Which Tenax Sealer Do You Need? Hydrex, Proseal & Ager Explained

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Which Tenax Sealer Do You Need? Hydrex, Proseal & Ager Explained

Tenax makes six different stone sealers. If you’ve ever stared at the lineup and wondered which one you actually need, you’re not alone. The names are similar, the descriptions overlap, and the wrong choice can mean a sealer that doesn’t penetrate, a color change you didn’t want, or a product that’s simply not rated for the surface you’re sealing.

This guide breaks down every Tenax sealer in plain language — what it does, what it’s for, and when to use it.

The Two Categories: Natural Effect vs. Color-Enhancing

Before getting into individual products, the most important decision is this: do you want the stone to look the same after sealing, or do you want it to look richer and deeper?

  • Natural effect sealers — the stone looks exactly as it did before sealing. No color change, no sheen. Just protection.
  • Color-enhancing sealers — the stone looks like it’s wet. Colors deepen, grain becomes more vivid, and the surface takes on a richer appearance. The effect is permanent.

Tenax makes three natural effect sealers (Hydrex, Proseal P, Proseal Premium) and three color-enhancing sealers (Ager, Ager FS, Ager Tiger). Here’s how to choose within each group.

Natural Effect Sealers

Hydrex Natural Effect Sealer

Hydrex is Tenax’s classic penetrating sealer — waterproof, oil-proof, breathable, and completely clear. The stone looks exactly as it did before sealing. It’s particularly effective on polished granite and polished marble (Carrara, Thassos, Trani, and similar dense stones) where any color shift would be immediately visible and unwanted.

Coverage: 215–323 sq. ft. per quart. Shelf life: 2 years.

Choose Hydrex when: you’re sealing polished granite or polished marble and need zero color change. The stone must look identical before and after.

Proseal P Natural Effect Stone Sealer

Proseal P is engineered for very porous stone — Pietra Leccese, Pietra Vicenza, limestone, and similar soft, open-pored materials that standard sealers struggle to protect. It penetrates deeply without hydrocarbons and is UV stable. On very porous stone, a slight color enhancement may be visible — always test first.

Coverage: 108–323 sq. ft. per liter (varies significantly with porosity). Shelf life: 2 years.

Choose Proseal P when: you’re sealing very porous stone (limestone, Pietra Leccese, travertine) where standard sealers don’t provide adequate protection.

Proseal Premium Stone Sealer

Proseal Premium is the flagship — the sealer Tenax recommends for most applications. It delivers up to 4–5 years of protection on areas not under heavy wear, works on all stone finishes (polished, honed, brushed, matte), and is effective on both natural and engineered stone. It also works on grout. If you’re not sure which natural effect sealer to choose, start here.

Coverage: 215–323 sq. ft. per liter. Shelf life: 1 year minimum.

Choose Proseal Premium when: you want the best all-around natural effect sealer for most stone types and finishes. The default choice for granite, marble, quartzite, limestone, travertine, engineered stone, and concrete.

Color-Enhancing Sealers

Ager Stone Enhancing Sealer

Ager is Tenax’s standard color enhancer — a solvent-based sealer that deepens and enriches the natural color and grain of stone for a permanent wet-look finish. It’s UV stable, non-yellowing, and provides graffiti resistance in addition to oil and water stain protection. Available in sizes from 250ml to 200-liter bulk, and also as the Ager Pen for touch-ups and edges.

Important: the color-deepening effect is permanent. Always test on a hidden area first.

Choose Ager when: you want to deepen and enrich the color of granite, marble, quartzite, limestone, or travertine. The standard choice for color enhancement on most natural stone.

Ager FS Food Safe Stone Enhancing Sealer

Ager FS (formerly Quartz Toner Plus) is the food-safe version of Ager — certified for food contact under European regulation 90/128 ECC. It’s the right choice for kitchen countertops and food preparation surfaces where food safety compliance matters. It’s particularly effective on engineered quartz and engineered stone, and is also used for matching honed or sawn edges to the polished top surface of quartz slabs. Lower VOC formula.

Choose Ager FS when: you’re sealing a kitchen countertop or food-contact surface and need food-safe certification. Also the go-to for engineered quartz color enhancement and edge-to-face matching.

Ager Tiger Exotic Natural Stone Sealer

Ager Tiger is engineered for exotic granite and dense, low-porosity natural stone where standard Ager doesn’t penetrate deeply enough to achieve the full wet-look enhancement the stone is capable of. It delivers a deeper, richer color enhancement on hard, compact stone and is particularly effective for matching honed or sawn edges to the polished face of exotic granite slabs. UV resistant and non-yellowing.

Choose Ager Tiger when: you’re working with exotic granite or dense stone and standard Ager isn’t delivering the depth of enhancement you need. Also the best choice for edge-to-face matching on hard, low-porosity exotic stone.

Quick Reference Chart

Product Type Best For Food Safe Color Change
Hydrex Natural effect Polished granite & marble No None
Proseal P Natural effect Very porous stone (limestone, Pietra) No Slight possible on porous stone
Proseal Premium Natural effect Most stone types & finishes No None
Ager Color-enhancing Granite, marble, quartzite, limestone No Permanent wet-look
Ager FS Color-enhancing Quartz, engineered stone, food-contact surfaces Yes Permanent wet-look
Ager Tiger Color-enhancing Exotic granite & dense low-porosity stone No Permanent wet-look (deeper)

One Rule That Applies to All Six

None of these sealers prevent etching on marble. Etching is a chemical reaction between acid and calcium carbonate — it happens regardless of what sealer is on the stone. Wine, citrus, tomato, coffee, and vinegar will all etch marble. Sealers protect against staining (oil and water penetration), not etching. If you have etch marks, use Tenax TeEtch Etch Remover before resealing.

Before You Seal

For best results with any Tenax sealer:

Shop the Full Tenax Sealer Lineup

Questions about which sealer is right for your project? Contact the ProToolHaus team — we’re here to help.

Tags : Ager, Hydrex, Proseal, Sealer guide, Stone care, Stone sealer, Tenax