Sealer for concrete kitchen benchtop

[Craka]

I have a concrete benchtop, I had planned on using cromelin stone shield but there was none instock locally so used betta stone and concrete sealer. After 3 wet on wet coats applied as per instructions and now being over 48 hours since application, whilst there is a sheen to bench it is not repelling water and there still feels to be a cement dust feel when fingers a wiped over bench.

Suggestions on what to do would be great.

[droog]

No personal experience with concrete bench tops inside but i do remember a number of online threads with people constructing them, could have even been the old Renovate Forums.

If I remember correctly they first used a penetrating sealer as you have done but the final finish was bees wax and lots of polishing.

[Neil]

I have no idea what the cement finish used is like nor any other cement finish for that matter.

However, the dusty feel will most likely be a combination of slow drying finish allowing dust etc in the air to settle in/on the finish either that or the grit from sanding that hasn't been fully remover or the sanding wasn't done to a fine enough grit.

If the finish is still absorbing water I would hazard a guess that it possible wasn't fully mixed. Reading their information it says to stir with a lifting motion to fully incorporate the mix which suggests that it is a mix that drops out and will take more than just a round and round stirring. The instructions also say not to use a rotary stirrer. Some of our products need to be shaken almost violently to mix them and if not done the product won't work to its full extent.

The amount of water proofing could also go back to the concrete pour and weather or not there was a waterproofer like BondCrete or Admix, etc. used in the mix which I believe can help with waterproofing.

I can say that a number of times we have sold our Traditional Wax to people with cement and also stone bench tops and had good results. The wax does contain mineral turpentine but this flashes off (disappears) as the the wax is applied and hardens leaving a safe hard, foodsafe, waxed finish.

Problem here is... if the surface now isn't fully waterproofed the waxing may mark with heat, water, alcohol, etc.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

[Craka]

Thanks Guys. Can I add more coats of sealer now that it is dry? I sanded to 220 grit and wiped down before beginning to apply sealer. It had said not to shake on the instructions, but with holding lid on I alternated it upside down and vice versa numerous times so mix should have been okay I would have thought.

Its actually microcement so there is an element of it being waterproof inherent to the material. I was actually going to use tung oil to begin with but as I had gone with the natural almost white colour of the microcement as finished colour, the tung oil was going to yellow it too much.

Do you just hand buff the wax in ?