FAQ
The information provided here is to answer those questions most frequently asked about PermSeal products and applications. If you should not see your question here, we encourage you to ask through our email system.
- Why do I need to seal?
- What are Sealers?
- What are PermSeal Sealers?
- What are Impregnators?
- How do Impregnators Work?
- What is the difference between Solvent-based impregnators vs. water-based impregnators?
- Which surfaces benefit?
- What do impregnators guard against?
- Which room areas benefit most?
- What are the product’s main uses?
- Is PermSeal safe to use around Food Prep Areas or Counters?
- What are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)?
All stone and tile products --even porcelain tile --benefits from sealing. There is a broad range of elements that can penetrate or hold to the surface, including grout, dyes, polyester resins, epoxy resins, oil, water, etc.
Many products on the market have been designed to beautify and "protect" the surfaces of stone, tile and grout, including sealers. As the name implies, sealers actually seal the surface tight against chemicals, water and other contaminants. Sealers can be water-based or solvent-based.
PermSeal Impregnators/penetrating sealers are surface treatments that will not change the natural look of the substrate. Impregnators will not show scratching or scuffing and do not require constant attention to maintain the quality of finish. Re-application of PermSeal impregnator can range from 6 years to 20 years, depending on the substrate and surface location.
Impregnators are typically low molecular weight polymers formulated to penetrate below the surface. To accomplish this feat, monomers are simply hydrolyzed in the presence of solvent or water. The low viscosity allows complete wetting of the particles or fibers within the given substrate. When the carrier of solvent or water evaporates, the impregnator reacts to leave a long-lasting, invisible barrier of protection from the elements.
There are three basic ways the impregnator works. With water-based impregnators, the water evaporates and leaves behind a film. This film changes the angle of contact between liquid and the solid surface that has been treated. The greater the angle of contact between the liquid and the solid, the more difficult it is to penetrate the solid.
The impregnator film also reduces surface tension, making it more difficult for most liquids to penetrate the solid surface. This change in surface tension also creates the "beading" action that customers are so fond of.
With solvent-based impregnators, there is an added benefit of a cross-link phenomenon that creates a "barrier." This added barrier virtually eliminates any penetration of liquids.
What is the difference between Solvent-based impregnators vs. water-based impregnators?
The only way to protect the substrate is to penetrate it with something that will carry the protection into it. The protection can come from silicones, silanes, siloxanes and various polymers and co-polymers. Nevertheless, it has to be carried into the substrate, and it will typically use one of two carriers: solvent or water.
Typically, solvents will allow varied and deeper penetration into the substrate than water. The curing process, which is a result of evaporation, can be adjusted by using different solvents. Solvent-based impregnators can be cross-linked, allow a wider temperature window for application, have better durability, and are typically unaffected by exposure to cold during application, storage and shipment.
Water is hydroscopic and will hold out on the surface. The protection cannot penetrate any deeper than the water will. The protection can only be in place when the water evaporates. For many dense surfaces, like porcelain tile and polished granite, water will not penetrate very deeply (if at all) and the protection is left at the surface with poorer durability over the long term.
Water-based products are typically lower in toxicity and have little or no smell as compared to similar solvent-based products. Contrary to some beliefs, water-based products are no easier to use or apply than comparable solvent-based products.
Surfaces that will benefit include: grout, quarry tile, ceramic tile, some glazed tile, some porcelain tile, marble, granite, travertine, limestone, slate, brick, terrazzo, quartz, sandstone, flagstone, concrete, masonry, saltillo, terra-cotta, cantera and all types of natural and cast tile and stone products.
What do impregnators guard against?
An impregnator will resist water, oils, grease, mold, mildew, algae, efflorescence, graffiti, grout dyes, epoxy grout film, cement grout film, mortar haze, acid rain, atmospheric dirt, lime deposits, soap scum and other penetrating items. In addition, many impregnators make the surface less slippery, harder, and allow 100% vapor transmission.
Which room areas benefit most?
It is also important to note that while kitchens and restrooms represent approximately 10% of a facility, they are used by 100% of the occupants and visitors and cause more than 80% of the facility complaints. This is an important factor when considering that these areas typically utilize stone and tile.
What are the product’s main uses?
Uses for impregnators include but are not limited to: grout release, kitchen floors and counters, showers, baths, driveways, pool areas, garages, restaurants, cafeterias, grocery and meat markets, loading dock areas, exterior walkways (to minimize damage associated with freeze/thaw) and buildings exteriors (to resist weather and acid rain).
In addition to residential applications, sealers have been successfully used at hospitals, schools, government facilities, airports, train and bus stations, hotels, quarries, industrial plants, laboratories, service stations, bridge abutments, historical sites and shopping malls.
Is PermSeal safe to use around Food Prep Areas or Counters?
Fluorochemical copolymers have been used for the protection of carpets, fabrics and masonry for many, many years. It is not the raw material (active) that is harmful in any way, it is the carriers or solvents which are used in making the product, which can be potentially harmful until they are dry.
Solvents are also used in making hundreds of facial products, etc., in various forms. If you could think in a nutshell, babies have been crawling on carpets, sofas, etc., a million times worldwide and there has never been any harmful effects from babies licking those things. If there had been these products would have been banned years ago. Dish detergents are considered poisons in Australia, yet we use them everyday to clean our dishes, etc.
You certainly wouldn't want to drink PermSeal, but once applied and allowed to dry, the solvents are released and the active is not harmful that is left on the surface. I know contractors have used PermSeal to seal countertops for a number of years...with no harmful effects ever being reported to us. To my knowledge, there is no "magic sealer" on the marketplace like your internet enquirer wishes to have. However, if he wishes a surface protected against the effects of staining and oil, which will not harm the surface or change its appearance, then PermSeal is his best bet.
What are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)?
In June of 1999, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the regulation entitled "National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Architectural Coatings" under authority of the Clean Air Act. The EPA subsequently published a Small Entity Compliance Guide to help the small businesses comply with enforcement. If a business manufactures or imports an architectural coating for sale or distribution in the US, this guide helps in understanding the requirements under EPA’s architectural coatings national regulations in regards to VOC compliance.