Water repellent for concrete: when to use?

Do you know how waterproof concrete to increase the safety and durability of the material? Today, we are going to talk here about how and what is the importance of using water repellents for the protection of areas composed of concrete.

You know that concrete is used for various uses in civil construction, right?

However, there are several factors that can influence the result of the work and the permeability of the concrete is one of them. Read on to understand what we're talking about.

Concrete is one of the most used materials in construction and, therefore, understanding how its response to the action of water works is extremely important since it directly influences the final result of the work! To do this, let's understand the concept of concrete permeability, which we said above.

Well, for a concrete to be considered durable, two characteristics of this material must be examined: the water-cement ratio and its permeability.

A Water cement ratio and the permeability of the material refer to how much the concrete will absorb moisture, or rather, the more porous it is, the more it will absorb water and, the less resistant it is.

So, to decrease the porosity of the material it is important to use additives to increase the compactness of the concrete and also to use water repellent to decrease the permeability of the material, making it more durable and resistant.

Without the use of additives to reduce porosity and without a water repellent to reduce permeability, concrete is unlikely to have good durability and resistance.

Therefore, it is essential to use these products to optimize the quality of the concrete and guarantee an excellent result in the works!

Today, we are going to talk specifically about the use of water repellent for concrete, but in our blog you can find several articles on the most varied subjects of this material so used in civil construction!

Take a look at them to learn more about this topic! Now, let's move on to our focus today, which is to understand about water repellent for concrete, but first of all, we will explain what a water repellent is and then we can get into the main topic, okay? Keep reading!

What is a water repellent?

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Before we explain about water repellents for concrete, we have to understand what water repellents are, because there is a lot of confusion about the difference between water repellants and waterproofing agents. Many people think it's the same thing, but let's explain it in a very simple way so that you never fall into the mistake of confusing the two concepts again, right?

Well, let's go. There are products that fall under the classification of water repellents and others that are waterproofers. But what's the difference between them?

Water repellents as well as waterproofing agents have the function of protecting surfaces against the harmful action of water, ensuring greater resistance and durability for them. However, the use of these two types of products differs, basically, on some points.

First, the use of water repellents does not allow film formation, allowing gas exchange of the material, while waterproofing promotes its formation, making the material more resistant to the action of water.

Thus, regarding resistance to the action of water, we can say that the water repellent is less resistant since it does not form a film, it only repels it. Therefore, by allowing the surface to remain porous, even if it repels water, the water repellent should not be used on substrates where water accumulates for a long time (hydrostatic pressure), as is the case in swimming pools or water tanks.

The waterproofing, on the other hand, because it forms a film on the substrate, provides greater resistance to the action of water, but ends up altering the aesthetics of the material. Thus, its use is indicated for places where hydrostatic pressure is constant.

Therefore, the use of a water repellent confers some advantages, such as: lower maintenance costs, since it is enough to reapply it from time to time, since the waterproofing agent requires total removal of the previous product for a new application; does not alter the aesthetics of the surface; high durability and resistance to water and moisture; increase in the useful life of the substrate; creation of “self-cleaning” surfaces; maintains the porosity of the material, allowing gas exchange and prevents the onset of pathological manifestations.

Thus, we can summarize that water repellents are intended to repel water and, in addition, the consequences of their use are very advantageous. Now that we understand what a water repellent is, how it works and its advantages, let's explain how to choose the right water repellent for concrete.

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How to choose a water repellent for concrete?

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We know that concrete is one of the most used materials in civil construction and makes up several structures that receive direct contact with water or moisture, which may cause the appearance of pathological manifestations, such as cracks, fissures, efflorescence, among others.

As much as, to the naked eye, it seems that concrete has no porosity, it is a material that has several pores that increase its permeability and, for this reason, it must receive adequate treatment to avoid infiltrations that can affect both the aesthetics and the safety of the entire work!

Therefore, it is essential to use water repellents to protect concrete in order to increase its strength and durability, understand?

So, let's now understand how to choose the right water repellent for concrete.

Answering the initial question of this article, you must have understood that the use of water repellent must always be adopted in structures that are composed of concrete.

We have already explained why, but we insist on stressing that concrete, because it is a material that has permeability, must be treated to prevent it from suffering the consequences of infiltration.

But how do you know which waterproofing agent is right for your concrete? Well, if you are still in doubt whether you should use waterproofing or water repellent to protect the substrate, you need to compare all the advantages and disadvantages of using these two types of products.

Because it does not alter the visual appearance of the surface, such as color or shine, water repellent is preferred for concrete protection. We made a paper who compares water-repellent silicone with acrylic lacquer, which will certainly give you advice!

If you have already chosen to use water repellent to protect your surface, you need to consider the specificities of the material, that is, what type of substrate is, how exposed to the elements it is and what its application will be.

For this, it is important to consult a good professional, as they will give you the best guidance after analyzing the area to be hydrofuged. Generally, water repellents are used both on surfaces, such as prefabricated walls of industrial warehouses and exposed concrete blocks, and on floors Cementícia.

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Why use water repellent to waterproof concrete?

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Now, you already have enough information to be able to answer this question, don't you? But even so, we will answer it for you!

The use of water repellents offers several advantages for concrete compared to waterproofing agents, which we have already discussed in the topics above. Therefore, by protecting concrete with water repellent, you have all the advantages it offers in addition to providing more safety and stability for the entire work, avoiding the various pathological manifestations that compromise not only aesthetics but the entire structure of the building.

But of course, we recommend that you consult a professional so that they can do a good analysis of your construction, including the use of water repellent in the waterproofing project, right?

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What problems can appear due to the lack of concrete waterproofing?

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The lack or failure of waterproofing may cause the appearance of the most varied pathological manifestations due to infiltration. And with concrete it's no different! If you don't do waterproofing with qualified products and labor, or worse, if you don't apply any product to protect the concrete, you will certainly have to deal with the effects that moisture can bring to your work.

And there is no shortage of examples of specific pathological manifestations: cracks, fissures, efflorescence, coating displacement, and even frame corrosion are some of them that can affect the entire structure of the work.

That's why we insist on saying that it's not worth leaving it for later! The investment in concrete waterproofing is not expendable and pays off, in every sense!

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Blok Products

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In addition to knowing how to choose which type of product you should use, the choice of quality products also makes all the difference in the final result of the work. And, if you still don't know the products from Blok, let's introduce you to some of them that you need to use in your work to get the best result!

Here we talk about some additives that should be used to lower the water-cement ratio of concrete and, in response to this demand, Blok developed the BlokGraute, BlokGraute Pro and BlokGraute Pro+, which are high-performance superplasticizing additives for Concretes and mortars suitable for lowering the water/cement factor, offering several other benefits for the entire material.

Blok also manufactures water-repellent silicones for concrete, such as BlokSeal and BlokSeal CC, water-based silane siloxane products that make surfaces hydrophobic, promoting an invisible layer of protection in porous bricks and coatings without changing color and brightness, suitable for application to: apparent concrete, cementitious facades, exposed bricks, stone facades, unglazed ceramics, ceramic tiles and fiber cement, designed mortar and projected texture.

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As for floor protection, we have BlokSeal Floors, which is a high-performance product that repels water and preserves the natural appearance of the surface, without altering its color, shine, or texture. Its use is recommended for floors in outdoor areas, residential wet areas and areas with high traffic of people such as hospitals, industries, malls, and public spaces in general, as it increases safety by expelling water.

To learn more and make the right choice, contact us, as we will be able to recommend you the best product! Blok is up for any challenge! Count on us!