Quartzite Quandry

[chorus_girl]

Dear all,
Just had 1,800 SF of Quartzite "Golden Gate" (natural stone tile) from Arizona Tile installed in my home. Contractor did a nice job of laying the tile. We told contractor we liked a natural (not wet) look, and wanted a non-toxic product. So, he sealed it with Aqua Mix Sealer's Choice Gold "No Sheen - Natural Look." What I really wanted was a satin finish, not no-sheen but this is what he came up with in water-based. Result was a chalky, cloudy look with gritty surface. Now wonder what is wrong and how we can get it to look better. Called Aqua Mix and they said wash floor with stone & tile cleaner then put on Tile Lab Matte Sealer (semi gloss). Does this sound like a good fix and if so, something I can tackle myself without breaking my back? I wish I hadn't been so fussy about what to use, perhaps it would've turned out better. Thanks...

[Sponsored Links]

[Davestone]

I don't know about that myself, don't sound right to me.If you want a natural look you woudn't want that matte sealer semi gloss, you'd want to use Aquamix sealer remover, or nanoscrub, and then reapply a penetrating selaer,just don't use so much and wipe it off before it dries. :bow:

[GraniteGirl]

As a rule, quartzites are too dense to absorb anything.

What happened in your case, is that yo tried to seal a stone that really had no business being sealed. The sealer, which is meant to be absorbed to work, could not go where it had to and dried on the surface of your stone.

To fix this, you have to remove the sealer. Phone the tech support dept at Aquamix and see what they recommend you do that with.

Once it is all pretty and clean, DON'T seal the stone again. You will end up with the same mess, maybe just a different sealer.

You will not be able to successfully change the look of the tile with a product from a bottle either. Whatever other enhancer or sealer you put on there will sit on the surface of the tile and cause you trouble.

Learn to love the stone for what it is. If you had purchased a polished product, it may be that the stone is as polished as it is going to get.

Quartzite is a stone that metamorphosed from original sandstone deposits. Through many ages of heat and pressure, the quartz particles had melded together and became a very dense, extremely durable stone, well suited for use in high traffic areas and even outside.

[doitright]

Hi Chorus Girl, Welcome! :)

Without seeing the project it is difficult to determine what the real issue and solution is. My first concern is whether the flooring material is a true quartzite or not. I was called in to a job a while back that was allegedly a steam shower with "quartzite" installed. The stone was extremely porous. It actually required several coats of impregnating sealer.

Regarding the recommendation to use Tile Labs Matte Sealer and Finish, I would hold off. That particular product is a topical coating (similar to a wax), and is going to create more maintenance than leaving the floor in its natural state.

Do you have any leftover tiles? If so, put some water on the surface and see if it darkens. Let the water stand for about 5 minutes and wipe off. See how long it takes the stone to lighten back up. Please report back with your findings. Obviously this is a sizable investment and you want to get it right. ;)