Should I seal limestone?
Without a doubt, yes. For any limestone to last, it needs to be sealed properly using the appropriate product seal. Limestone seal provides a long-lasting natural appearance to your stone, allowing the stone/pavement to stay clean for a long period of time. The best sealer for limestone pavers will prevent your pavers (stones) from getting stained. It will also reduce bad green plants to start flourishing on it.
Using limestone on your pavements will reduce the effect that dirt and water can cause on your stone. The combination of water and dirt will lead to some form of “crystallization” within the pores of your limestone. And when the cold winter comes, your stones will start degrading rapidly.
The below provides a review of the best limestone sealers. These can also be used as limestone slab sealers for your patio or other locations.
How long does limestone sealer last?
A standard limestone sealer usually lasts from anything between 3 to 5 years. What you should do at year 3 is to check if there are any cracks that are starting to appear. Refill these and you are done for another year or 2.
Now you just need to continue doing this so that you do not end up having a major overhaul job in re-doing your complete limestone sealer work. Maintenance is key to this. So, after you have done your first limestone sealing work, keep monitoring and “repair” so to speak whenever needed. This is the easiest and cheapest way of maintaining nice pavers, stones, slates, etc.
Why does Limestone turn black?
There are times where your limestones may turn black. And you may get upset with the product/brand that you used. However, the reality is far from what you may be thinking.
Like anything else, limestone will decay through time. The reason is known to many. It is due to some chemicals that are available in the air. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are the two main air pollutants reacting with your stones making them dissolve. And when your stones dissolve, they usually create a hardish, blackish, gypsum-type crust on the outer shell of your stone.
And this will lead to weakening your stones till they become soft and crumbly stone underneath. If this is the case, you’re in for an expensive stone replacement. That’s why I say that you need to maintain your stones using some of the best black limestone sealer or any other products available on the market (see below for a selection of the best ones currently available).
Should you seal limestone steps?
Of course, you should. In fact, I would start by protecting the steps before the rest of my slabs, paver, stones, etc. Your limestones are porous and if you do not protect your steps, then these will deteriorate. That’s why you need to use a sealer to ensure they become “non-porous”.
Can I use vinegar on limestone?
No, no, and no. Please do not use any acidic type liquid on your limestones. Do not use vinegar, lime, lemon juice, or other acidic cleaning agents. And this is also true for marble, travertine, or onyx surfaces. So anything that you use for your bathroom, grout cleaner, tiles, and tub cleaner is a no-no product to use before applying a limestone patio sealer. Basically, anything that is abrasive will weaken your stones.
#1. StoneTech Heavy Duty Limestone Sealer
For those who are interested in a limestone penetrating sealer, the StoneTech Heavy Duty Limestone Sealer is definitely a very nice option. It does a great job of sealing your limestone from water damage and protecting it from weather, temperature changes, and just generally all sorts of tough conditions outdoors. We also like it because it lasts the longest out of all the brands we tried and seems to offer the best protection.
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Best Limestone Sealer
- #1. StoneTech Heavy Duty Limestone Sealer
- #2. Weiman Limestone Sealer
- #3. Ultra Dry 70 Limestone Sealer
- #4. Black Diamond Stoneworks Limestone Sealer
- #5. The Floor Guys Limestone Sealer
#1. StoneTech Heavy Duty Limestone Sealer
When it comes to the ultimate limestone sealer, the StoneTech Heavy Duty Limestone Sealer is definitely a pretty good option. Stonetech is a well-known player in this industry and we think they make a superior product. The thing that separates Stonetech’s limestone sealer from the rest of the brands is simply that it performs better and lasts longer. There’s no better way to explain it but the truth.
Stonetech’s sealer has ridiculous water repellency and stain protection. It also makes any limestone it comes in contact with incredibly weather resistant and able to handle extreme temperatures. So this makes it pretty good for outdoor and indoor use. Also, it emits a low odor and has very good coverage, so it is also pretty good value for your money.
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#2. Weiman Limestone Sealer
Next up, we have the Weiman liquid limestone sealer, which is a sealer for those who want a really easy-to-use spray and wipe formula. It doesn’t get much easier than this folks. While the Weiman is quite easy to apply, the trade-off is of course that it just isn’t as protective or long-lasting as say the StoneTech mentioned above. You will be re-applying to this more often.
Besides the convenience factor, what we really like about the Weiman Limestone Sealer is that it actually does a pretty decent job of enhancing the color and exposing the natural beauty of limestone. Additionally, it does a really good job of fending off food and water spilled and is also designed to brush off oil and any sort of chemical you throw at it.
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#3. Ultra Dry 70 Limestone Sealer
Another great option is the Ultra Dry 70 specifically designed as an outdoor limestone sealer (can also be used indoor). This sealer does a great job of protecting your limestone from water and water-related damage over time. In fact, we think the standout feature is that it just does a superior job specifically at fending off the water. So if you are prone to spill a lot of drinks on your limestone, this may be the right product for you.
It goes without saying that this sealer is safe to be used in food areas and even does a fairly decent job at protecting against staining and saltwater. It does fairly well outdoors in harsh weather conditions as well. The only issue we have with it is that the application is a bit tedious with a long cure time.
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#4. Black Diamond Stoneworks Limestone Sealer
Black Diamond Stoneworks is another great company that does a really good job of making a limestone floor tile sealer and is better than a majority of the ones we tried. Its “next-gen” stone sealer truly offers a nice combination of good protection, ease of application, longevity, and just overall quality. It is very safe for food contact and has a low odor profile.
Additionally, it is quite non-toxic and non-corrosive, so don’t worry about applying it with your kids or pets around. It also gives your limestone a natural sheen and glows which is a nice touch. This leaves a nice luster that almost has rejuvenating properties as it essentially restores old-looking limestone and lets the natural beauty of limestone shine. It can be used as an exterior limestone sealer or interior one. It is a simple to use, highly efficient, and noncorrosive limestone paving sealer.
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#5. The Floor Guys Limestone Sealer
Finally, we have the Floor Guys Limestone Sealer, which is certainly a very nice option for those who want to try a nice penetrating limestone tile sealer that is off the beaten path. The Floor Guys is a rather boutique name brand and definitely gets some thunder stolen by the titans of this industry such as Dupont StoneTech and whatnot.
However, just because it is that well known across the community does not mean that the Floor Guys have an inferior product. In fact, we really like it in that we think that it outperforms most of the brands we mentioned above. Yes, we know this is surprising, but hey it worked very well when we tested it. Unfortunately, we don’t have many other data points to back it up, so you have to take a leap of faith. By the way, this limestone can be used as a sealer for limestone slabs.
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Verdict on the best limestone sealer
There are thousands of sealants around and it is difficult to choose one. Above, we shorten the list to make it easy for you. You just need to choose one of the sealants best applied to your stones and conditions. All of the above can be applied indoor and outdoor, and some of them provide a limestone sealer wet look, which is always nice. Price will probably play a major deciding factor but ensure you choose one that is long-lasting and that you have some spare for your annual maintenance.
