solidsurfacealliance.org Blog

No doubt this was bound to happen, but the audacity of the claims are amazing. I love that they say this from a page that continues to claim that radiation from granite is a myth, while shilling a product and discussing radiation in granite.

I claims that it can eliminate Radon emission from granite, and can eliminate staining and scratching of natural stone. Quite a lot to live up to for a coating only 1 micron thick.

“The alpha and beta particles do not penetrate very far and are usually absorbed by the base material. The gamma rays are more penetrating and they are what is detected by a Geiger counter. ”

Well, actually Beta can go quite far, sometimes severl meters. A sheet of paper might stop most alpha, but it remains to be seen if this product will reduce the Alpha from granite. One thing that is troubling, is the claim that only Gamma are detected by a Geiger Counter when in fact all three types of radiation are detected. The lack of understanding of the basic tennants of radiation make me wonder just what kind of expert they used to develop this product.

” If all surfaces of a material were coated, then the diffusion of gases from the material should be eliminated.”

Well, perhaps if the back and side edges, the bottom of the slab and the product was put on thick enough, it might block some of the Alpha. But it takes 1/8″ of Plastic or 1 mm of aluminum sheet stock to block the Beta radiation. No way a one micron layer will prevent the Beta or Gamma from coming out. Even 4″ of lead stops only 83.5% of Gamma.

Another troubling thought is if this product is compatible with previous sealers or slab resins. And the MIA has warned for many years that natural stone can not be sealed completely without damage occuring,

“Certain topical sealers may block the “breathing” capability of a stone. Moisture can become trapped below the surface and may lead to spalling”

“In some situations, impregnating sealers applied to a resined stone will cause the material to cloud, discolor, or fade. While this is a new topic in the stone industry, some initial reports have indicated that the application of a color enhancer may hide the problem. Additionally, the problems have occurred with solvent-based vs. water-based impregnators. It is highly recommended that you consult with the Sealant Manufacturer prior to applying a sealer to a resined stone.”

So while it is unlikely these products will work, they may certainly bring plenty of issues along for the ride. The uncertainty of so many aspects of these products have earned them the name “Lawsuit in a bucket”. Kudos go out to the stone industry for admitting that an issue exists, but this needs thouroghly tested before being turned loose in the market place.

Anti Radiation Sealer for granite?