stain must be on the surface not below it, so sealing the stone below the surface is besides the point.
Regards,
Simon

[smurf21]

This will be an interesting thread me thinks... We would allways seal any natural stone product simply because it helps with water ingession and staining and its what all the manufacturers recommend.. But you do have some valid points..lol and it will beinteresting to hear some of the other guys responses..

[djr tiling]

how much of the bathroom are you doing ??
just the walls or the floor as well ??
if you are doing the floor hope you dont have any little boys and that you are a good shot as well

[dagger]

travertine is quite dence material and limestone is very porous,
so if you dont want to get stains, get the travertine.

however, you said unfilled and that is a problem because you have to fill with grout and that will stain, get filled instead they fill with akimi which is an epoxy!

but on a side note,
stainstop is almost invisible! and simple to apply!

i would also like to add that sealers have been around for 5-10 years, i installed marble before they exsisted and ill bet penny to the pound its still there and in a good state.

the problem arises in more porous stones like limestone, even the dencer ones like blanco cassis!

[sjbharris]

Hi djr,
Thanks for the reply. I am doing the floor and it's about 2.5m x 3m, the walls will be glazed ceramic tiles. I see your point that a strange stain confined to the foor immediately round the loo would rather ruin the classy look I'm going for I may conduct some experiments tonight on the sample tile I got from the shop but I think using red wine would be more convenient.
Regards,
Simon

[sjbharris]

Hi dagger,
Thanks for the info. They had a filled version in the shop but I didn't like the look as much because the filler was a noticably lighter colour. For the work you did pre Stainstop etc did you ever take the linseed oil approach?
Regards,
Simon

[dagger]

Hi dagger,
Thanks for the info. They had a filled version in the shop but I didn't like the look as much because the filler was a noticably lighter colour. For the work you did pre Stainstop etc did you ever take the linseed oil approach?
Regards,
Simon

never used it on stone!!!
only on terracotta floors, and after we applied it, to get it off we needed to use sawdust and a broom.

this is NOT reccommended on stone!

[enduro]

This is an easy one, use Aqua Mix products there are no nasty chemicals in these as they are water based, its the only products i use these days.

[andy-p]

On another forum there was this guy who was an expert with stone , i think he was a polisher /restorer and he was adamant that sealers were totally unnecessary for stone, i cant remember his arguments but he really knew his stuff and wrote lenghty posts proclaiming why, but needless to say i always use a sealer...

[Terry Cottar]

Sealers are necessary in most cases where natural stone is involved! You raise the point about the Romans but do not forget they didn't have shampoos, shower gels or soaps that were full of colourants and god knows what. If yoiu don't seal it you will live to regret it in most cases. However all that said there are some stones that show little effect with or without sealers. by applying a good quality premium impregnating sealer you allow a matrix to form and bond below the surface and this in turn gives a reaction time so that when anything contaminates the tile it only sits on the surface prior to penetrating and it makes it easier to clean.

tel

[mags]

Funny the only roman stone ive seen all seems to be pretty weathered or covered in a few feet of molton lava. Im pretty sure though the romans didnt give too hoots about stains on the floor.

Stone has capilieries which if you spil say wine on will fill up and stain, if you fill these 'holes' with something else - stainstop etc then should you spill wine (only cheap plonk I hope) then it has nowhere to go but sit on the surface.

Id seal it , its not expensive.

[pjc]

and i am sure if you haven't got soft water you Will have plenty of natural limestone doesn't look good :Pete

[Terry Cottar]

Funny the only roman stone ive seen all seems to be pretty weathered or covered in a few feet of molton lava. Im pretty sure though the romans didnt give too hoots about stains on the floor.

Stone has capilieries which if you spil say wine on will fill up and stain, if you fill these 'holes' with something else - stainstop etc then should you spill wine (only cheap plonk I hope) then it has nowhere to go but sit on the surface.

Id seal it , its not expensive.

Not quite true it only sits there until the acid in it starts to react by etching deeper into the stone

tel

[LOFTHOUSE]

Yeah, I agree with Enduro, Aquamix is the safer alternative. That's all I use, I won't expose myself to any more petro-based products. No Bueno Por La Lunga!

Also, you can get by with just sealing the grout. Stone does not get too terribly dirty. Clean often (once a week)

I tiled a very busy showroom that is more of a warehouse, lots of traffic. In the 4 years since tiling it, and I did seal it all. The grout is "Black", and the stone is gorgeous. The veins did absorb some dirt on the San Mateo Marble (orange with white quartz movement).

Protect your investment, but above all.....protect your knees, lungs, and skin.

MySpace - LOFTHOUSE STONE - 29 - Male - Van, Texas - myspace.com/moonstruckmosaics