Should I Trust Fabricator to Seal Quartzite?
Nancy K
3 years ago
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Nancy K
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Mesh and resin underneath quartzite: how to seal?
Comments (21)"Stone is porous and unfortunately hold undesirable attributes because of this." @Jason Martell resurrected a 5-year-old thread to add an ignorant statement. For anyone reading this--now that he has brought it up to the top from 5 years ago--please note that while some stones used for counters are porous, there are so many that are not. Many stone counters, both of granites and quartzites, need no sealant at all, ever, due to their low absorption rate (i.e. very low porosity). Some stones have such low absorption rates that the use of sealant mars their appearance; since the stone is so dense, the sealant cannot be absorbed so it sits on top, and causes the counters to look hazed and streaky. There are a number of posts on this forum from people who sealed counters of a more dense stone, and got that result. Quartzite, like granite, has different varieties that vary in porosity. Taj Mahal is one of the well-known quartzites that is not porous and does not need to be sealed. However, the OP's quartzite, Calacatta Gold, is not as dense and will need to be sealed. A Deep Dive into the Properties of Quartzite...See MoreSealing Quartzite
Comments (5)Junebug - Miracle 511 is one of the better sealers on the market - and I've used it on the granite and marble in the homes I've lived in. There are numerous reviews on GW regarding it so you can easily search for those. I would definitely not strip it off, but would make sure that water beads on the surface of the counters. If it doesn't, it could likely use another coat or two of the same sealer. Also remember, sealers don't last forever and depending on type of stone and frequency of use, will need to be resealed periodically. Luckily it's an easy process for the homeowner to do, and I'd also recommend doing it with Miracle 511. And here's to hoping you really do have SW Quartizite - Most Super Whites are really a dolomitic marble and while they may be more resistant to staining with a sealer, no sealer on the market will protect from "etching"....See MoreSeal granite & quartzite? I am getting mixed answers from fabricators.
Comments (9)Regarding the Absolute Black granite, the answer is do not seal. I repeat, do not. Different granites have different densities or "absorption rates". If a stone has a high absorption rate, that means it absorbs things readily, and needs to be sealed to prevent that absorption of things you might spill that would stain. However, Absolute Black is the most dense granite there is, with an extremely low absorption rate. That means that if you apply sealer, the stone is too dense to absorb it. The sealer would just sit on the surface of the stone. That leads to hazing, which is a cloudy haze appearance on the stone from sealer not being absorbed. The haze can only be removed by removing the sealer with acetone. As I said, do not apply sealer to Absolute Black. BTW, Absolute Black isn't the only granite that doesn't need sealer. There are quite a few different granites that are dense. My granite counters are 12 years old, have never been sealed, and look like the day they were installed. Unfortunately there are a lot of bad counter fabricators who have not bothered to learn which granites need to be sealed and which don't. They just apply sealer to everything. Absolute Black's appearance would be marred by sealer. Regarding your comment about etching - AB won't etch. If a stone is going to etch, like marble does for example, no sealer will stop that. Sealer is to prevent stains, not etching. Regarding your quartzite, I don't know if it needs sealer or not. There have been a number of threads on this forum that talk about it, and you should look for those....See MoreHoned Quartzite - Sealing
Comments (4)Are you sure that's quartzite? It doesn't quite look like it - although a photo isn't the best way to ID a rock. I'd recommend a scratch test and an acid test to confirm. https://usenaturalstone.org/how-to-be-your-own-stone-sleuth/...See MoreNancy K
3 years agogtdj519
last yearMarilyn…. i think uou are 100 percent correct and hit the nail on the head. i had quartzite installed 3 weeks ago. upon instsll, i asked the installer why the esges of the island and certain areas along the cointertop wall were darkened and looked saturated wet. he said they were wet from cutting and will dry in a few hours. well 3 weeks later they arent dried!! and they arent dry because the installer applied the sealer at install!! the water is trapped and cannot evapoorate.
the fabricator said he has no idea why this happened, they are replacing it, but the only logical explanation is EXACTLY what you stated. Im glad they are replacing it, but for 3 weeks i have been wrackong my brain about what it could be, behan searching for alternarive stones for fear of using the same quartzite and having it happen again, only to realize, it eas the improper install that caused thsi mess!
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