Cross-section of stone. Only the inner walls of its countless pores are thinly coated and catching the light.

About XOP

We do not change the stone
by even a millimeter.

It does not block the pores; it coats only their inner walls.
So the look stays the same, and it does not peel.

Bones and face

Maintaining a building is
like caring for skin.

You do not put on sunscreen to strengthen your bones. You put it on to protect how you look. A building is no different.

A chest X-ray and a close-up of skin, placed side by side.
Bones = structural strength Bridges, tunnels, infrastructure. Here, conventional hardeners are the right answer.
The entrance lobby of an office building, light reflecting off stone walls and floor.
Face = appearance The visible surfaces of buildings and commercial facilities. This is what XOP protects.

A misunderstanding

Harder is not
always better.

Conventional hardeners are a technology that soaks into stone or concrete, fills the gaps, and sets hard. The aim is structural strength and prevention of carbonation. It is not a bad technology. But is what you own a bridge?

One more point. Because a hardener works by filling gaps and setting hard, the denser the material and the fewer its gaps, the less effect it has. On polished marble and granite, or on dense porcelain tile, the hardening effect is limited.

Why it works

With nothing to hold on to,
dirt cannot stay.

Penetration

Coats only the inner walls of the pores

It causes no chemical change in the stone. It does not seal the pores, so it does not peel.

Water- and oil-repellent

Water and oil both bead up and run off

The same principle as a Teflon pan or a lotus leaf.

Vapor permeability

Keeps rain out without stopping the material from breathing

No film over the surface. The stone breathes. It does not blister, and it does not peel.

On a stone surface, clear droplets of water and amber droplets of oil each stand up as beads.
The clear beads are water, the colored beads are oil. Neither has spread out. Repelling oil as well is what sets XOP apart.

How it differs from a film coating

What happens if you stretch
plastic wrap over your face?

The underside of plastic wrap, densely covered with condensation.
Plastic wrap = a conventional film coating It traps moisture, blisters, peels, and damages the surface.
Cross-section of a waterproof, breathable fabric. Droplets bead on the face while vapor escapes from the back.
No film over the surface. The stone breathes. Rain stays out; moisture escapes. It repels and still breathes.

Ultraviolet light

Even the sun that split a clothespin
cannot break this bond.

Ultraviolet light at the wavelength that can break XOP's bonds (250 nm) is blocked by the ozone layer and does not reach the ground. What reaches the ground is 280 nm and above. The 340 nm that breaks down ordinary organic coatings does reach it.

A clothespin left outdoors under ultraviolet light, its surface cracked and broken.
The clothespin broke because ultraviolet light cut the bonds between its molecules.

Efflorescence

Hardeners have a side effect.

The white powder that appears on an exterior wall is material from the stone, dissolved in water, carried to the surface, and hardened there. Dissolving, being carried, hardening. When these three come together, it appears. The white powder is only the tip of the iceberg.

Not claims, but measurements

Obtained at the Japan Testing Center for Construction Materials (JSTM)
We hold the test data.

Water absorption test

Absorption ratio 0.05

In accordance with JIS A 1404 / after 24 hours.

Water permeability test

Average 0.3 ml

In accordance with JIS A 6909 7.12, Method B.

Slip resistance test

C.S.R 0.80

In accordance with JIS A 1454 / dry condition. 0.78 with water applied. Above the recommended range of 0.4 to 0.5.

Slip resistance test: JSTM, No. 19A0609 (2019) / granite G603, flamed finish, applied at 120 g/m².

Frequently asked questions

What materials can it be used on?

Stone (granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, terrazzo), tile (unglazed porcelain, stoneware, tile joints, terracotta), concrete, plaster finishes (Jolypate, shikkui lime plaster, diatomaceous earth plaster), fiber-cement siding, ALC panels, and similar materials. It can be applied where water absorption is 0.1% or higher.

About durability

More than 15 years of record on wall surfaces. Conditions of use differ by material and environment, so we advise after an on-site survey.

Will the appearance change?

Because it causes no chemical change in the stone and coats only the inner walls of the pores, the finish is designed not to alter the appearance significantly.

Do you go straight to full application?

No. We carry out a test application, confirm the condition, and then proceed with full application.