STAIN-PROOF 40SK Consolidator & Water Repellent (Dry-Treat 40SK)

STAIN-PROOF 40SK Consolidator & Water Repellent, formerly Dry-Treat 40SK, is an impregnating sealer that does two jobs at once. It gives porous tile, natural stone, brick, terracotta, paving, and grout permanent water repellency, and it helps consolidate friable surfaces by fortifying the internal structure of the material. Pool builders and hardscape contractors use it on sandstone, limestone, travertine, concrete dry-stamped pavers, and composite stone pavers around saltwater pools, where water and dissolved salts cause efflorescence, salt spalling, and freeze-thaw spalling. It repels water, not oil. It goes on in two coats, wet on wet, and every bit of excess has to come off before it dries. Stain-Proof offers a 15-year performance warranty on qualifying saltwater installations, with the conditions below.

Key Product Details

Performance in Production

• Penetration is the whole game with 40SK. The second coat goes on about 10 minutes after the first while it’s still wet, which drives the sealer deeper. After that, the molecules keep migrating and bonding for about 4 weeks.
• Excess left on the surface turns into a white glass over a few days or weeks. It can’t be removed chemically and has to be ground off. Polish every surface clean about 10 minutes after the final coat, and take extra care on denser material.
• Don’t apply it over a surface that’s already been sealed. It won’t penetrate far enough, especially the consolidating component. Grind previously sealed surfaces first, and never put an impregnating sealer over a topical coating.
• Be careful on old surfaces already loaded with salt. Salts can build up below a shallow treatment and spall the surface. The treatment needs to go well below 15 mm, where the stone’s tensile strength beats the salt crystals. Call us before sealing a salt-damaged surface.
• It repels water only. For oil and food stains on entertaining areas and outdoor kitchens, apply Premium Impregnating Sealer over it, but only after the 40SK has cured at least 2 weeks. Going sooner can dissolve the consolidating structure.
• Don’t test it early. Water repellency and consolidation both build for up to 4 weeks. Wait at least 3 weeks, ideally 4, before any water, penetration, or strength test.
• On walls and other vertical surfaces, apply 4 light coats wet on wet, about 10 minutes apart, instead of 2 heavy ones. Heavy coats run off before they penetrate. Put a tarp or plastic below to catch drips.
• Dip-sealed coping comes out with a repellent underside, so a standard water-based adhesive may not hold it. Set it with a premium polymer-modified thinset or adhesive made to bond to repellent surfaces. Stain-Proof lists Bostik Landscape Adhesive, Ardex 77 or 78, and Davco SE-7 with Davelastic as examples.
• The acetone carrier calls for an acetone-approved sprayer. Read the SDS before use. The spec sheet lists it as highly flammable, with reproductive toxicity and drowsiness warnings. Work outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, ground containers, use explosion-proof equipment, and use a positive-pressure respirator if ventilation is inadequate.
• It can lighten or darken some surfaces. Test a small area and let it cure 24 hours before sealing the job.

Common Applications

• Sandstone, limestone, and travertine coping and surrounds at saltwater pools
• Dip sealing pool coping before it’s laid
• Concrete dry-stamped pavers and composite stone pavers around saltwater pools
• Soft, highly porous stone in freeze-thaw climates
• Consolidating friable stone and masonry surfaces
• Building facades and walls in brick, cast stone, and engineering concrete
• Terracotta tile and porous tile and grout
• Patios, garages, floors, and public and private entertaining areas

Available Sizes

• 1 gallon (3.79 L) can, SKU DRY123122, manufacturer part 123122
• 5 gallon (18.92 L) pail, SKU DRY123142, manufacturer part 123142

Coverage by Surface Type

These are Stain-Proof’s minimum coverage rates for 40SK, since every surface absorbs differently. The gallon and pail columns are the per-quart rate multiplied out. Very porous material can take much more, so test first. Surfaces marked “call us” are ones where Stain-Proof asks to confirm the preferred product.

15-Year Warranty: What Qualifies

The 40SK warranty is narrower than the rest of the STAIN-PROOF line, so here’s exactly what Stain-Proof requires for it:

• The sealer is applied by a STAIN-PROOF Accredited Applicator with a class 3 license who has been specifically trained on 40SK.
• The installation is in a saltwater environment, such as around a saltwater swimming pool.
• The material is dip sealed with 40SK before it’s laid.
• The surface is maintained on Stain-Proof’s written maintenance system, as outlined in the STAIN-PROOF warranty document.

Spraying 40SK on an existing patio or on a freshwater pool still protects the stone as described above. It just doesn’t carry the 15-year warranty.

Accreditation runs through ICP University’s online training. See the STAIN-PROOF Accredited Applicator program. We’ll help your crew get set up. Call or email and we’ll walk you through it.

Pool builders, hardscape contractors, and stone installers who seal jobs regularly can call or email for contractor pricing.

Related Products

• STAIN-PROOF Premium Impregnating Sealer (formerly Stain-Proof Original): adds oil repellency over 40SK after at least 2 weeks of cure, and handles harder stone, tile, and grout without salt exposure
• STAIN-PROOF Dense Stone Impregnating Sealer (formerly Stain-Proof Plus): the countertop grade for dense granite and marble
• STAIN-PROOF SMC Peroxide Cleaner: removes organic stains and embedded dirt from porous stone and masonry before sealing
• STAIN-PROOF Alkaline Cleaner: removes mold stains, oil, food, and general grime before sealing
• STAIN-PROOF Acidic Cleaner: removes efflorescence and mortar residue from non-acid-sensitive stone, pavers, and brick. Not for limestone, travertine, marble, coral stone, or concrete.
• All STAIN-PROOF by Dry-Treat sealers and cleaners

How 40SK Protects Soft Stone From Salt and Freeze-Thaw Damage

Soft stone and pavers around saltwater pools and in freeze-thaw climates fail from the inside. Water carrying dissolved salts soaks in, then evaporates. The salts it leaves behind cause most of the damage, in a few different ways:

• Efflorescence: salty water reaches the surface, evaporates, and leaves white salt deposits behind.
• Salt spalling: the water evaporates just below the surface, and the salt crystals that form there break off small pieces of stone or paver.
• Picture framing: water moves through the grout, picks up gray color, and stains the edges of each piece.
• Freeze-thaw spalling: water inside the stone freezes and expands, breaking the surface apart over repeated cycles.

40SK goes after the problem two ways. Its modified silane molecules migrate into the pores and bond to the pore walls by chemical reaction, which keeps water and dissolved salts out while still letting water vapor escape. At the same time, its consolidating component forms a network inside the material that helps strengthen it, so the stone is less friable and less prone to spalling. Both cures take up to 4 weeks to fully form.

Diagram courtesy of STAIN-PROOF by Dry-Treat.

Stain-Proof states its sealing molecules are hundreds of times smaller than fluoropolymer and siloxane sealers, which can’t get into the pore structure of most materials. Depth matters here more than anywhere else in the line. A barrier that stops just under the surface can trap salts right where they do the most damage.

How to Apply 40SK

1. Test a small area first and let it cure 24 hours to check ease of application and appearance.
2. Make sure the surface is dry, clean, and free of residue, and hasn’t been sealed before. Don’t thin the product.
3. Generously saturate the surface using an acetone-approved sprayer. It should hold a mirror-like wet look for 3 to 5 seconds. Keep it off surrounding areas.
4. After about 10 minutes, while the first coat is still wet, apply the second coat the same way.
5. Let it penetrate about 10 minutes, then polish the surface with a clean, dry white cloth to remove all excess. Don’t let any excess dry on the surface.
6. Clean equipment with an organic solvent such as methylated spirits.

Dip sealing pool coping

For sandstone or limestone coping in a saltwater environment, Stain-Proof recommends dip sealing each full piece in 40SK before it’s laid. Allow a 14-day cure before the stone goes into service. The underside will be water repellent, so set it with a premium polymer-modified thinset or adhesive made for repellent surfaces. Dip sealing before installation is also one of the requirements for the 15-year warranty.

Vertical surfaces

Apply 4 light coats instead of 2 generous ones, each about 10 minutes apart and before the previous coat dries. Put a tarp or plastic sheeting below to catch drips.

Adding oil repellency

If the area also needs protection from oil-based stains, apply Premium Impregnating Sealer over the 40SK after at least 2 weeks of cure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 40SK Consolidator & Water Repellent the same as Dry-Treat 40SK?

Yes. STAIN-PROOF 40SK Consolidator & Water Repellent is the current name for Dry-Treat 40SK, with the same part numbers: 123122 for the gallon and 123142 for the 5 gallon pail. It’s an acetone-carrier silane and organic silicate sealer made in the USA with globally sourced materials.

What sealer should I use on travertine or limestone around a saltwater pool?

For soft, porous sandstone, limestone, and travertine around saltwater pools, Stain-Proof recommends 40SK. Premium Impregnating Sealer alone isn’t enough for those stones in salt or freeze-thaw exposure. For coping, dip seal each piece before it’s laid. For travertine around a saltwater pool specifically, call us to confirm the approach, since Stain-Proof asks for a check on that one.

Does 40SK come with a 15-year warranty?

Only on qualifying saltwater installations. The warranty requires an Accredited Applicator with a class 3 license trained on 40SK, a saltwater environment, material dip sealed before it’s laid, and regular maintenance on Stain-Proof’s written system. We can help your crew get accredited.

Does 40SK repel oil?

No. 40SK repels water and water-borne salts, not oil. For oil stain protection, apply Premium Impregnating Sealer over it after the 40SK has cured at least 2 weeks.

Can I apply 40SK over stone that’s already sealed?

No. 40SK won’t penetrate far enough through another sealer to work, especially its consolidating component. Grind previously sealed surfaces first. Never apply it over a topical coating.

What happens if 40SK dries on the surface?

It turns into a white glass over a few days or weeks that can’t be removed chemically and has to be ground off. Polish off all excess about 10 minutes after the final coat, before it dries.

How much does a gallon of 40SK cover?

About 160 to 240 sq ft per gallon at Stain-Proof’s minimum rates for most listed surfaces, and 800 to 1,200 sq ft per 5 gallon pail. Very porous material can take much more, so check the coverage table above and test first.

How long does 40SK take to cure?

Water repellency and consolidation build for up to 4 weeks. Wait at least 3 weeks, ideally 4, before testing. Dip-sealed coping needs 14 days before it goes into service.

The spec sheet, SDS, and line card are under the SDS/TDS/Downloads tab.

Questions on fit for your coping, pavers, or stone? Call (800) 220-1966 or email [email protected].

STAIN-PROOF, Dry-Treat, and DRY-TREAT 40SK are trademarks of Dry-Treat Pty Ltd.