Sealant or coating for marble

David Turnbull <dturnbull [at] edmontonarts__ab__ca> writes

>We have an upcoming large scale artwork that will be carved from
>Vermont Mountain White Marble and Vermont Danby Marble with a honed
>finish. It will be permanently displayed indoors in a heavily
>trafficked public space. The artist has recommended using a water-
>based penetrating sealant to protect and facilitate easier cleaning
>from water and oil-based staining. I am concerned about its
>irreversibility. Anyone with experience with successes or failures
>of penetrating sealants or opinions on coatings that could be
>applied before it is installed would be appreciated. ...

The available ready-to-use products to seal stone are of two types:

    Waxes or synthetic thermoplastics in organic solvents, or as
    emulsion in water

    Silicone products

Both are more or less irreversible, as any material infiltrated into
porous material, but in the first case you can clean the surface and
repeat the treatment. With the second type, this is much more
difficult. Check the data sheet and safety data sheet of your
product.

One option is to use a emulsion of beeswax/carnauba wax 1:1 in white
spirit, applied warm, but this may result in a glossy finish.

The honed finish is much easier preserved with the silicone
products.

Olaf Pung
conservator for stone objects, Dipl.(FH)
Thuer, Germany


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:39
                Distributed: Saturday, February 19, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-39-004
                                  ***