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Waterproofing & Concrete Curing Agents

To properly waterproof concrete, the surface must be prepared correctly by removing any remaining curing agents used during the curing process. Curing agents are applied to help the curing process but can prevent waterproofing membranes from adhering later. Their breakdown over time must be verified before waterproofing, such as by observing how water droplets bead on the surface. With proper preparation including abrading any remaining curing agents, high-quality waterproofing products applied by skilled workers can provide reliable waterproofing.

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Sunil P Balakrishnan
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50 views1 page

Waterproofing & Concrete Curing Agents

To properly waterproof concrete, the surface must be prepared correctly by removing any remaining curing agents used during the curing process. Curing agents are applied to help the curing process but can prevent waterproofing membranes from adhering later. Their breakdown over time must be verified before waterproofing, such as by observing how water droplets bead on the surface. With proper preparation including abrading any remaining curing agents, high-quality waterproofing products applied by skilled workers can provide reliable waterproofing.

Uploaded by

Sunil P Balakrishnan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Waterproofing & Concrete Curing Agents

To achieve perfect and reliable waterproofing, it is essential to have skilled applicators and
high quality products.  It is also essential that the substrate that is to be waterproofed is
ready and prepared correctly.  The substrate should be smooth and clean and free of
previous coatings.
One good example is in the case of concrete slabs.  Curing agents or moisture evaporation
retardants are coated on the surface of the slab during the curation period to help maximise
the extent of the cure, leading to stronger and denser concrete.  The curing agents are
designed to break down over time, and through wear.
To correctly waterproof such a slab, it is necessary to remove any remaining curing agents. 
These curing agents prevent the waterproofing membrane from coming in to physical
contact with the slab surface.  When the curing agents break down the waterproofing
coating will lack adhesion to the substrate.  Because the issue is mechanical in nature and
not about chemical compatibility, it will be the same for both solvent-borne and water-based
coatings.
Although the curing agents do break down, it is sometimes not practical to wait before the
waterproofing can begin.  In these cases, the curing agents can be abraded to ensure that
following coats will adhere to the concrete substrate.  Sometimes the curing agents may be
visible and easy to spot, other times it may be necessary to employ other detection
methods.  The best practice though, is always for Builders to advise the Waterproofer if
curing agents have been used so they can be on alert for any potential adhesion issues.
To determine if the curing agents have broken down an easy test can be performed on site. 
Sprinkle or spray some water on the concrete surface and observe the behaviour of the
water droplets.  If the water doesn’t soak in to the concrete surface but just beads on top
(Figure 1.), then that is an indicator that those areas need to be abraded by mechanical
means.  If the water soaks in to the concrete (Figure 2.), it indicates that there is no
remaining curing agent and it is ready for waterproofing.
Wet-seal provides both the high quality membrane system and the skilled applicators.  Wet-
seal Franchisee applicators understand the substrate requirements necessary to ensure a
water tight outcome for your builds.

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