How to Enhance Stone: Methods of Enhancing Slabs

Perhaps you have seen one. And although they aren't talked about as much as stone slabs in general, they do exist. What are we talking about? Rock that offers extraordinary color diversity and patterns, but could use a bit of "punch" when it comes to the richness of the color, contrast, or shine. In this article we will talk a little bit about how to enhance stone slabs. At first it may seem like the solution is a simple one, but as you will soon see, there is a variety of methods of enhancing stone slabs.

What is Stone Enhancement?

When the word "enhance" is mentioned, several thoughts may come to mind. That is understandable since the word can have a variety of meanings. To begin our topic of discussion, let's establish the foundation by looking at a definition. A quick search for the definition of the word enhance yields this result:

enhance: "intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of"

As you can see from that definition, various aspects of stone can be enhanced. In fact, any particular property or trait of a stone's appearance could be 'intensified, increased, or improved in value or extent'. For example, think about a stone slab that has the perfect color hues in it, but the colors aren't as vibrant as you may like. Or what about the finish of the material? Is it somewhat dull compared to what it could be? Finally, imagine the color itself, perhaps you want to change the color of the stone to make the material a darker shade. All of those variations of enhancement can be accomplished with the right products, time, energy, and skill.

Enhancing the Vibrancy of Stone

Have you ever noticed that some stone surfaces, particularly natural stone have a somewhat richer, deeper appearance when they are wet? It is true that wet natural stone often has more depth to its appearance. The vibrancy of the material seems to be heightened when it takes moisture into its pores. This look is desirable to many consumers. So much so, that products have been developed that recreate this look. Using a stone sealing color enhancer for a wet look, professionals and consumers alike can make this otherwise occasional appearance become the norm. Products such as these are available for all sorts of stone surfaces. You can even find wet look exotic stone sealing color enhancer for stone that is exotic and porous.

Using products such as the ones mentioned above is as simple as coating the surface with the appropriate amount of the correct liquid and allowing it to absorb the enhancer. Once applied, the stone will constantly appear as if it is wet. The vibrancy of the stone will be amplified, enhanced, deepened, or whatever adjective you want to use to describe it. But this is not the only option for how to enhance stone; there are others.

Boosting the Shine of Finished Stone

Natural and engineered stone are prepared using a variety of finishes. Brushed (antiqued or textured), honed, and polished are all types of stone finishes. That last one, polished stone, is one that many people find pleasing. In fact, the shinier the better in many cases. Just as the vibrancy of a stone can be heightened, the shine may also be "increased, intensified, improved if you will" by making use of products that are designed to boost the gloss of a material. Products such as transparent liquid silicone wax for hard surfaces achieves that result. This type of product is formulated to intensify the tone of the material to which it is applied.

Enhancing Stone's Color With Dye

The last option for how to enhance stone that we will discuss is using dye. As we mentioned earlier, existing stone colors can be enhanced by being made more vibrant. Yet, what about cases where the color needs to actually be changed in the sense that the hue is not quite correct. Or perhaps the color needs to be darkened. For enhancing a stone's color there is a whole family of stone dye. Products are available as indoor color enhancer for stone as well as indoor/outdoor stone color enhancement products. The two variants are designed to alter the color of the stone by actually dying the material. Once the product is absorbed into the pores of the stone, sealer is applied and the appearance is enhanced by altering the material's color.

Deepening Black Stone Surfaces

Many stone materials ar black. Yet, ensuring that the black stone you are after is as rich in color as it can be may take some elbow grease. Well, perhaps not elbow grease, but maybe a treatment and a bit of maintenance. Dark stone surfaces form with micro fissures or "webbing" (webcracks) that have a tendency to disrupt the visual appeal of an otherwise emaculate slab. When these issues need to be addressed, reaching for a dark stone micro fissure concealer or a black granite revitalizing surface treatment is a great option. These products work to "even out" color and/or "conceal" these imperfections that don't hurt the stone's performance but do have a tendency to hinder the visual appeal.

As you can see from this brief consideration of methods of enhancing stone slabs, different properties can be affected. Vibrancy, shine, color, and the overall depth and richness of the material can be heightened by using the product designed for treating the specific facet of its appearance. Whichever characteristic you are seeking to illuminate, there are products designed for that purpose.