Natural stone sealers

Sealers for granite, marble, sandstone and travertine - for absorbent and polished stone, invisible or with a wet-stone finish that markedly deepens its colour.

Absorbency
Sandstone and flamed granite drink. Polished granite, marble and travertine need different chemistry: solvent-based, high-penetration sealers.
Finish
The -1 versions are invisible. The -2 versions deepen the colour - permanently, so a test before the full job is obligatory.
How to clean it after
After sealing, clean acid-sensitive stone with products within the pH range permitted for the sealer.

30 products

Guides

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

For sealing, natural stone divides not by species but by absorbency. Polished granite barely takes up water, travertine has open pores, and sandstone can drink several times more sealer than either. Finish matters too: the same granite polished and flamed is two different substrates for a sealer.

Polished and flamed granite sealer

Polishing closes the pores, so an ordinary siloxane product will not get into granite. SG-1 is a solvent-based, high-penetration sealer: apply one coat with a soft roller and polish it, and a litre covers about 20 m². SG-2 gives a wet-stone look. Flamed granite absorbs far more, so it takes the water-based HG-1 and HG-2, applied in a single thicker coat of about 1 mm. More in the granite section.

Marble and travertine sealer

Marble is soft and sensitive to acids: a drop of lemon juice or vinegar can etch a dull patch into the polish. The clear SM-1 limits how much liquid gets into the stone and works very well on worktops, window sills and floors, while SM-2 brings out the veining more strongly. For travertine there is ST-1, which does not change the colour or make the surface more slippery - important around a pool and on steps. Details in the marble and travertine section.

Sandstone sealer

Sandstone’s absorbency is also its weakness: water gets in deep, and as it evaporates the salts crystallise and break the stone apart from within. HP-1 lowers water uptake while leaving the way open for water vapour. Use it on window sills, cladding and low walls. More in the sandstone section.

Kitchen worktops, graffiti and anti-slip

For a stone kitchen worktop the water-based ProtectGuard MG Eco is an excellent choice. ProtectGuard MG protects a stone facade against graffiti. Slippery granite and gneiss tiles are treated with the anti-slip R-9G.

What to avoid

  • An acidic cleaner on marble, travertine or limestone - it etches the surface irreversibly.
  • Excess sealer on a polished surface. With SG-2, smears cannot be removed after eight hours, so take it up straight away.
  • Working without ventilation. With the solvent-based SG, SM and ST, ventilate during sealing and for 72 hours afterwards.
  • Sealing without a test. A wet-stone look is permanent, and on strongly patterned stone it is often more pronounced than on paving.

We explain how to match the product to the species and finish in the guide how to choose a natural stone sealer.

Questions before you choose

Can I use a granite sealer on marble?

Not always. Marble is soft and sensitive to acids; granite is not. Use a sealer on marble only if marble is on its list of substrates.

What is the difference between -1 and -2?

Composition and finish. -1 is colourless - the stone stays as it is. -2 permanently deepens the colour for a wet-stone finish. Both protect the stone against water. The make-up depends on the range: the sealers for absorbent stone (HP-1, HG-1, HG-2) are water-based siloxanes, those for polished granite, marble and travertine (SG, SM, ST) are solvent-based.

How do I clean stone after sealing?

With products within the pH range permitted for your sealer. For polished-stone sealers that is usually pH 5-9 for the invisible versions, and wider for the wet-look ones. The exact figures are in the product's technical data.

Will sealing prevent wine and oil stains?

It makes them less likely. A sealer limits the ingress of liquids, so a stain stays on the surface longer and can be wiped off. It is not an absolute barrier - the sooner you wipe, the better.