Sealing Sandstone
  • Posted by: Troy Morgan

How do i seal my Sandstone tiles

Sealing your sandstone tiles is important to protect them from staining and damage caused by water and other substances. Here are the steps to seal your sandstone tiles:

*Clean the tiles thoroughly: Before sealing the tiles, make sure they are completely clean and free of any dirt, dust, or debris. Use our PH neutral cleaner or Stone & concrete cleaner for dirty areas. Allow the tiles to dry.

*Choose a sealer: There are different types of sealers available for sandstone tiles, we recommend our Penetrating sealers Elite Guard or for maximum stain protection our Elite Shield water-based sealer.

*Test the sealer: Before applying the sealer to the entire surface, test it on a small, inconspicuous area of the tile. This will help you ensure that the sealer is compatible with your sandstone and will produce the desired results.

 

*Apply the sealer: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for applying the sealer. Typically, you will need to use a brush, roller, or sprayer to apply the sealer evenly over the surface of the tiles. Make sure to work in small sections to ensure that the sealer is absorbed properly.

*Apply a second coat: For maximum protection, it is often recommended to apply a second coat of sealer after the first coat has dried or with Elite Guard it is applied before coat 1 dries.

*Maintain the tiles: Regular cleaning and maintenance will help to extend the life of the sealer and keep your sandstone tiles looking their best. Avoid using abrasive cleaners or harsh chemicals that can damage the sealer and the tiles. PH Neutral cleaner is a great regular maintenance sealer.

For further information or help please call our sales team on 1300 161 372 or email at   sales@elitecoatings.com.au

Sealing Travertine
  • Posted by: Troy Morgan

Travertine is a popular natural stone used in flooring, countertops, and other surfaces in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Although travertine is a durable and attractive material, it is also porous and can easily absorb water, stains, and other contaminants, which can damage the stone and affect its appearance over time. Sealing travertine is an effective way to protect it from damage and maintain its beauty for longer. In this blog, we’ll discuss how to seal travertine and some tips to keep it looking its best.

  1. Clean the travertine surface

Before sealing travertine, it’s important to clean it thoroughly to remove any dirt, debris, or stains that could interfere with the sealant. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner. Better results are achieved with warm water but cold can be used. Avoid using acidic or abrasive cleaners, which can etch or scratch the stone.

  1. Let the surface dry

After cleaning, allow the travertine surface to dry before applying the sealer. It’s recommended to wait at least 24 hours before sealing in cooler climates but in warmer times you can seal sooner as long as no water is on the surface.

  1. Choose the right sealer

There are different types of sealers available for travertine, we recommend one of our penetrating sealers in Elite Guard or Elite Shield. Penetrating sealers absorb into the stone to provide deeper protection.

 

 

 

  1. Apply the sealer

Follow the Elite Guard or Elite Shield instructions for applying the sealer. In general, you’ll want to apply the sealer evenly with a brush, roller or low pressure sprayer. Be sure to cover the entire surface and avoid leaving any excess sealer on the surface. 2 coats are required.

  1. Let the sealer dry

After applying the sealer, allow it to dry completely before walking or placing any items on the surface. This typically takes 24 hours for curing.

  1. Maintain the sealed travertine

To keep your sealed travertine looking its best, avoid using harsh cleaners, acidic foods or drinks, or abrasive cleaning tools. Instead, use a pH-neutral cleaner and a soft, non-abrasive cloth to clean the surface regularly. Avoid exposing the surface to excessive heat or cold, and use coasters, mats, or trivets to protect the surface from scratches, spills, or stains.

Sealing your travertine can help protect it from damage and maintain its beauty for years to come. By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your travertine surfaces stay looking their best.

For any questions or assistance please contact our sales team at 1300 161 372 or email at sales@elitecoatings.com.au

 

How to Care for Outdoor Stone Tiles and Surfaces
  • Posted by: Admin
taking-care-of-outdoor-stone-feature

With the recent heavy rain and flooding across most of Australia, it’s a good time to look at how you can care for outdoor stone tiles and surfaces.

If you sealed all your outdoor stone properly before the rain hit, congratulations! You may still have some clean up to do, but you have avoided more serious damage.

If your stone wasn’t sealed, we recommend cleaning and sealing before the next extreme weather event.

Make sure you use an impregnating sealer – anything from our range is OK. Your outdoor stone will be exposed to wind and water, so it needs to ‘breathe’ as the humidity changes. Impregnating sealers allows for this. Surface sealers, on the other hand, can trap water in the stone and cause more damage.

Top tips to care for outdoor stone tiles, pavers and other features

1. Can I seal wet stone?

If your stone was underwater or had water running over it during the recent weather, you don’t need to wait for it to dry out completely.

You’ll get a better result on dry stone, but you can seal your stone while it’s still damp. Just make sure that even if the surface of the stone is still damp, there are no puddles.

In fact, sometimes your stone can be too dry! Not a problem right now in Australia, but our extreme weather includes drought as well as floods! If it’s very dry, consider misting a small amount of water onto the stone surface before you seal. This can help the sealer penetrate deeper.

2. What kind of cleaning do I need to do before I seal?

The cleaning you need depends on the kind of stone you have and the condition it’s in. You might want a pressure wash, or you may just need a detergent wash and rinse.

One thing to avoid is acidic products. These can damage stone surfaces even further. Our PH neutral natural stone cleaner is ideal for most stone types.

3. Can I seal while it’s raining or cloudy?

You cannot seal stone while it’s raining.

Cloudy weather is OK, as long as rain is not imminent.

4. Does the temperature matter?

We recommend choosing a day where the surface temperature is above 12C and below 30C for your outdoor stone sealing project.

5. How long does it take for the seal to impregnate and start working?

Our sealers will penetrate your stone in minutes but can take up to 24 hours to cure. The process is quicker in warmer, drier weather.

Warning:
excess sealer left on the surface of your outdoor stone tiles can go milky and be hard to remove. Remove any excess with 10-20 minutes of application to avoid this happening on your project.

A special offer to help you care for your outdoor stone

As specialist stone sealer suppliers, we want every Australian home owner or business to have the best of care for their outdoor stone tiles, pavers and other features.

Sealing your stone may sound like a lot of work now, but it will save you time and effort cleaning in the future.

Get a free cleaner with every purchase of Elite Shield before midnight AEST Wednesday 31 March 2021.

  • Buy 5L Elite Shield, get 5L of cleaning product free
  • Buy 10L Elite Shield, get 10L of cleaning product free
  • Buy 20L Elite Shield, get 20L of cleaning product free

How to claim: Simply comment at checkout with one of the following options:

  • Free Stone and concrete cleaner
  • Free Universal Cleaner
  • Free PH Neutral cleaner

and we’ll include the cleaner with your order. Picked, packed and shipped the same business day / next day for orders which miss our cut-off time.

Ideal if you’re a DIY enthusiast planning an Easter weekend project.

Ideal for professional applicators who are going to be busy when this wet weather is finally over. (BOM have predicted the end of La Nina around mid-April)

So now you know how to keep your outdoor stone areas looking great, what’s stopping you? Get everything you need for the job right now from Elite Coatings!

How to Maintain Your Sandstone Pavers
  • Posted by: Troy Morgan

How to Maintain Your Sandstone Pavers

Sandstone has become the go-to material for designers and decorators in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Queensland, and Canberra, especially when it comes to flooring options both inside and outside homes. Sandstone is a naturally occurring stone that is highly porous, but they are also durable. Sandstone pavers can uplift the look and feel of your home and for this reason, many are using it for building their patios and driveways.

Like most natural stones, it is important to have some regular cleaning work done to ensure that the sandstone keeps looking good. Discolouration and loss of texture is a very common problem in sandstone pavers. This usually happens with the passage of time, the footfall the pavers endure, the type of plants that surround the pavers, and the impact of water and dirt.

Staining is another problem that sandstone pavers face. This usually happens because of:

  • Algae formation within the pores of the sandstone
  • Formation of lichens because of organic fusion between different organisms like algae and fungus
  • Growth of moss which usually happens if the sandstone is left damp and dirty

Now there are many companies which will tell you that they have ‘maintenance-free’ pavers. Well, here’s some news for you – they don’t exist. The main reason for it is the simple fact that sandstones are formed naturally and, like anything found in nature, it will deteriorate over time. But that does not mean that you cannot take care of them and increase their longevity. With the right kind of maintenance, you can give your patio a new lease of life.

Basic Wash

As mentioned earlier, an occasional cleaning can help clean and maintain sandstone pavers. A simple wash with soap and water is more than enough for this purpose. Even the dirtiest patio, driveway, or paved area will look good with the minimal effort that you will put with a basic wash. A basic wash is a great way to keep off dirt, moss, and algae that could cause stains on your sandstone pavers. But do remember that this is just a temporary solution for keeping the area clean. Over a longer period. a more specialised cleaning job will be required.

 

Beware of Hazardous Chemical-Based Cleaning Products

Always ensure that you keep away strong chemicals from your sandstone pavers as they could permanently discolour the stone. There are many different types of fungicides, bleach, elbow grease, strong detergents, and disinfectants, among other products, that remove contaminants effectively but also stain the sandstone.

 

Power Washer

If correctly used, a power washer can do wonders for your sandstone pavers. Power wash is an effective way to clean sandstones, especially if you have a large area to maintain. Given that you can use hot water for cleaning, you will be able to blast away all the contaminants that could be stuck in the pores of your sandstone pavers. But if you get your power wash wrong, it could cause irreparable damage to the sandstone surface. If the pressure on your power wash is set too high, it could instantly erode a layer off your sandstone pavers. This could lead to loss of shine, texture, and above all, it will affect the appearance of the pavers.

Using Sealant Products

There are many naysayers when it comes to the use of sandstone sealers and driveway. Most of these so-called experts say that use of sealers could lead to staining. But they are wrong. Non-alkaline based sealers like the ones Elite Coatings supplies, guarantees to maintain the look of sandstone pavers.

By using a natural-looking sealing product like Elite Guard or Elite Shield, you can protect your sandstone pavers against oil, greasy spills, and other possible stains. These products from Elite Coatings are terrific sandstone sealers and driveway sealers.

For those who claim that letting sandstone deteriorate naturally has a certain beauty to it, we say that they have no idea about the advancements that have been made in sealing techniques.

Elite Coatings offers water-based sealer for use on porous sandstone. It seals natural stone in order to prevent staining and cuts down the formation of salt deposits, thus reducing efflorescence. This not only improves the life and quality of sandstone pavers, but it also maintains their natural look while keeping away all contaminants.

Call the Sealing Experts Today

If you are looking to protect your sandstone flooring, then call Elite Coatings today. Our products like Elite Guard and Elite Shield are the best sandstone sealer and driveway sealers available in Canberra, Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Call now at 1300 161 372 to learn more.

 

 

5 Reasons why you should Protect your Investment of your Pool and Entertainment area
  • Posted by: Troy Morgan

Be it a travertine tile, beautiful sandstone tile, granite or concrete pavers around your pool or entertainment area, we all want our space to be aesthetic and functional for a long period of time. Using coatings and shields such as; sandstone sealer, travertine sealer, concrete sealer orpaver sealer can help protect these spaces.
Be it topical or penetrating; seal your investment through the durable and long-lasting Elite Guard and Elite Shield coatings. These are good choices for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Travertine Sealers for Pavers & Tiles
  • Posted by: Troy Morgan

Travertine pavers and tiles are used for outdoor entertaining and pool areas. The are a variety of pavers and tiles to choose from with slight variations in colour.

Some travertine tiles are salt tolerant, which is ideal around properties that are close to the ocean. Some suppliers apply a high gloss which is still easy to take care of using Elite Coating Travertine sealers.

Sealing Guide
  • Posted by: Troy Morgan

Application of Waterbased               ELITE-GUARD – ELITE-SEAL

  • The temperature of the Tile, Paver or Concrete should be between 12c in sunlight and not drop below and up to 29 Degrees Celsius.
  • Protect any adjacent areas by masking to avoid splashes or overspray onto surfaces not intended to be treated.
  • Surface to be treated should be clean but can be damp.
  • Apply sealer liberally by spray, lambswool applicator, roller or brush.
  • Leave for 5-20 minutes then reapply a second coat whilst still wet.

Protecting your Pool Pavers in Winter
  • Posted by: Admin
protecting-your-pool-pavers-feature

As we move into winter it’s time to make sure you are protecting your pool pavers and other tiles areas from stains of all kinds. In colder weather, tiles take longer to dry. That’s especially important for paved tiles around your pool or in shaded areas. You don’t want moss or mould to grow, and you don’t want stains from water pooling on your tiles either!

You may already have protected your paving from stains. It’s not just water stains in the winter, you need to protect entertainment areas from all other kinds of stains too. Food stains. Wine stains. Grease dropping onto paving around a barbecue or cooking area. Coffee and even chewing gum can leave stains. There will be accidents, so it makes sense to protect the look you’ve invested so much in.

Protecting pavers from future stains

Elite Guard is a great option for protecting your pool pavers or entertainment areas. Applied correctly, it lasts for ten years, so you know your home will go on looking good.

What if you’ve got really expensive stone paving to make your home beautiful? If you’ve got marble, travertine, sandstone, bluestone granite or slate, protection is a must. For these we recommend a higher quality, longer lasting product – Elite Shield.

Elite Shield is a natural look penetrating sealer which lasts for 15 years when applied properly. It’s water-based and can be used on hard or porous surfaces. A quality product to protect your quality stone finishes!

A special feature of Elite sealing products is that they protect your tiles and paved areas from water stains. Not all sealants do.

Cleaning existing stains

If you need to remove existing stains from your tiles or paving stones, try Elite Unicleaner or Elite Degreaser, depending on the type of stain. But don’t forget to use a sealant after you remove the stains, so your paved areas remain clean and beautiful!

Too much hard work? If you’d prefer someone else do the cleaning and sealing, get in touch and we can recommend a local service provider.

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