Sealing brownstone facade?

I just had my Brooklyn brownstone’s facade and stoop entirely resurfaced; it looks fantastic! In researching concrete sealers and strengtheners as part of the restoration of the courtyard in the rear of the house, it occurred to me that “brownstone” is very much like concrete. So, why not seal it and protect it (especially the stoop) against water/moisture intrusion and the negative effects of freezing/thawing and protect the investment? Has anyone done this or heard of it being done to brownstone? Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

jlggomez

in Brownstoner Renovation 10 years and 10 months ago

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dorkofwindsor | 10 years and 10 months ago

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i’m guessing you were greeted with blank stares by your masons. i found no one with any building science knowledge – including the distributors of sealers in this area, who don’t seem to know their silane and silicone. I was looking around for BASF hydrozo products but ended up defaulting with another penetrating sealer that is readily available and seems to work well – Thoro Concrete and Masonry Sealer. It is a penetrating breathable silane sealer, waterproof and should be exactly what you are looking for. Really any silane sealer will work, i ordered mine off the internet and had my guys spray it with a regular garden sprayer. Don’t spray it on your steps or sidewalk (cover them to catch any overspray) as when freezing time comes you will find out how well it works – it beads like your tile shower and will create quite an ice hazard on flat surfaces.

bkarchitect | 10 years and 10 months ago

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Get the specification on the stucco material used (brownstone = stucco) and see what it recommends. Chances are you got some sort of latex modified blend and there’s no need. If you are in a landmarked district they would have forced you to use the unmodified stuff and not let you seal it anyway. So either way, you probably shouldn’t seal it.

catboot | 10 years and 10 months ago

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I would be very careful with any type of sealer on Brownstone. If it were me, I wouldn’t do it. But having said that, if you had your stoop redone, chances are it’s not actual brownstone, so it may be OK.

jlggomez | 10 years and 10 months ago

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Good point, but I am referring to some of the very “hi-tech” sealers available now; not your run of the mill topical sealers. For instance, some of the products by companies like Prosoco ($175/gal!) are formulated such that they permeate the stone and bond to the stone; they keep out water molecules and others that size, but still let the stone “breathe” by allowing the smaller water vapor molecules escape. A concrete contractor that I know has a lot of experience with this product and recommends it highly; but, doesn’t have experience with brownstones.

anotherposter | 10 years and 10 months ago

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I’m no expert on this, but from I remember when discussing this sort of thing with an expert for our home years ago, it’s a bad idea. I think the gist is that you can’t ever 100% seal it and moisture that gets in can end up stuck because of the sealant and doing more damage than the average wear and tear on non-sealed outer layers. I’m interested to hear if others disagree.