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enhancing the color of natural river rock
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Posted by kevinl CA (My Page) on Thu, May 29, 08 at 19:27
| I've purchased Mexican Pebble (Black) - this is a river rock (golf ball size to baseball size) that I intend to put on top of filter fabric laying on top of my plant bed. This stone is a grey when dry but has brilliant color and variation when wet. So, I'm thinking of using some kind of natural stone enhancer/sealer on these rocks. I've tried Behr "Wetlook" sealer which is $20/gallon and coats but also pools and dries cementing the rock to the surface it's laying on while I paint this stuff on. I've tried Miracle - Mira Matte which works really well and seems to penetrate the stone without pooling but is $18/quart. I've just been using a paint brush and brushing one side of a table of rocks, letting this dry and turning them over, then painting on the other side. I'm looking for the right product that works well like Mira Matte, is cheap enough to justify painting on a lot of rocks (I've got to think this will take 5 gallons or more for a ton of rock which should cover 100 sq.ft.), and stands a chance at lasting a reasonable amount of time out in the garden sun. Someone even suggested I try mineral oil - but I haven't tried this yet. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: enhancing the color of natural river rock
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| I know dupont makes a brand of sealant called Stone Tech that they sell in 1 gallon containers. I think it's $80 or $100 for their exterior sealer/enhancer, but it covers 400 to 500sf per gallon, so it might handle your entire job with some left over. It applies the same way your applying your other sealants. Hope this helps. Jason
www.travertinewarehouse.com |
RE: enhancing the color of natural river rock
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| Have you tried Thompsons Waterseal? Here in NY it runs about $45-$60 for a 5gal. container (summer 07 price). I would also try using a garden sprayer set to as fine a setting as possible. If you make a frame say 24"x24" out of 2"x2" and chicken wire and shake a little as you spray you'll get a very thin, even coat which will dry very quickly without excessive waste. Another option would be to apply the sealer with some sort of roller (or 2 rollers next to each other) or foam pad set up. This would probably reduce waste to zero. |
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