Stone is naturally absorbent, which means that water, oil and other liquids can penetrate the surface, potentially causing damage
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP PROTECT THE STONE?
“It is easy, you just need to apply a stone impregnator”
Impregnation should form part of your yearly maintenance whatever size yacht you are on. When applied regularly, it will give your stone significantly improved stain resistance, saving you time and money in repair work!
WHAT DOES A STONE IMPREGNATOR DO?
Impregnators penetrate the surface of the stone slowing the absorption of spills and liquids giving you more time to clean them up.
Impregnators do not protect against etching*
JUST JOINED THE YACHT – HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO IMPREGNATE NEXT?
Place a few drops of water on the surface.
Does the water bead? If it does, then the surface is in good shape.
Is the water absorbed into the stone pretty quickly, or does it spread? Then you need to re-impregnate…
The left hand side of this surface needs to be (re)impregnated
The right hand side is sufficiently impregnated for now
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU APPLY AN IMPREGNATOR ON BOARD A YACHT?
It really depends on the amount of use each surface sustains, and the stone finish. As a general rule, any area that has water on or around it, should be treated more frequently.
This is to be used as a guide only:
| Stone vanity tops | Shower walls | Shower floors | Pantry countertops | Stone floors |
| These are a must-do, especially if the yacht works back-to-back seasons, due to stains from beauty products | These surfaces get splashed with water, beauty products and hair dyes | This area gets a beating because water sits on it for longer as it is horizontal | This area commonly has granite worktops, which are very hard-wearing. Do the absorption test yearly to check whether you need to impregnate or not | If your floors are large, have them professionally treated as part of the yacht’s maintenance plan. If your floors are small (dayheads), we recommend yearly |
| 6 – 12 months | 1 – 2 years | Yearly | Yearly/According to test | Professional/Yearly |
EYS recommends impregnators from two brands, Lithofin or HMK. Both impregnators are marked Eco as they are solvent-free, which means you can use them on board without any issues. The appearance of the natural stone is not affected.
To understand more about how you apply these products, download the instruction sheets from the product page on our website.
ETCHING
White spots or marks are called etches. Acidic substances cause etching and it takes mere seconds after a spill for etching marks to appear!
If the affected area is lighter than the natural stone’s colour, it’s likely an etch.
Remember: impregnation does not protect against etching!
STAINING
Impregnation works against stains caused by oil, water and grease.
This means that these substances will remain on the surface and are not absorbed immediately: 12 to 48 hours on polished marble and limestone, up to 60 hours on granite. During this time they can be easily removed without leaving stains.
*White spots or marks are called etches. Acidic substances cause etching and it takes mere seconds after a spill for etching marks to appear!
