No sealer is completely “stain proof”, depending on the substrate and the staining materials, sealers will protect the surface from the stain for a period of time allowing for easy removal.
Depending on the sealer used and the staining material, this period of time can vary from seconds to many hours.
There are two types of sealers;
Penetrating sealers are absorbed by the substrate and sit just below the surface, these sealers will normally have a matt finish and not alter the surface texture or colour. They are recommended for polished, very dense and very smooth finishes.
Surface sealers sit on the surface of the substrate and can provide a durable, hard wearing and abrasion resistant matt to very high gloss finish that can enhance the surface texture and colour. These types of sealers need a porous and or a textured surface so that they can adequately bond to it and not lift off.
Sealers are either solvent based or water based, opinions vary on the performance levels of each type. The solvent or water are just the carriers and both evaporate after delivering the sealer components into the substrate, with the solvent evaporating much more quickly than water. Although there are differences in the methods of application, curing and re-application times the end results are comparable. Most solvent based sealers have strong odours and contain Volatile Organic Compounds that are detrimental to our environment, whereas most water based sealers have low odour and low Volatile Organic Compounds making them environmentally friendly.
The selection of the sealer for a particular application is extremely important as once applied it may be difficult if not impossible to remove or have other sealers applied over them. So it is very important to apply the selected sealer on a test piece of the material to ensure the end result is the desired result.
Please Contact us for further information or to purchase samples.
Stain Resistant Sealers - Comparison of treated to untreated areas on different substrates;
