San Sebastian Church

Surface Type: Bluestone | Products Used: Alkaline Cleaner, Skavenja™, Waterbased Penetrating Sealer & Premium Impregnating Sealer | Completed:  

Applicator: Exclusivas UDA C.B

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THE PROJECT:

The churches, convents and basilicas of San Sebastian have long been an important part of city life and contribute to San Sebastian's historic charm and appeal. Open to members of the public, churches in San Sebastian welcome visitors and many hold regular services during the week and weekends. This newly built church in San Sebastian, designed by well known Spanish Architect Rafael Moneo, showcases 1,600 square meters of stone. “Before the official opening, the stone required deep pore cleansing and sealing. STAIN-PROOF^® products were chosen for this important project”, said Fernando Verano from Exclusivas UDA C.B.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• After installation, grout haze and other building residues to be removed, and deep pore cleaning performed, with ‘people safe’, odorless and environmentally responsible cleaning chemicals.
• Sealer must not affect the slip resistance of the surface.
• Sealer to have longest possible lifespan, so costly and disruptive re-application is minimized.
• Superior water and oil stain repellency.
• Look and finish of the surfaces to be retained.

THE STAIN-PROOF^® SOLUTION:

1. In areas where grout haze was present, Skavenja™, a special non-toxic and non acid cleaner was used to break down the grout residue and remove it. Then deep pore cleaning was performed using STAIN-PROOF Alkaline Cleaner, formerly known as HANAFINN Oxy-Klenza™, a special odorless and oxygen based alkaline cleaner, to prepare the surface for sealing.
2. To create the best seal for this highly porous stone, a light pre-seal coat of STAIN-PROOF Waterbased Penetrating Sealer, formerly known as STAIN REPELLA™, was applied, allowed to partially cure for an hour, and followed with STAIN-PROOF Premium Impregnating Sealer, formerly known as STAIN-PROOF ORIGINAL™, a super penetrating and permanent bonding impregnator.
3. Premium Impregnating Sealer bonds permanently inside the pores of the material, and therefore is not affected by UV light foot traffic and cleaning.
4. A few sealer companies offer limited warranties, with a lot of fine print. With the unique super penetrating and permanent bonding properties of Premium Impregnating Sealer, STAIN-PROOF is able to offer a 15 year performance warranty with no fine print when the sealer is applied by a STAIN-PROOF Accredited Applicator. No special cleaning regimes or products are required to maintain this warranty, although we encourage use of our inexpensive, safe to use, environmentally responsible STAIN-PROOF cleaning products.
5. The Church is a high traffic public area, and required a sealer which would not change the slip resistance of the floor. The sealing molecules in Premium Impregnating Sealer are more than 400 times smaller than other impregnators, and are able to line the pores, instead of sitting on the surface – and therefore has no significant effect on the slip resistance of the surface.