Over the past decade, natural stone, manufactured stone and concrete benchtops have become increasingly popular. They add style and elegance to surfaces that are primarily functional, but they also have to withstand the demands of everyday life.

Kitchen and bathroom benchtops need to be durable, easy to clean and properly protected, particularly where food preparation is involved. They can be exposed to water, oils, food, cleaning products and acidic substances such as vinegar, lemon juice and low-pH wines.

Choosing the right sealer is therefore about more than simply protecting the appearance of the stone — it's about choosing a product suited to the demands of the surface.

The following products are all suitable to be used on natural stone benchtops:

• Pro Seal 898
• ProtectGuard MG
• ProtectGuard Plant Based

Each sealer provides a different approach to protection and finish, allowing you to select the product that best suits your stone and the environment in which it is used.

Pro Seal 898 is designed for dense surfaces and penetrates into the stone to create an impregnating acrylic co-polymer matrix seal.

When correctly applied, it provides long-lasting protection and can be reapplied in high-wear areas to replenish the protective surface film and help extend the service life of the benchtop.

Pro Seal 898 can also subtly enhance the natural colour of the stone and can be buffed to achieve a higher-gloss finish.

Ideal for: 
Dense natural stone and polished surfaces.

Key benefits:

• • Deep penetrating protection
  • Long-lasting protection
  • Suitable for dense stone
  • Can subtly enhance colour
  • Can be buffed to a higher-gloss finish
  • Water-based formulation

ProtectGuard MG is a natural-finish fluorinated co-polymer sealer designed for very dense surfaces.

It penetrates the stone and provides molecular-level repellency against water, oils and stains, while maintaining an extremely natural appearance.

It is an excellent choice where the priority is maximum protection without changing the appearance of the stone.

Ideal for: 
Dense natural stone and benchtops where a natural look is important.

Key benefits:

• Natural-look finish
• Repels water, oils and stains
• Designed for dense surfaces
• Long-lasting protection
• Provides effective protection for more than 10 years when correctly applied

For benchtops that require a higher level of protection against stains, chemicals and acids, ProtectGuard Plant Based is an excellent option.

Lime-based materials such as marble, limestone, travertine and concrete can be particularly vulnerable to acid attack. Everyday substances such as vinegar, lemon juice and low-pH wines can cause etching if the surface is not adequately protected.

ProtectGuard Plant Based is a high-performance coating from the urethane family, providing excellent resistance to staining and chemical attack while using bio-sourced materials.

Ideal for: 
Marble, limestone, travertine, concrete and other acid-sensitive benchtop materials.

Key benefits:

• Excellent stain protection
• High resistance to chemicals
• Excellent protection against acids
• Suitable for acid-sensitive stone
• Made using bio-sourced materials
• Water-based formulation

When sealing a benchtop, particularly in a kitchen environment, the product you choose matters.

Pro Seal 898 and ProtectGuard Plant Based are water-based products with no hazardous materials in the container or throughout the application and curing process. They provide a practical, high-performance option for customers looking for a more environmentally conscious sealing solution.

ProtectGuard MG is alcohol-based and contains approximately 8% volatile components. The alcohol evaporates during curing, after which the treatment is fully cured. It also achieves an A+ rating for indoor air emissions.

Always follow the individual product's technical data, application instructions and curing requirements before using a surface for food preparation

Natural stone flooring brings a timeless, premium feel to both indoor and outdoor spaces, but even the most durable stone is exposed to everyday wear. Foot traffic, dirt, moisture, food and drink spills, oils, cleaning products and general household activity can all affect the appearance of your floor over time.

Sealing your natural stone floor helps reduce the penetration of water, oils and staining contaminants, making the surface easier to clean and maintain while helping preserve its natural beauty. The right sealer can also provide additional protection against the demands of high-traffic areas without compromising the look and character of the stone.

Whether you're protecting a polished marble floor, limestone, travertine, bluestone or another natural stone surface, choosing a sealer suited to the stone's density, porosity and desired finish is essential.

The following products are all suitable to be used on natural stone flooring:

• Pro Seal 898
• ProtectGuard Plant Based 
• ProtectGuard MG 
• ProtectGuard Wet Finish Premium

Each sealer provides a different approach to protection and finish, allowing you to select the product that best suits your stone and the environment in which it is used.

If maintaining the original appearance of your stone is your priority, ProtectGuard MG is an excellent choice for suitable dense natural stone floors.

Its fluorinated co-polymer technology penetrates the stone and provides protection against water, oils and stains while maintaining a natural, virtually invisible appearance. This makes it particularly well suited to floors where you want strong protection without noticeably changing the colour or character of the stone.

Ideal for: Dense natural stone floors where a natural, understated appearance is important.

Benefits include:

• Natural-looking finish
• Protection against water, oils and stains
• Suitable for dense stone
• Helps make everyday maintenance easier
• Long-lasting protection

If you want to bring out the natural colour and character of your stone, ProtectGuard WF Premium provides a long-lasting colour-enhancing, wet-look finish.

This alcohol-based penetrating sealer penetrates deep into the stone and enhances its natural colour, creating an appearance similar to freshly wet stone. It can be particularly effective on stone that appears faded, dry or lacks colour depth.

Despite being an alcohol-based product, ProtectGuard WF Premium achieves an A+ indoor air emissions rating, making it suitable for appropriate indoor applications when correctly applied.

Ideal for: Natural stone floors where a richer colour, deeper appearance or wet-look finish is desired.

Benefits include:

• Deep penetrating protection
• Long-lasting colour enhancement
• Wet-look appearance
• Enhances the natural character of suitable stone
• A+ indoor air emissions rating

ProtectGuard Plant Based provides a high-performance protective coating for suitable natural stone floors where enhanced resistance to stains, chemicals and acids is required.

This can be particularly beneficial for stone floors in areas exposed to food, drinks and household contaminants. Its water-based formulation and biosourced materials also make it an attractive option for customers looking for a more environmentally conscious sealing solution.

Ideal for: Suitable indoor stone floors where high levels of stain and chemical protection are required.

The right sealer won't replace regular cleaning and care, but it can provide an important first line of defence against everyday contaminants.

By reducing absorption and protecting the surface, sealing can help your natural stone floor stay cleaner, look better and perform for longer.

Feature stone can transform an interior or exterior space, but exposed stone can also be vulnerable to moisture, staining, weathering and biological growth.

Many of our natural stone sealers can be used on feature walls and architectural stone, allowing you to choose protection based on the stone's porosity and the finish you want to achieve.

Dense natural stone generally requires a sealer capable of penetrating the surface without unnecessarily altering its appearance.

Pro Seal 898 is a suitable option for dense stone applications where long-lasting impregnating protection is required. It penetrates into the surface to create an acrylic co-polymer matrix seal and can provide subtle colour enhancement where desired.

ProtectGuard MG is ideal where maintaining a completely natural appearance is a priority. Its fluorinated co-polymer technology penetrates dense surfaces and provides protection against water, oils and stains while helping preserve the original appearance of the stone.

Consider:

• Pro Seal 898 – penetrating protection for suitable dense stone surfaces, with subtle colour enhancement.
• ProtectGuard MG – high-performance, natural-look protection against water, oils and stains.

Ideal for: Dense limestone, granite, marble, bluestone and other suitable architectural stone surfaces.

More porous stone requires a different approach. Materials such as Australian sandstone, Tamala limestone, shale and dolomite can readily absorb moisture and contaminants, making them particularly susceptible to staining, weathering and biological growth.

For these surfaces, a suitable penetrating sealer can help reduce absorption while allowing the stone to retain its natural character and breathability.

Pro Seal 770 is designed for more porous limestone and mineral surfaces and can provide penetrating protection while helping preserve the appearance of the stone.  When used on walls it can be used as a standalone product.  When used on pavement it will need to have Pro Seal 896 or Pro Seal 898 applied as a top coat.

ProtectGuard and ProtectGuard HD are also suitable options for appropriate porous stone applications where enhanced water and stain protection is required.

Consider:

• Pro Seal 770: penetrating protection for more porous limestone and mineral surfaces.
• ProtectGuard: protection against water and staining for suitable porous stone.
• ProtectGuard HD: high-performance protection for demanding applications.

Ideal for: Australian sandstone, Tamala limestone, shale, dolomite and other porous architectural stone.

If the primary reason for sealing is to help prevent algae, mould, moss, lichens and other microbiological growth, consider ImperGuard Ultra 4 in 1.

It combines water-repellent protection with active antimicrobial and self-cleaning photocatalytic technology, helping to combat organic contaminants while also assisting in the breakdown of pollution and other surface deposits.

This makes it particularly useful for exterior stone surfaces that are exposed to moisture and environmental contaminants.

Ideal for: Exterior stone, feature walls and porous surfaces exposed to moisture and environmental contaminants.

Feature stone is often selected for its natural colour, texture and character, so the finish of your sealer can be just as important as the level of protection.

Natural-Look Protection

If you want your feature stone to look as close to its original appearance as possible, choose a natural-look penetrating sealer such as ProtectGuard MG for suitable dense stone or ProtectGuard for appropriate porous surfaces.

Colour Enhancement

If you want to bring out deeper tones and enrich the natural colour of your stone, consider a product designed to provide colour enhancement, such as Pro Seal 898 or ProtectGuard WF Premium, where suitable for the specific stone and application.

Always test first: Natural stone can vary considerably, even within the same material. Always apply a small test area before treating the entire surface to ensure the finish and level of colour enhancement meet your expectations.

A feature wall or architectural stone surface is designed to make an impression. The right sealing solution helps protect that investment while allowing the natural beauty of the material to remain the focus.

Indoor Feature Walls

Indoor stone features are generally protected from harsh weather but can still be exposed to dust, moisture, oils and household contaminants. A suitable sealer can help reduce absorption and make the surface easier to clean while preserving its natural appearance.

Outdoor Feature Walls

Exterior stone faces much greater exposure to rain, moisture, pollution, temperature changes and biological growth. For outdoor applications, consider not only stain and water protection but also the stone's porosity and susceptibility to microbiological growth.