A solid material is subjected to surface treatment by chemically bonding onto a surface of the solid material a stabilized monofunctional silanol represented by R1R2R3SiOH. R1, R2 and R3 may be the same or different, and each represent a substituent group independently selected from a substituted or unsubstituted, monovalent hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted, monovalent heterocyclic group having from 1 to 100 carbon atoms. The monofunctional silanol has a dehydrative self-condensation rate lower than triethylsilanol.