How To Seal Painted Rocks To Make Them Waterproof!

The popularity of rock painting has been steadily growing over the last decade but over the last six to twelve months, there has a been a huge increase in the number of questions that we have seen people asking about rock painting. Although we have noticed a variety of different questions being asked, the most commonly asked questions are all based on how to seal painted rocks to make them waterproof.

Due to so many people reaching about it as well as the sealing process for your rock art being important to protect it from the elements, we have decided to publish this dedicated article going over the process. Our hope is that we will be able to help our readers correctly seal their painted rocks so their artwork will not fade or run over the coming years and to help you preserve it for as long as possible.

Due to there being a range of different methods that you are able to take advantage of to seal your painted rocks and ensure that they are waterproof and protected from the elements, we have added out table of contents below. This will help our readers quickly and easily navigate to any specific section of the article that they want to read about without having to skim the whole article. That said though, different methods definitely do perform better than others so working your way through the whole article is probably the best option.

What To Use To Seal Painted Rocks To Make Them Waterproof?

It is surprisingly easily to seal your painted rocks to make them waterproof with many people over complicating the process to a level where they end up wasting far too much time and money. The main thing to keep in mind is that you leave your rocks to let the acrylic paint or whatever other type of paint you have used dry fully before you even try to seal them as this can end up causing you issues later down the line.

Different sealants for painted rocks have different applications processes too but we will go over each application process as we work through our main recommendations later in the article. The usual rule is if the sealant is applied to your rocks with a brush, you usually need a very thin coat of the sealant and if it is spray based, you keep the sealant canister around 30cm away from the rocks when spraying.

Once you have applied a suitable sealant to your rock art, you then have to be sure to leave your sealant to fully dry prior to putting the rock outside if possible. If you do have a larger rock that you have painted that can’t be brought inside for you to spray your sealant, try to time the sealing process so there is a minimal chance of rain to help the waterproof properties take hold.

Can You Seal Painted Rocks With Mod Podge?

Mod Podge performs very well as a sealant for rock based artwork with it offering protection from the elements and waterproofing when done correctly while also working with acrylic paint as well as most other popular types of paint too. We usually recommend this specific Mod Podge formula as it tends to perform the best when used with rocks out of their whole range but even the other options with the different colored labels tend to work.

The best way to think of Mod Podge is as as a PVA glue that has sealing agents mixed into it to ensure that it will last for as long as possible while also offering your painted rocks the best possible protection that it can. The application process for Mod Podge onto rocks is very simple too and the majority of brushes will be able to do it provided that the paint is already dry on your rocks.

So many people, especially beginners tend to apply far too much Mod Podge to their painted rocks and although this does technically offer better protection, it is usually overkill and will detract from the colors of your paints. You only need a very thin layer of Mod Podge to fully seal a painted rock and protect it from the elements and ensure that your artwork is waterproof.

Can You Seal Painted Rocks With PVA Glue?

PVA glue can work well as a sealant for protecting your artwork on rocks but a pH neutral PVA glue formula is recommended for optimal performance will all types of paint as it should not cause any reactions with your paint. Due to PVA glue being useful in a huge range of different arts and crafts, the majority of our readers will probably already have it in their collection helping to keep costs down too.

As we touched on above, Mod Podge does tend to be a better option than PVA glue for sealing painted rocks as it offers you all of the benefits of PVA Glue while also offering your additional benefits from the sealant in its formula. Regular PVA glue can also start to yellow in certain conditions too due to UV light hitting it making your painted rocks constantly look dirty.

PVA glue is applied to your painted rocks in the same way that you would apply Mod Podge and the majority of brushes will get the job done. Just make sure that the paint on your rocks has totally dried prior to applying your PVA glue and keep the layer of glue as thin as possible at first and then see if you need to add more. We know that this does risk the possibility of you needing a second coat of PVA glue to seal your painted rocks but the thinner consistency, when compared to Mod Podge, makes it difficult to work out how much PVA glue you need for the seal to become waterproof.

Can You Seal Painted Rocks With Clear Nail Polish?

Using clear nail polish to seal painted rocks is an underrated method in our opinion and actually works very well for the majority of people too. Although we would still recommend that you go with Mod Podge if possible, a cheap, clear top coat nail polish can work for smaller rocks but it does tend to take longer to apply.

The cheaper top coat nail polish products tend to actually perform better than the base coat nail polishes too as the clear base coat nail polishes usually tend to yellow quickly while also having a higher price tag than a top coat nail polish. Many of our readers will probably already have some form of nail polish in their home too potentially helping to remove the cost completely.

When applying the clear nail polish to your painted rocks, it does usually tend to be better to use the brush applicator that comes with the nail polish when purchased. We know that it tends to take longer doing it this way but the majority of arts and crafts brushes will not fit into the bottle and if you pour the nail polish out, it tends to dry at a rapid pace resulting in lots of it being wasted.

Can You Seal Painted Rocks With Varnish?

Using varnish to seal your painted rocks and make them waterproof can be hit and miss depending on the specific varnish formula that you are using. Although some varnish products like this one tend to work extremely well, others will yellow very quickly so try to do a few test runs on spare rocks unless you know the varnish product you have works well when used with rocks.

There are two main types of varnish sealants on the market, the first is the traditional brush applied varnish and the second is the spray on varnish that tends to be much quicker and easier. With a brush on varnish you only need a thin layer so take care during the application process but a spray-on varnish usually has flow control built into the spray system so you just hold it 30cm away from the rocks and spray for a few seconds.

Different varnish-based products will have different waterproof ratings with some of them clearly stating that they are only water-resistant where as others will be waterproof. As there are so many varnish formulas on the market from various brands have a quick look at the label to make sure you are getting a waterproof formula and you should be food to go.

Can You Seal Painted Rocks With Polyurethane?

More and more people in the rock art space are starting to realize that polyurethane can offer excellent protection from the elements and make your rocks and minerals waterproof with ease. Polyurethane products are similar to varnish in the sense that there are a number of different options on the market right now with some products offering excellent protection where as others can be hit and miss.

Due to this, unless you know for a fact that your polyurethane product has a proven history with rock art then we would recommend you do a little test with a spare rock prior to trying it on your main batch of painted rocks. Different polyurethane products have different application processes too with some being brush-based and others being spray-based but both usually follow the same rules as varnish covered above.

Once dry, your painted rocks that have been sealed using polyurethane will be fully protected from scratches as well as waterproof. This tends to make the suitable polyurethane products one of the better options for protecting your painted rocks from the elements and is one of the main reasons that more and more people in the rock art community are turning to them.

Can You Seal Painted Rocks With Hairspray?

Some people do try to use hairspray to seal their painted rocks but the performance of hairspray as a sealant leaves much to be desired and we usually recommend against it. All of our recommendations above will offer better and more consistent protection for your painted rocks making them much better options than hairspray.

If you are on a budget and just looking for items that you have around the house to help make your painted rocks waterproof then chances are, if you have access to hairspray you have access to some cheap, clear top coat nail polish that is already in your home anyway. This should be a good alternative for sealing your smaller rocks but if your have painted larger rocks then you will probably have to go with something like Mod Podge instead.

There are so many hairspray formulas on the market these days too adding additional confusion into the mix. You may see someone on social media saying how they were able to use their brand of hairspray with great performance where as your brand of hairspray works terribly as a sealant for paint.

Conclusion

That brings our article going over how you are able to seal painted rocks to make them waterproof to a close. We have covered a number of suitable options above that you are able to use as a sealant for your rocks to make them waterproof as well as covered one of the more commonly used options that we tend to recommend against. We hope that this has helped you make a decision on what sealant you want to use with your painted rocks and that you are now able to waterproof your rock art with ease.