Concrete, by nature, is extremely porous filled with endless pores and capillary voids. Think of a sponge, when dry it is hard and dense but when it comes into contact with water it fills up and becomes weak and wet. In order to prevent concrete from seeping up endless amounts of water a waterproofing concrete sealer should always be applied. Concrete basements, concrete driveways and concrete foundations should always be treated with a waterproofing sealers since they are most susceptible to damage.

If a basement is composed of concrete blocks or concrete cinderblocks it is best to use a Silane/Siloxane based sealer. The mixture of the two types of sealers and the larger size molecule will provide excellent water repellency to the overly porous blocks. Concrete blocks are the most porous concrete structures since the pores and voids are large and the thickness of the concrete is not extremely deep. It is essential that a concrete block basement is sealed as soon as possible to prevent water damage from the close proximity of the water table.

If it is a poured concrete foundation or a concrete driveway it is best to use a penetrating densifier and waterproofing blended sealer. The combination of the smaller molecule with its densification properties and the larger molecule with its waterproofing properties is the ultimate solution for preventing the penetration of water.

Our Take: Excellent silane/siloxane concrete blocks and cinderblock sealers include Okon S-40 and Siloxa-Tek 8500 and penetrating densifiers and waterproofers include Lithi-Tek 9500 and Euclid’s Diamond Hard