Natural Stone Care: Sealing a Stone Backsplash

While remodelling kitchens and bathrooms, many people decide to add a little extra to their living spaces in order to make the dull areas in their home beautiful and unique. They add a backsplash, or panel behind a bathroom sink or kitchen stove, in order to protect their walls from splashes such as tomato sauce or toothpaste. Out of the most popular backsplash available, natural stone is easily the most popular and easy to keep up. In order to get the most out of your new backsplash, proper installation methods and using the right chemicals is a must.

Steps:

Because natural stone is porous, it requires re-sealing to prevent staining over time. A well sealed backsplash will bead water on the surface and not let any water soak in. Once the stone tiles stop doing this, it is time to re-seal them. Firstly, after the stones are in place, you will spray stone cleaner on the tiles to buff them out with a soft cloth. The tiles should be completely free of any grease or water. Make sure to allow the stones to dry completely before sealing them so that their natural colour returns instead of the darker wet colour.

After the first step is complete, you want to pour the stone sealer into a bowl or large container so that you can dip your brush into it. It is recommended to keep your kitchen fan or a window open in order to help illuminate some of the strong fumes. You want to use a foam brush, dip it into the sealer, and paint it onto the backsplash. Work your way from top to bottom to prevent any drips and let the sealer penetrate the stone for at least 10 to 15 minutes. For your final step, buff the surface of the stone tiles with a clean cloth in order to remove any of the sealer that has not been absorbed by the stone. By starting at the tiles that you sealed first and working quickly, you will rub your clean cloth in a circular motion until the tiles appear to be dry.

Tips

Since you’re backsplashes will be exposed to lots of water over time, you will want to keep re-sealing your backsplash in order to keep away mould and mildew . It makes the most sense to apply sealer to the natural stone tile before grouting and again the day after. Remember to keep re-applying the sealer as soon as you notice your backsplashes not deflecting water any more. Using solvent-based sealer will keep you from having to re-seal as often. some other products that you can use in order to keep the look of your new black splash includes granite gold clean and shine, which is basically a spray chemical that will keep your granite smooth and shiny. Granite gold scrub sponges also help to keep any food particles and stains from forming on the backsplash. You can even use it on your shower walls in your tub to remove water deposits and soap scum.

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