The Importance of Natural Stone Shower Sealing to Protect Against Stains

After spending various hours spring cleaning your home, you need to clean yourself and soothe your tired muscles. You'll likely head straight toward a place you've just cleaned. However, there's one more thing to think about before you enjoy a long, hot, well-deserved shower. You might think that your shower is a safe place when it comes to water. (After all, wasn't it built that way?) You'd be forgiven for thinking this (it makes sense!), but this isn't always the case. Showers are often built from gorgeous natural stone. In many ways, natural stone is the perfect material for a beautiful, durable shower space — but it does require ongoing care. One of the most crucial steps for effective wet space protection is sealing your stone. Frequent shower sealing provides maximum surface protection against stains and etches. It also helps prevent water from seeping into the pores of the stone that could lead to mold and mildew buildup. Fortunately, sealing your stone doesn't have to be an arduous activity. Read on to learn exactly why sealing your shower is so important — and for a quick guide to help you reap the benefits of this consistent practice.

Why you Need to Seal Your Shower Frequently

From the early Roman Empire's days up to modernity, the elegance of natural stone has made it a go-to material for showers and baths. Marble, granite, onyx, travertine and sandstone are all aesthetic choices commonly found in showers and wet spaces. Natural stone is porous, which means that it is susceptible to staining and etching. Whether your natural stone is hard or soft, polished or rough and textured, it's going to need frequent sealing to reduce your stone's likelihood of getting stained, etched or otherwise marked and damaged. Even if your shower has received sealing treatment, that doesn't mean that you're good to go forever. Sealing is not permanent. To provide the best stone care possible for your home, you'll need to work regular sealing into your ongoing maintenance routine.

How to Seal Your Stone Shower Well:

A Quick Guide to an Effective Process

Here's what you need to know to make your regular sealing routine as efficient and long-lasting as possible: Start by often examining your shower walls after each use. If you notice dark spots after showering, that’s a sign water is penetrating the stone and that it's time to re-seal. Clean your stone first. For your sealant to work its magic, the stone's surface needs to be clear of any topical dirt and buildup. that's geared to clean stone specifically, so you don't damage your stone before sealing it. Apply your sealant in sections. Working in three-foot sections, spray your sealant over the stone surface and then buff it into the stone with a lint-free microfiber cloth. Work the sealant into the stone until the surface is dry. W 20 minutes or dry to the touch after the initial application to re-apply additional applications for a solid seal. (It's impossible to over-seal your stone!) Allow the seal to cure. Before wetting your stone, allow the seal to dry and cure fully for about 24 hours. Follow up with a good stone polish to really see your surface shine! Do not polishing before letting the sealer cure to avoid hazy streaks on the surface of the stone. Polishing will also help prevent water spots and soap scum buildup. Make sure that you follow-up your seal as needed. Our Stone Care Experts recommend sealing your stone approximately once every six months, or more depending on the porosity of your stone shower and how often it is used.

Granite Gold Sealer® Guards the Natural Beauty of Your Stone Shower

If one of your spring cleaning goals is to restore your shower's natural beauty, we've got your back with our suite of stone care products — and the experience of our Stone Care Experts. Rely on our Granite Gold Sealer® to create a protective barrier for your natural-stone shower (it's been named "Best Granite Sealer" by Countertop Advisor and a "Handy Pick" by Better Homes & Gardens' Do It Yourself magazine). Any further questions? Our Stone Care Experts is ready with three generations of stone-care expertise to provide all the assistance we can. Call 1-800-475-7866 with your stone care concerns.