Contemporary Stone & Tile Design
Podcast | Sealing with Katie Kraus
Katie Kraus, the brand manager of tile and stone for Rustoleum, discusses the difference in different sealing techniques and confusion around sealing quartz, as well as common issues with sealing.
Contemporary Stone & Tile Design's sister publication, Stone World, recently had the opportunity to sit down with Katie Kraus of Rustoleum to talk about various issues with sealing and the proper techniques that should be applied.
SW: With certain products out there like quartz, there seems to be some misconceptions that you don’t need to seal it, or only need to seal certain colors. What would you say to those fabricators out there?
KK: If I am, a homeowner and I have lighter quartz I want to make sure it’s protected. For fabricators we have seen lighter quartz, whites especially, easily stain like a marble, limestone or a concrete. So it is really important to consider sealing. For fabricators it’s an easy upsell to say, ‘Hey you are spending thousands of dollars to have this beautiful stone, it’s going to cost $100 to make it less likely to get stain, is that something you’re interested in?’ It’s easy to apply, doesn’t take a lot of effort or time and it gives homeowners that peace of mind.
SW: Are there any situations you see where fabricators make common mistakes in sealing?
KK: I would make a plug for our technical support team that if a fabricator runs into any of those instances that they immediate go online or call the 1 800 numbers on the back of our labels because we have professionals on standby ready to answer those questions for you. They are not getting a lot of fabricator questions, so keep my friends over there busy. So first thing is, when in doubt, ask. Also, when applying, pay attention to the manufacturers recommendation. Our sealers we say two coats. Some require six coats.
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Jason Kamery is the Managing Editor and Group Digital Editor of Stone World. With more than a decade of experience covering the stone and countertop industry, he has conducted hundreds of interviews with fabricators, manufacturers, and industry leaders, and hosts the Stone World. podcast. He reports from events worldwide, including TISE, Coverings, and Marmomac, and his coverage extends to worker safety and silicosis, trade policy and tariffs, and fabrication technology. Kamery has also served as a speaker and panel moderator at The International Surface Event (TISE). He graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Mass Communication.
email: kameryj@bnpmedia.com | office: (248) 833-7356
