Aqua Mix Stone Enhancer - Quart

First experience laying slate. This product enhanced the color of a pale, mostly non-descript light- buff colored slate to deep earthy moss-greens, golds, browns, blue-grays, blacks, and revealed much detail in the grain & structure of the stone. It totally changed the look for the better. It has mostly a 'matte' look. A few places under the right light have a slight sheen, but definitely duller than semi-gloss or gloss finishes. If you WANT a 'wet look' - get something else. This really does what it say: it deepens and brings out the colors you see when it is wet, and it looks wet when you apply it. But when dry/cured, it retains 90% or so (subjective) of the color depth, but the finish becomes much more 'matte'. It enhances, seals (water beads on surface), and has a natural 'matte' look when finished. Careful - it does seem to have some kind of oil-base, so I don't think water-based finishes will go on top of it, so if there is some further 'enhancing' or wet-look finish you want, you need to consider compatibility. I applied it to every stone tile prior to laying it. Glad I did. The Enhancer also seals, so it makes excess mortar MUCH easier to clean off than would be otherwise. (compared to other stone experience, and bottoms & sides of tile which have no enhancer). Careful when pre-appying it that you minimize the amount that drips on edges or gets tranferred to back when you pick it up. When I went to pre-wet the backs of the tiles for back-buttering, I can sometimes see a few drips and my fingerprints on the back where I accidentally must have transferred some of the product while moving them from workbench to dry-rack. I used approx 1-3/4 qts for 150 12"x12" slate tiles. It will likely take the rest of the 2nd qt to give one overall finish once all down & grout complete. I ordered a third to make sure I had enough for this and for future refreshes / touch ups (slate can chip easily & floor = foot traffic). The floor, though looks terrific. Not yet finished, but so excited. I cannot comment on longevity of the enhanced look. I expect the slate will chip a bit and we'll see discoloration there. As far as simply deteriorating, or wearing due to foot traffic I don't know. It does appear the product goes INTO the stone and is not merely a surface finish, which in encouraging in that respect. Some stones absorbed more than others. For some a coat or two was sufficient; other stones drank 4 to 6 coats before full color was solidified. I applied with brush. Some suggest sprayer - but I was afraid of controlling for drip on side & back. So all of my perspective is from brush applied. Also, have not grouted or applied to that yet. Have tested it on grout samples & it looks same there as on stone. Very happy with product, and if I wanted sealed against water penetration, enhanced color, non 'wet-look', I would definitely purchase this again.

Vague directions. Enhanced the stones but also emphasized areas where grout was discolored. Still sticky after 34 hrs. Had to wipe off to lessen the thickness of the second coat.

I used the Aqua Mix stone enhancer on a new travertine back splash. I first applied it to a few test tiles, and while it had some effect I was somewhat disappointed. While pondering these results I noticed how much stone dust remained on the tiles from being processed. After thoroughly cleaning a few more test tiles and applying I was very pleased with the results. To clean the entire back splash I scrubbed it down with a wet scotchbrite pad, then wiped it down with a CLEAN grout sponge. By clean, I mean I would only wipe a very small area before rinsing the sponge. The scotchbrite also did a great job of cleaning up any excess grout I had left behind. Unless you don't want the colors to come out at all, I think you would really have to do this with just about any natural stone. While applying I was a little concerned about some grout joints. I kept seeing hairline cracks in the grout where the sealer was penetrating quickly. In other areas the sealer did not seem to be penetrating the grout evenly even where there were no cracks. However, several hours later, everything was nice and even with no issues. Actual application of the product was easy and I would say it could be applied with just about anything (brush, sponge, high-nap roller, etc.). It is a little on the thick side so applying on a vertical surface isn't impossible but not too thick. I used about 1/3 of the quart to cover about 35 square feet of 1in X 2in travertine with a 1/2in X 1/2in accent in it, but applied it quite liberally and had a fair amount that had dripped down to my granite counter, where I just wiped it in to the counter. The final result was essentially all the colors that showed through wile it was wet, but without the glossy finish. In summary: - It's extremely important to make sure the tiles are clean and have any stone dust removed prior to application. - The penetration of the sealer will even out over several hours. - Ultimately, this product is only going to reveal the colors present in the stone. Wet your tiles well and that is the color you will end up with, but with a matte finish.

We moved into our new home to discover the tile in kitchen and breakfast nook were never sealed. After discussing with a highly-respected tile setter, he recommended this product that he uses on all his jobs. Applied three coats with a 12 hour setting time between each coat. The product enhanced the beautiful color in the tile, created a high-gloss shine without being slippery, and even feels clean walking barefoot over compared to feeling dirty before sealing the tiles. Definitely worth the money, time, and energy spent to enhance the beauty in our home. Now off to do the laundry room tile!

It does enhance (darken) the colors of the stone as well as seal. Once dry, it isn't shiny- the rocks still look dry. They just have that deep color you'd see if they were wet. But, READ ALL instructions well!!

Grab a scrap piece of stone, and apply AS MANY COATS AS YOU PLAN TO PUT ON YOUR PROJECT. This product WILL darken the stone significantly, and it may not be the look you want. I tested one coat on a scrap piece and loved the look. After applying 2 coats the stone is now WAY too dark. I used "Indian Autumn" slate which has dark greys, oranges and greens, and looks stunning when the tile is wet. I was looking for this same stunning look with all the colours and highlights popping after applying the enhancer, but it darkened everything so much that the colours just blend into the dark grey areas. When I look at the project now, I just see a uniform darkness with very little colour. I think this is a great product. It applies well, the matte look is great, and on a lighter stone it would probably look wonderful. But, don't make the same mistake I did. Test, test and test some more before you darken your project more than you expected.

My contractor uses this on every slate floor job he does. It does enhance (darken) the colors of the stone as well as seal. Once dry, it isn't shiny- the rocks still look dry. They just have that deep color you'd see if they were wet. I had accidentally bought a different product (that turned out to be just a sealer) to finish another stone floor that I had done myself. There was a big difference. The rocks with the plain sealer were a lot lighter and more dull. Thank goodness I could get that other sealer off by using acetone so that I could still use this enhancer on that floor.

I built an outdoor kitchen and used natural thin veneer stone (excellent stuff from Beuchel Stone btw) to cover the base. The stone looked nice, but lacked depth of color. I didn't want a "wet" look either, just for the stone to look the way it did when it got wet. This product is perfect. I had about 100 sq ft to cover, and the quart was just about right. Applied easily with a paintbrush, and a towel to dab at the foamy parts. Easy to see where it's been applied as you do it, and looks perfect in a day or so.