Slippery Rock Gazette

Cutting-Edge Products Designed for Fabrication & Restoration 

Peter J. Marcucci
Special Contributor

Akemi Spider Black and Spider Clear Enhancers are topical solutions that hide spider veins on natural stone surfaces in just minutes. These two products also enrich the gloss of the entire surface of natural stone.

Akemi is a name most fabricators in the stone industry recognize for superior, dependable products to assemble and protect natural stone. The company has been at the forefront of research and development for over 70 years. 

Akemi has developed several products to help fix specific problems in slab fabrication. The first, Akemi Spider, fills surface flaws – the second, Akemi Impregnation Remover – extracts impregnated chemicals such as sealers, agers and enhancers. Both are products that fall under the, “When you need ’em, you really need ’em” category and are essential in the shop. Andrew Landis, Sales Manager at InnoChem LLC, says, “Akemi Spider and Akemi Impregnation Remover are superior products simply because of the economics and their ease of use.” 

Akemi Spider Black and Akemi Spider Clear

“Akemi Spider Clear and Dark are topical solutions that you apply by hand with a clean rag. You then remove any excess and buff off after 5 minutes, and the process is finished,” explained Landis. “It’s wipe on, wait 5 minutes, then wipe off. Akemi Spider black is for darker colored stones, the clear for other colors. Spider Clear should be used on any polished stone surface where you want to remove spider veins while keeping the color consistent. Spider Black removes spider veining on darker stone. Both can be used in interior and exterior applications. Coverage is 150-300 square feet per liter.”

According to Landis, an additional issue in countertop production is that the resin treatment on the majority of polished slabs can delaminate. 

 “It doesn’t affect the surface in a way that makes grooves or spider-veins, but you can see the affect of delamination behind the resin. You can see it especially in Verde Peacock and Ubatuba. It’s not a surface polish issue—it’s delamination of the resin. Ultra violet rays will discolor the resin, especially the lighter color stones, where it’s more prevalent. Heat, humidity, freeze-thaw and evaporation, can also have an effect, and applying Akemi Spider Clear or Spider Black will revive these slabs. We have a distributor in Ft. Myers, Florida who buys Spider just for that reason. Enhancers do a similar job, but cost twice as much. They also take longer to cure. They’re not just a wipe on, wipe off treatment like Akemi Spider. 

“So for economic reasons, I consider Akemi Spider to be a superior product when used for its intended purpose. Spider will also work for matching edges to resinated surfaces, but only on a temporary basis because it’s a topical treatment. Stone Shield Color Enhancer, however, is a penetrating product and much more permanent for this application, based on the wear and tear on the edges of a countertop.” 

Akemi Impregnation Remover – Restoration Pros Take Note

Some examples of impregnation products are: Stonetech Bulletproof; Miracle Sealants 511 Impregnator; Akemi Nano-Effect; Stone Shield Impregnators for both porous and polished stone; Akemi Darkener Super; and Tenax Ager. Akemi Impregnation Remover is developed specifically for use when these or similar products have been misapplied, unevenly applied or applied in the wrong order – such as applying an impregnator, then the enhancer. According to Landis, doing these steps out of order can cause an uneven finish. 

Akemi Impregnation Remover is also essential when the stone needs to be dyed, but first needs any impregnator removed. Landis explained, “No matter how long a chemical has been in stone, Akemi Impregnation Remover will remove it. Impregnator Remover is in gel form and is used for both interior and exterior applications and vertical and horizontal surfaces. You simply apply the gel and let it work for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. Coverage is 50-200 square feet per liter. If needed, it can be reactivated with water instead of reapplying a 2nd coat. Akemi Impregnation Remover can be used on any granite, and cleans up easily by rinsing or mopping with just water.”   

If you need to use Akemi Impregnation Remover on marble, limestone, onyx or engineered stone to correct any discoloration or change in surface polish, Akemi does suggest that you first test a small section. Note that Akemi Impregnation Remover is not designed for topical products or coatings. For those applications you should use Akemi Wax Stripper. 

   Landis continued: “There are no other products like Akemi Impregnation Remover offered by any other manufacturer. There are strippers and removers, but no impregnation removers. Because it can be used in any environment and is easily cleaned up with water, it’s very cost effective.” 

InnoChem is a member of the Akemi Group and the North American representative of the Akemi line. Akemi chemists are constantly developing new products. Both Akemi Spider and Akemi Impregnation Remover have been on the market for three years and are tested, tried, and true. They are preferred by fabricators who appreciate economy and a product that does exactly what it was designed to do.

The full line of Akemi products is available at www.Braxton-Bragg.com or by calling toll-free 800-575-4401. Users may call the InnoChem Sales & Service hotline available at www.innochemllc.com.

Akemi Impregnation Remover: “No matter how long a chemical has been in stone, Akemi Impregnation Remover will remove it. ”