Water Repellents

Water Repellents

Keeping water from seeping into building materials is an important aspect of construction or building repair.  One of the ways this can be accomplished is through the use of water repellants applied on the surface of the structure.  Once the structure is coated with water repellant, it is able to resist absorbing water.  Many times the product is used on concrete, concrete masonry, and plaster.

In general, water repellant should be the last substance applied to a structure, though there are exceptions.  The amount of time that a structure should cure before the application of the repellant varies depending on what the structure is made out of.  When applied to concrete masonry, the finished masonry should cure for 60 days in normal weather before the repellant is applied.  Similarly, all repair and construction work, including crack repair and pointing, should be finished on plaster and concrete should cure for 30 days in normal weather before repellant is applied.

All water repellants should adhere to certain standards.  For instance, the product should be clear and resist yellowing and should never stain or become discolored.  In addition, it should produce a chemical bond with the structure it is adhered to and be VOC compliant.  Types of water repellants include silanes, low and high solid acrylics, siloxanes.