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Use Natural Shield Manufactured Stone Sealer Before Winter Weather Hits

Post and information updated 10/15/2016:

Properly built structures need less maintenance than structures that have not been built correctly. They will also last considerably longer, particularly when you live in an area that experiences severe, wet winters.

Additionally, there are times when corrective action can be taken to ensure that structures will survive adverse weather conditions, including cold, wet, windy winters.

One of the major issues when building is the need to seal materials, as well as the full range of building elements, from moisture. Water can cause the most terrible damage and can result in rapid deterioration of a building. But do it right in the first place, and you’ll avoid any potential trauma.

Natural Shield to Protect Manufactured Stone from Moisture

Native Custom Stone

Native Custom Stone

Manufactured stone is a good example of a building material that can be impacted by an incorrect application. Install it correctly and it will last a very long time. But if you don’t seal the stone to protect it, you are inviting problems.

Fast becoming one of the most popular building materials for homes, made well, faux stone has many advantages over natural stone. (Learn more about this here.)

  • Because it can be molded and colored in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and colors, it looks exactly like the many natural stone types that are quarried all over the world.
  • Unlike natural stone that is heavy, manufactured stone is lightweight but is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
  • Manufactured stone is considerably cheaper than quarried stone.
  • Manufactured stone can be used as cladding for all structures made with wood frames, metal, or masonry, without the need for foundations or footings.
  • Properly maintained, a manufactured stone veneer will last for decades without any sign of deterioration or change of color.

Just remember that to be sure it really will offer these advantages, manufactured stone must be correctly installed.

The problem is that if manufactured stone veneer is not correctly installed, it tends to trap water directly against the underlying frame. If the frame is made of wood, it can result in wood rot in a remarkably short period of time.

Even if the veneer is correctly installed, it’s a good idea to take steps to prevent any degree of water penetration by coating the manufactured stone with an effective sealant. It is also prudent to re-coat the veneer annually, before winter.

Use Natural Shield to Seal Stone Before Winter

Native Custom Stone manufacturers top quality stone veneer products and we know how important it is for our products to:

  1. Be correctly installed
  2. Be properly sealed

This is why we recommend Natural Shield for the protection of most substrates and surfaces of materials like brick, stucco, pavers, and of course manufactured stone.

Natural Shield is a primer that acts as a repellent to water and oil and helps to prevent stains. It bonds chemically and mechanically to the substrate, effectively stopping water intrusion. In turn this reduces unwanted biological growth, accumulation of dirt, cracking, and freeze damage.

When you use Natural Shield, you won’t have to worry about water damage and intrusion during winter, even though this is the time when it is more likely to work its way into cracks during the freeze-thaw cycle.

Native Custom Stone has no hesitation in recommending Natural Shield for homes built using our manufactured stone veneer products. It is available in various different quantities:

If you’d like more advice about Natural Shield and how to protect your manufactured stone from damp, contact us today. We will also advise on correct installation techniques.

Prevent Moisture Damage on Custom Stone Veneer with Natural Shield

Manufactured stone veneer has become one of the most popular finishes both for interior and exterior house surfaces. It is highly resistant to damage and very easy to maintain. However there is one threat that stone veneer faces, and that is water.

There are two primary factors to consider when it comes to preventing moisture and water damage on any stone veneer surface: installation of the veneer, and proper sealing once installation is complete.

How Moisture Damage Can Affect Custom Stone Veneer

Castle Rock Exterior Home

If Custom Stone Veneer is not installed correctly, a real danger is that water can become trapped between the stone and the wooden framing and interior drywalling of your home. If this happens, the outside surface might look dry and normal, but inside the wood is wet and it will inevitably start to rot.

One of the problems is that older building methods did not use airtight methods to create “building envelopes.” While insulation and energy efficiency wasn’t great, the system did allow building components to dry out naturally without undue damage if and when they got wet. Modern building methods are energy efficient, but if not done the right way can result in the building’s “envelope” absorbing water that not only doesn’t dry out, but also provides a stimulus for fungal growth.

Experts warn that if a building isn’t weathertight without Custom Stone Veneer, then it won’t be weatherproof once the veneer has been installed. Common problems include a lack of drainage and incorrect flashing. There must be weep holes at the base of walls to prevent water from pooling between the frame of the wall and the veneer, and flashing must lead water away from the house.

So the first step is to ensure that the core building is built to the strictest specifications; the second is to ensure that a reliable professional installs the manufactured stone.

The other issue is that all manufactured stone is relatively porous and will therefore retain moisture if it is not properly sealed. This must be done once building is complete.

How to Prevent Moisture Damage on Stone Veneer

Natural Shield

Once a Custom Stone Veneer has been installed it should be coated with a good quality product that will repel water and oil. If this is done efficiently it will also prevent staining.

Native Custom Stone has developed a product that does just this. Called Natural Shield, the coating bonds to substrates chemically and mechanically and acts as a natural defense against water damage (including chalky efflorescence that forms on stone and masonry surfaces), biological growth, freeze and thaw damage, stains, and even cracking and accumulation of dirt.

Although it is easy to apply, if an older stone veneer surface is dirty or stained, it might need to be cleaned first with Native Custom Stone’s Neutral Detergent. Once the surface is clean and dry, Natural Shield may be applied according to the label instructions using a brush, roller, or some sort of spray method. Very porous surfaces and older installations will usually require more than one coat.

Natural Shield takes 24 hours to seven days to cure, depending on the temperature, relative humidity, and airflow. Once curing is complete it will repel water and prevent the surface from future moisture damage. It really is an excellent way to protect your investment and keep your home looking its best.