Dry Treat Travertine & Granite Sealer

by Richard K
(Surrey, BC, Canada)

QUESTION:

Have you heard of a travertine and granite sealer called Dry Treat?


They claim to have 15 year warranty on their product. I have installed tropical brown granite counter tops and polished and filled travertine on the floor.

The dry treat person says seal it all with two coats. They claim that no stain should ever appear if I seal it right with their stain proof product.

What is your opinion of the product and are all sealers the same?

ANSWER:

Yes... I've heard of Dry Treat, but have not used their products yet (Update: Yes we have!... keep reading...). And no... sealers are not all the same. Just like paint or household cleaners are not all the same.

From what I understand, they are using the latest molecular engineering technology.

Instead of just filling the pores, the sealant forms a permanent molecular bond with the stone to act more as an oil and water repellent than a physical barrier. Thus, there is no way for the potentially staining substance to soak in or bond with the stone.

It works kind of like opposing magnets... you can't get them to stick together.

UPDATE: We now have used and are familiar with Dry Treat granite sealers and they are very good to excellent.

A special chemical process is employed to yield super-small molecules that allow the sealers to absorb very deep (much deeper than standard sealers) into the stone for superior coverage.

This action coupled with the repellent properties described above create an excellent line of sealers.

The very best of these advanced sealers is SenGuard Marble & Granite Sealer.

Is it better? .... not being a chemist, I can't say definitively that Dry Treat is better or not, however, based on how the technology works I'd say it's probably is better and possibly a lot better... permanent bonds, etc.

And now after using such sealers we can definitively say they are better.... much better in fact, which is why we highly recommend the Senguard above.

Note that the 15-yr warranty is good only if their technician applies the sealer and I'm sure there are other caveats.

Now, let's go back to square one. You installed Tropical Brown granite and polished travertine. Did you test for sealing granite countertops both of these to determine if they even needed sealing?

Why?... because neither of these typically need sealing. Tropical Brown is very dense and when travertine is polished it becomes essentially non-absorbent.

In fact, usually they can't be sealed... just not porous enough to take a sealer or absorb anything else.

Applying a sealer to a stone that can't take a sealer is an exercise that most likely will end in maddening frustration. The sealer will just dry on top creating a streaky haze that will need to be stripped off with toxic chemicals.

So, test each surface with water and see if they need it. Of course, Dry Treat wants to sell their product (and you can't blame them for that) but the advice to "apply two coats" is just general advice for an average stone that definitely does need sealing.

Consumers hear such advice and then think (incorrectly) that "all" stone "must" be sealed with at least two coats... and every year. It's a myth... just not true for a lot of stone.

I believe they know that many varieties of natural stone do not need to be sealed and applying a sealer to such surfaces can be problematic. However, given that these sealers absorb much easier they probably feel like "why not?"

Well, with stones that are so dense that almost nothing will absorb anyway your risk of staining is near zero. The stone is already naturally stain-proof and applying a sealer (even one that can absorb) just isn't necessary.

Now, it may be a great sealer when needed, but there is no point in applying a sealer when not necessary. You don't gain anything except an added expense and potentially a nasty stripping job to remove the sealer stuck on the surface.