Protective coatings are sealers that sit on the surface of the stone, rather than inside as penetrating sealers do. Protective coatings provide excellent stain protection as there is a physical barrier between the stone and the spill. However, like all sealers they are designed to breathe, and eventually spills can still penetrate and cause staining. For this reason it’s important to act quickly in the event of any spill, rather than relying on the stone coating to do all the work for you.
Protective coatings can come in many different forms for different applications, with options for matt finish, satin, or high shine finishes.
Terracotta and slate surfaces often have surface coatings applied. This is because both terracotta and slate can be fairly difficult materials to keep clean without a coating, and they both tend to look great with a coating on them.
Polishes and coatings for domestic use
Floor finish systems for domestic use are generally designed to be cleaned by mopping, and do not require high speed buffing. This is very important as any coating will physically wear over time, and home owners need to be able to maintain the coating properly to prolong its life and keep the surface looking good.
All of Slique’s coating systems for homes are designed this way, and proper instruction is provided to ensure owners know how to maintain them to last as long as possible.
Polishes and coatings for commercial premises
Commercial premises that feature a soft or acid sensitive stone such as limestone or marble, a stone coating can be a very good option as it will provide some resistance to acids. When maintained properly a surface coating can look great, as well as protect the stone itself.
The coating will absolutely wear over time (the speed of wear will depend on the volume of foot traffic and surface wear) and as such getting the right system of high-speed buffing, spray buffing, and strip and re-coat cycles is extremely important to get a good result. It is important to involve the site cleaners in commercial environments as they are generally the ones that maintain the coating once it has been properly applied.
Slique will provide full maintenance details of any stone coating system applied in a commercial environment, and can provide maintenance products and/or treatments as required.