A method for making composite coatings for treating porous materials comprising the steps of: a) selecting a porous substrate, b) preparing a composite solution comprising at least one solvent, at least one base chemical reagent, at least one plasticizer, at least one chelating agent and at least one bonding agent; wherein the base chemical reagent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M 4, where M = Si, Al, Ti, In, Sn or Zr, and R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, the bonding agent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M x R' y R" z (M = Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti; x is the integer 1, 2 or 3; y is the integer 0, 1 or 2; z is the integer 1, 2 or 3, provided that the sum of x, y and z equals 4), where R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof; R' comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R" comprises a substituted or unsubstituted epoxy or glycidoxy, the chelating agent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor or a combination thereof having a general formula of M x R' y R" z, where M = Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti; x is the integer 1, 2 or 3; y is the integer 0, 1 or 2; z is the integer 1, 2 or 3, provided that the sum of x, y and z equals 4), where R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof; R' comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R" comprises a substituted or unsubstituted alky or alkenyl group comprising from 3 to 20 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted amine (including primary, secondary and tertiary) or thiol, and the plasticizer is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M 4-x R' x (M = Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti; x is the integer 1, 2 or 3), where R comprise hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R' comprise a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or derivatives thereof, c) coating the composite solution onto the substrate to penetrate into the porous material, and d) drying or curing the substrate at a set temperature equal to or between 25 and 200 °C to allow a composite coating to form on the substrate. a) selecting a porous substrate, b) preparing a composite solution comprising at least one solvent, at least one base chemical reagent, at least one plasticizer, at least one chelating agent and at least one bonding agent; wherein the base chemical reagent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M 4, where M = Si, Al, Ti, In, Sn or Zr, and R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, the bonding agent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M x R' y R" z (M = Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti; x is the integer 1, 2 or 3; y is the integer 0, 1 or 2; z is the integer 1, 2 or 3, provided that the sum of x, y and z equals 4), where R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof; R' comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R" comprises a substituted or unsubstituted epoxy or glycidoxy, the chelating agent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor or a combination thereof having a general formula of M x R' y R" z, where M = Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti; x is the integer 1, 2 or 3; y is the integer 0, 1 or 2; z is the integer 1, 2 or 3, provided that the sum of x, y and z equals 4), where R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof; R' comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R" comprises a substituted or unsubstituted alky or alkenyl group comprising from 3 to 20 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted amine (including primary, secondary and tertiary) or thiol, and the plasticizer is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M 4-x R' x (M = Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti; x is the integer 1, 2 or 3), where R comprise hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R' comprise a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or derivatives thereof, c) coating the composite solution onto the substrate to penetrate into the porous material, and d) drying or curing the substrate at a set temperature equal to or between 25 and 200 °C to allow a composite coating to form on the substrate.