Natural stone cleaning and restoration industry expert Robert Falzone has partnered with leading edge coatings manufacturer Coval Technologies. Coval’s latest product, Coval Stone, will be released in August 2023, with Robert Falzone and his company RFSC Worldwide leading its introduction to market. Coval produces a range of single component, thin film, clear sealers and coatings that have outstanding stain and scratch resistance.

All Coval products have a unique ability to covalently bond to almost any substrate, including granite, marble, and other hard architectural surfaces, that differentiates them from other sealers. The new surface created by Coval Stone on the substrate is virtually permanent and will resist stains and scratching as well as stop acid etching on all calcium carbonate natural surfaces such as marble, limestone, and travertine. This is a breakthrough in stone restoration.

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Robert Falzone and his company, RFCS Worldwide,” said Ryan Crowe, founder of Coval Technologies in Houston, Texas. “Robert is well known in the stone cleaning and restoration industry and is one of only a few approved instructors for the IICRC* in the field of Stone, Masonry and Tile Certifications (SMT) in the entire world.”

Falzone designed the Coval Stone Certification Course for installers to learn to incorporate Coval products into the industry standard process of stone identification, preparation, and sealing, as well creating customized ongoing maintenance programs. The Coval Certification Course provides samples and lasts nearly a full work day. It will be offered at participating Coval distributor locations in the United States. Clients may also schedule personal classes via Zoom. RFSC Worldwide and Coval will team up to maintain a national database of all certified Coval installers to receive exclusive technical support.

“I am really excited about working with Coval,” said Falzone, who has been educating restoration and maintenance professionals for over 20 years. “The longevity of Coval Stone combined with the hardness and stain resistance makes this a unique and impressive product. Its ability to stop acid etching in marble and other calcium carbonate stones addresses one of the driving issues in the natural stone industry since ancient times.”

Falzone analogizes that conventional coatings on the market for natural stone are like sunscreens that protect skin from UV light and sunburn. If sunscreen-protected skin is exposed to fire from a cigarette burn or a campfire spark, then the UV sunscreen is useless, for it would still result in burned, damaged skin. Coval Stone protects far better than a conventional coating and will freeze a natural stone surface in time. It is a sacrificial coating that absorbs all sorts of damage over a very long period and can be easily re-coated after excessive wear.

“There are so many problems I could have solved for clients with this technology, and wish I’d had them 10 years ago,” said Falzone. He anticipates an excellent working relationship with Coval Stone, a single part component that doesn’t require owning a stopwatch to mix and apply. 

“This is truly a unique and valuable product that I want to share with the world,” adds Falzone.

A second product to be incorporated into the Coval Certification program is Coval Natural Look Sealer, a penetrating, natural-looking hydrophobic sealer with an electrified polymer that will prevent algae, mold, and mildew activity on a variety of porous surfaces.

“This perfect combination of products will be invaluable in the stone restoration industry,” said Falzone. “Not everyone wants a coating on their natural stone, so we can offer them a ‘natural look’ impregnating product that is hydrophobic to repel stains in addition to containing an EPA-approved ingredient that is a known deterrent to various fungi.”

Both Coval Stone and Coval Natural Look Sealer will be offered through the Coval Stone Certification Course beginning in August. For class locations and more information, contact Robert Falzone at (702) 328-8125 or go to www.robertfalzone.com.