Protective treatment for stone and terracotta: why oil gets in anyway

“I put the protective treatment on the terrace and the barbecue oil soaked in anyway.” I ask what product it was: a water repellent. It stops water, not oil. It was not defective, it was the product for a different problem.

Water-repellent or oil-repellent

The first choice is what you need to defend the surface from:

• Water-repellent: makes water run off, reduces absorption, frost damage, efflorescence and mould. For façades, walls, concrete, roofs.
• Stain-resistant (oil- and water-repellent): also stops oil, grease, wine and drinks. For kitchen floors, terraces, worktops, high-traffic areas.

The collection has both, from Chemical Roadmaster, Faren, Kimia and Colorificio Adriatico: the name of the product matters less than what is written on the datasheet.

Penetrating or film-forming, natural or wet look

A penetrating sealer goes into the pores and does not change the appearance, and lets the substrate breathe: it is almost always the right choice for stone and façades. A film-forming product forms a layer on the surface, protects well but wears with foot traffic and has to be renewed.

Then there is the finish: natural leaves the stone as it is, wet look or colour-enhancing darkens it and brings out the colours. You cannot easily go back, so always test on a hidden spot or on a spare tile and look at the result once dry, the day after.

The substrate must be clean and dry

This is the mistake that ruins the most jobs. A protective treatment applied to a floor that is still damp does not penetrate and leaves white blooms; applied over dirt or installation residues it seals them in for ever.

On freshly laid terracotta, you first clean off the cement residues with the specified product, then wait until it is dry right through, and only then treat it. On marble beware of acid cleaners, which dull it. On outdoor surfaces you do not work in full sun or with rain on the way.

Wood and iron: other enemies

On wood the problems are sun, water and insects: outdoors you need a product with UV protection, and where there is woodworm, a specific woodworm treatment before any finish. On iron the rust has to be removed or converted before protecting: painting over active rust means seeing it again under the paint before long.

How much product and how often

You apply the amount the substrate absorbs, leaving no puddles on the surface, which must be removed before they dry. Several thin coats work better than a single generous one. The protective treatment is not for ever: you check it from time to time with a few drops of water or oil, and when the drop no longer stays on the surface you renew it.

What I need to know

Tell me what material it is, indoors or outdoors, what it needs to be protected from (water, oil, smog, frost, insects), what look you want and how many square metres. I will suggest the right product and quantity, and tell you how to prepare the surface first.

We stock these

A few items from the range we keep. If you cannot find the size or the model you need, just ask: what you see online is only part of what we can source for you.

Protective chemical treatments Resin Cotto Chemical RoadmasterChemical Roadmaster Grout protector fugaproofA.M.E.S. srl Grout protector - salvafugaA.M.E.S. srl Floor protector ECO fillercareA.M.E.S. srl Water-repellent protector hydrorep ECOA.M.E.S. srl Water-repellent protector hydrorepA.M.E.S. srl

Browse the whole category: Protective Chemical Treatments for Surfaces