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Granite Sealing

Article Number: 268 | Rating: Unrated | Last Updated: Wed, Aug 1, 2007 at 12:00 AM

Maurizio, I have been reading some of the Questions on your website reguarding the sealing of stone countertops and had a few questions. And please dont think I am being sarcastic, I have many of the same questions sent my way and I am always looking for the best and most intelligent way to answerr them. Where have you derived which stones should be sealed or not sealed, is it personal experience or from somewhere else. Also what in your opinion is the best way to convince someone that has been so influenced by people that are just relaying what they have been told rather than telling them the truth, that all stones dont have to be sealed. I guess what I am looking for is the best way to explain to the customer, who doesnt have a broad knowledge of the stone industry, therefore they believe just about everything they are told, in a way that they will believe what you are telling them. Many times I have tried to explain this fact but have been left with the feeling that the customer feels as if I am trying to get off without sealing their product. I am a fabricator in the Charlotte market currently producing on average from 4000sq-5000sq per week mainly for new construction, so most of the tops I fabricate I have little to no contact with the consumer, but I can however educate the sales person, but I need a simple and straight forward way to express these things to them so they can in turn better educate the consumer at the time of sale. Thanks for your input.

Dear Andrew:

It's tough.

It is tough to convince a religious person that their faith is based on plain belief, with no physical evidence whatsoever. With all due respect to religious people and religion in general, the reson why I brought this touchy subject into the picture, is because I consider the "seal-a-mania" some sort of a "new religion", which I jokingly dubbed, the "sealing cult". It is a well accepted fact that all religions came about to overcome and "explain" something that was not possible to explain with facts. In other words, all religions came about many years ago to "explain" the unexplainable (in those days), and also to create some sort of rules in an otherwise law-less environment. Needless to say, while the founders of the different religions were probably genuinely honest, many of their ministers ended up taking advantage of, and actually exploit and scare into submission the populace they were dispensing their dogma to.

The same thing here. The vast majority of the people that get involved in the stone trade are totally ignorant about stone, and therefore there are lots of "unexplained" problems. Hence, the fertile ground for sly boat "ministers" of a "new religion" that "solves" problems not on scientific facts, but on mere belief. The tool? Not the promise of a better life after death in this case, but the word "sealer" and its magic within. (If they'd use "impregnator", nobody would buy it!! :-)). Since even those that are genuinely interested at learning stone and its facts can't find any reliable source of education, they are hanging in there confused, just like you do.

The tactics of the "ministers" of the "sealing cult" is scaring people into believing that if they won't seal their stone all sorts of bad things will happen to it. It got so deeply widespread that when the problems arise (because no sealer can solve any problem, this side of helping preventing stains, which is a small problem anyway), prople will blame it on the "poor quality" of the sealer that was applied to their stone!! Of course, the "ministers" would never be able to prove scientifically why a resin pushed inside a stone (if and when possible) is going to benefit it; but then again, no religion is based on explanations!

As you found out already, it has become very difficult not to sell an impregnator!... Oops, I mean... a sealer!!

Since I manufactur "sealers" for stone, I reckon that this gives me the license to say all I say about these extremely overrated products.

Now, how to determine if a stone needs to be sealed or not? Better said: if a stone can be sealed at all?

Without going into scientific mumbo-jumbo involving the percentile absorbency rate of different stones, my little lemon juice (and oil) test is designed to do just that. Simple, down to earth and, above all, effective! You should explain in palin English to your customers what an impegnator is all about, how it works (and hence why certain stones can't be sealed - and, consequently, can't stain, either: they're so dense that they won't absorb the impregnator), and what kind of (very limited) benefits they deliver: helping preventing stains, which, if and when they occur, are child-play to remove anyway. To support that, you should also direct your customers to www.marblecleaning.org, which is the advocacy group of all consumers and consumers-to-be of natrural stone products, for advice and assistance.

I hope this helps.

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? :-)

Ciao and good luck,

Maurizio Bertoli

www.marblecleaning.org – The Only Consumers' Portal to the Stone Industry Establishment!