With all of the concrete sealing product options on the market today, the oft-grandiose claims of many manufacturers and distributors can dupe many unsuspecting customers. The proliferation of the Internet has not helped matters, as a company can say almost whatever they want online without fear of great repercussions. One of the perennial claims made by most manufacturers and distributors is that concrete sealers and concrete densifers can actually fully waterproof concrete.
Waterproofing concrete is one of those benefits that everybody wants. The idea of making your home or building impervious to water damage is almost intoxicating in its desirability. However, for the vast majority of products, these claims are utterly bogus. While most products claim to offer complete waterproofing, they really only offer water resistance, at best. Some do not even offer any protection from water at all. How is the consumer unversed in concrete and concrete sealing to know which products are reliable and which are not?
Silicate densifier formulas have been around since the 1950′s and were initially used as concrete floor hardeners. Today because of their economical nature many concrete manufacturers and distributors claim silicates to be effective waterproofers. Silicate solutions have a place as a concrete treatment; however, their role should only be limited as concrete surface hardeners. Silicate solutions perform very poorly and ineffective as waterproofing sealers since they have a limited depth of penetration and they are unable to stop or reduce hydrostatic pressure. If you want to densify your concrete a Silicate hardener is an excellent option; however, leave the waterproofing to another product.
Our Take: Straight silicate densifiers cannot waterproof concrete; however, we reviewed the # 1 concrete waterproofer in this article.