How to seal slate without brushmarks?

[shirley1231]

 

When I seal slate with gloss sealer and a brush I leave brushmarks.  What is the best way to apply gloss sealer to eliminate brush marks.

 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @shirley1231. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about sealing slate.

Could we start with what product you are using and whether you are using a synthetic or natural brush? How wide is the brush? If you are not getting a satisfactory result, it would be best to look towards the application instructions to see if an alternate method is advised. Perhaps they might suggest a roller or application pad.

What sort of preparation was done on the tiles before application? Many slate sealers require removing the previous coating entirely with a sealer remover as it can lead to a streaky or mottled finish if they are not.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[shirley1231]

Thank you for your reply.  It is Tasman chemicals .  I havd tried roller and lambswool but it sticks to them.   I have stripped some same result.  I use a cheaper brush and dispose of it. The product is solvent based. I am at my wits end , hope you can help.   Many thanks Shirley

[MitchellMc]

Did you purchase this product through us, and if so, how long ago was that @shirley1231? I have concerns that it might have spoilt.

We haven't sold Tasman Chemical slate sealer for some time now, but I've gone ahead and contacted their technical assistance. They'd like you to send them some images to sales-tas@solenis.com so they can better assess what's going on and assist. Please include details of the surface preparation, including any stripping you've done and details of whether any previous coatings you've applied were water or solvent-based.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[shirley1231]

I have already contacted Tasman last year.  I got the product from them. Everything ok.  Just want your opinion on what size and type of brush to use. How do you stop brush marks.   Thanks so much for your help. I appreciate  it. 

[MitchellMc]

Can you show us what type of brush you were using @shirley1231? If the bristles were a bit stiff, it could be causing drag marks. If it were a budget-friendly option, perhaps dry something of a higher quality like the Monarch 63mm Woodcare Paint Brush. Also, ensure you hold the brush at a shallow angle to the surface and not perpendicular.

Mitchell

[shirley1231]

Thank you I did use  budget friendly  paint brushes because I discarded them. How shallow an angle?. How do I keep brushes soft as I paint? Would a solvent based gloss from Bunnings paint over Tasmans solvent gloss.  For future reference.   Many thanks  Mitchell.

[EricL]

Hello @shirley1231 

I suggest starting at a 45-degree angle and then start going lower so that you have full brush contact with the floor.

At the back of the sealers container there should be instructions on how to clean the brushes after use. In order to keep your brushes softness, it must be cleaned properly after you've finished painting. If sealer dries on the bristles of the paint brush it can no longer cleaned off.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric