You may have already been faced with the question of which product to use in your work for waterproof a surface, right? Water-repellent Silicone or Acrylic Varnish? Do you know when to use one and the other and what are the advantages of each of them?
If you work in civil construction, you know that the process of waterproofing it is very important to obtain better and quality results. This is because waterproofing properly avoids long-term problems, pathologies, even facilitates cleaning and preserves the always beautiful aesthetic!
So, if you are in the business, you know that well-done waterproofing must be carried out with quality products, correct and specific application for each purpose. There's no use having the best product but applying it incorrectly or using a product suitable for one thing, but wanting another result!
Therefore, we have prepared this material that will help you decide which product is suitable for the result you want to obtain! More specifically, we will tell you everything about water-repellent silicones and acrylic varnishes, which are two options found on the market and which are recommended during the waterproofing phase!
Come with us to stop having doubts when choosing the product for your work!
O water-repellent silicone It is a product, formulated from silane-based molecules Siloxane, which began to be widely used in civil construction, due to its excellent results and advantages compared to acrylic varnishes. But what are its characteristics that have made it the preferred product when it comes to waterproofing?
Firstly, water-repellent silicones do not form a film on the surface, allowing the material to remain porous, facilitating the evaporation of liquids, allowing it to “breathe”. They are environmentally friendly products, since they use water as a solvent.
In addition, silicones are able to penetrate the substrate without altering their original characteristics. Because it does not form a film, its maintenance is very simple: after a few years, it is enough to reapply the water-repellent silicone, without the need for procedures to remove the previous layer.
Water-repellent silicones, as their name implies, have the function of hydrofuging the surface where they will be applied, protecting it against the action of water and moisture, thus preventing the formation of molds and darkened or greenish stains. By blocking infiltrations, it acts to preserve different types of substrates and prevents pathologies that compromise all aesthetics wherever they may be!
But first of all, you need to remember to carry out a good cleaning on the substrate that will receive the product! The ideal is to perform hydrojetting to remove most of the impurities so that the application is done correctly, since silicone is applied to structures that are exposed to the sun and rain, but cannot be administered on a wet surface.
So when we think of waterproofing, water-repellent silicone is preferred, as it offers many pluses for the work, increasing the useful life of the substrate, reducing maintenance, high durability and creating self-cleaning surfaces, since dirt does not accumulate!
But even so, let's explain a bit about acrylic varnishes that are also used in civil construction and have other characteristics. Come with us to understand!
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What is Acrylic Varnish?
As we have already said, another alternative for waterproofing is the use of acrylic varnishes (or acrylic resin). You may have heard that they are more resistant and leave a more beautiful appearance after application, but how about better understanding how this product works?
The first feature of varnishes is the fact that, after being applied to the surface, a film layer is formed on it. This implies some points that result in different finishes than silicones. Let's understand better!
You agree that when a film is formed, it can alter the original characteristics of the material, right? For this reason, many people say that varnishes offer a more beautiful finish and can leave the surface shiny, matte or satin. This can be a great advantage if the intention is to change the surface's appearance.
However, we have to highlight some negative points about the formation of the film. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, the surface waterproofed with varnish undergoes degradation, which can be seen by the signs of yellowing, cracking and, finally, peeling off of the film layer from the surface. This can be a big problem, because although the durability is good, maintenance needs to be done as soon as signs appear due to aesthetic deterioration.
Therefore, as soon as the signs of degradation are noticed, it is necessary to start maintenance. Because it forms a film, it must be completely removed before applying a new layer of the waterproofing agent, which consists of a sanding process of the entire surface, always taking care not to damage the substrate. Once completely removed, the waterproofing agent can be reapplied.
We can see that acrylic varnishes take more work when it comes to maintenance, isn't it? On the other hand, they give a more pleasant look to the surfaces. Next, we will give you some tips to learn how to choose the ideal waterproofing agent!
Difference between Water-repellent Silicone and Acrylic Varnish and How to Choose
Well, from the definitions of water-repellent silicone and Acrylic Varnish, we can compile the differences between these two products so used by civil construction. We have the following:
Application: the substrate must be well cleaned for silicone application and does not form films, leaving it porous. Acrylic varnishes form films, which undergo degradation over time, compromising aesthetics.
Finish: silicones may or may not alter the surface; varnishes alter, leaving shiny, matte, dark and wet-looking.
Maintenance: acrylic varnishes require total removal of the film before reapplication while silicones do not.
Basically, those are the differences. But, now you must be wondering how to choose the ideal waterproofing agent. And we will answer you: it depends. Everything will depend on what you want; whether you want to leave it shiny, if you want to have less work in the maintenance or if you want to keep the original appearance of the surface. So, think carefully about what each product offers so you don't have unexpected results, understand?
Bonus: BlokSeal CC
If, after reading, you have come to the conclusion that water-repellent silicone is the best option for what you need, we will introduce you to the best water-repellent silicone on the market: BlokSeal CC. BlokSeal CC water-repellent silicone based on silane, BlokSeal CC promotes an invisible layer of protection that prevents infiltration, keeping the surface clean and free of pathologies! It easily repels water, preserving the entire surface for much longer.
Do you want to know more? Take a look at our site and discover all our products! A Blok is ready for any challenge!
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