Which sealer for flamed granite?

HG-1 if the stone is to keep its colour, or HG-2 if you want a wet-stone look. Both are applied once, in one thicker coat of about 1 mm. For 24 hours after sealing, do not walk on the surface, wash it or put anything on it.

Which sealer for polished granite?

SG-1 for an invisible finish or SG-2 for a wet look - solvent-based, applied in one coat with a soft roller and polished. ProtectGuard MG Eco works without solvents, and ProtectGuard MG adds protection against graffiti.

How do I protect a granite kitchen worktop?

SG-1 works well on a worktop but needs 72 hours of ventilation, which can be awkward in a kitchen. In that case choose ProtectGuard MG Eco: water-based, solvent-free and with the manufacturer's food-contact certificate. Check first that the worktop has not been waxed - the sealer will not get through wax.

Will a sealer make granite slippery?

A penetrating sealer forms no film and does not change grip. If your granite tiles are already slippery, reach for R-9G - it reduces the slipperiness of granite and gneiss tiles whatever their finish. On polished stone, start with a test on a small area.

How can I tell polished granite from flamed?

By touch and water. A polished surface is smooth and a drop sits on it for a long time. A flamed one is rough and draws water in faster - the same test tells you how much product the stone will drink.

Granite sealer - polished and flamed

Surface finish: Flamed and bush-hammered granite absorb more - they take HG-1 and HG-2. Polished granite has almost no pores, so it needs SG-1, SG-2 or the ProtectGuard MG line.
Colour: HG-1 and SG-1 leave the stone as it is. HG-2 gives flamed granite back a depth close to polished, and SG-2 deepens the colour of polished granite.
Kitchen worktop: SG-1 is solvent-based and needs 72 hours of ventilation. ProtectGuard MG Eco works without solvents and carries the manufacturer's food-contact certificate.
Facade and steps: ProtectGuard MG protects cladding facing the street and also limits the ingress of graffiti. R-9G reduces how slippery granite tiles are.

10 products

Guides

Before you choose: how to pick the right product, prepare the surface and what to expect once it is on.

Four stone samples: polished granite, flamed granite, marble, and travertine

Choosing a product

How to choose a natural stone sealer

Polished granite, flamed granite, marble, travertine and sandstone are five different substrates, not one. Each needs a different preparation - here is how to choose the right one.

September 17, 20264 min read

Pale and darker sections of the same grey block paving

Choosing a product

Invisible sealer or wet look

Choosing the finish is the one sealing decision you cannot undo without stripping the layer. See what separates the two, how to test them, and when to choose which.

September 17, 20264 min read

Wet terrace tiles with a thin layer of water on the surface

Stain removal

Slippery paving, terraces and tiles - what can be done

Slipperiness usually has one of three causes, and each has a different answer. Work out which one you have before reaching for a preparation.

September 17, 20263 min read

Granite is one stone but two substrates. Polishing closes the pores and flaming opens them, so the same block worked two ways will take a different amount of product. You can tell them apart by touch and water: on polished granite a drop sits for a long time, while a flamed surface is rough and draws water in faster. We go into this in the guide how to choose a natural stone sealer, and you will find the other stones in the Natural stone section.

Flamed and bush-hammered

HG-1 is a water-based, single-component siloxane sealer. You apply it once, in one thicker coat of about 1 mm, and after 60 minutes you take up the excess with a soft, absorbent cloth. A litre covers about 5-11 m², depending on how absorbent the stone is. HG-2 goes on the same way and gives a wet-stone look. Rough granite that also has to resist oil is best protected with EH-20.

Polished

SG-1 and SG-2 are high-penetration solvent-based sealers. You apply one coat with a soft roller and polish straight away - a litre covers about 20 m². After 8 hours, footprints and smears can no longer be removed, and for 72 hours you keep off the surface and ventilate. For routine cleaning, use products of pH 5-9 after SG-1 and pH 3-12 after SG-2. For a worktop without solvents choose ProtectGuard MG Eco, and for cladding exposed to graffiti, ProtectGuard MG.

Order of work

Wash the stone. Efflorescence and streaks on granite slabs come off with the acidic EC-22 - do not let it dry on the surface.
Wait until the granite is dry. You can check the conditions in the guide to preparing the substrate before sealing.
Apply the sealer that matches the finish and keep the surface out of use for as long as required: 24 hours after HG-1 and HG-2, 72 hours after SG-1 and SG-2.

Slippery granite tiles can be improved with R-9G - the effect lasts 6-24 months, so it is a periodic treatment. We cover slippery surfaces in the guide slippery paving, terraces and tiles.

The most common mistake

Using a sealer for absorbent stone on a polished surface. HG-1 or EH-20 have nowhere to soak into polished granite. Polished stone takes SG-1, SG-2 and ProtectGuard MG and MG Eco - and if you are not sure what finish your stone has, start with the water-drop test.

Questions before you choose

Which sealer for flamed granite?: HG-1 if the stone is to keep its colour, or HG-2 if you want a wet-stone look. Both are applied once, in one thicker coat of about 1 mm. For 24 hours after sealing, do not walk on the surface, wash it or put anything on it.
Which sealer for polished granite?: SG-1 for an invisible finish or SG-2 for a wet look - solvent-based, applied in one coat with a soft roller and polished. ProtectGuard MG Eco works without solvents, and ProtectGuard MG adds protection against graffiti.
How do I protect a granite kitchen worktop?: SG-1 works well on a worktop but needs 72 hours of ventilation, which can be awkward in a kitchen. In that case choose ProtectGuard MG Eco: water-based, solvent-free and with the manufacturer's food-contact certificate. Check first that the worktop has not been waxed - the sealer will not get through wax.
Will a sealer make granite slippery?: A penetrating sealer forms no film and does not change grip. If your granite tiles are already slippery, reach for R-9G - it reduces the slipperiness of granite and gneiss tiles whatever their finish. On polished stone, start with a test on a small area.
How can I tell polished granite from flamed?: By touch and water. A polished surface is smooth and a drop sits on it for a long time. A flamed one is rough and draws water in faster - the same test tells you how much product the stone will drink.