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Brick and Masonry Coatings

Clear Coating Manufacturers for Brick and Masonry

Many of the following manufacturers will not be familiar to you. Their products are not commonly sold at most local hardware stores or 'giant' home centers. To find quality products, you may have to drive just a little farther and visit the stores that professionals buy from. In many instances, you will find the  products below at building supply stores where sand, cement and plaster are sold. Brick companies often sell these high quality clear coatings. Once again, beware of products that say 'water repellent'. You may be purchasing a film forming sealant! If you have questions about a specific product, email me. I have a super detailed list of just about every clear coating made and its chemical makeup. I can tell you if it is a film forming sealant or a penetrant. Don't hesitate to contact me.

Author's Notes:

In August 2001, Joan Kaufenberg of ChemRex Technical Services sent me the following letter.

The EPA regulations that went into effect September 1999 lowered acceptable VOCs for all architectural coatings. There is a wide range of what is acceptable, depending on how the product is classified.

Most companies have reformulated their more popular products to be higher in active ingredient with a lower solvent content, or they have developed a waterbase or waterborne version. In some cases they have kept the same name, which is confusing, or they have added "VOC" after the old name to denote VOC compliance. In other cases, products have simply been dropped.

Descriptions of "water repellent" vs "sealant" vs "sealer" seem to be used interchangeably in the industry. One name more than the other does not necessarily denote a film former or a penetrant. However, we usually use the word "Sealant" to refer to a compound used for caulking--sealants are the higher quality elastomeric urethane, silicone, epoxy or polyurethane products used in expansion and control joints. The term "Sealer" usually refers to a coating or a penetrating product. It can be silane, siloxane, acrylic, urethane, or epoxy (or an inorganic silicate material which is used for hardening and dustproofing a concrete surface).

If customers want to contact us, they can call Customer Service at 800-433-9517 to find out the nearest dealer. Or they can call Technical Service at 800-243-6739 with product/application questions.

  • Dow Corning Corporation
    PO Box 994
    MIDLAND MI 48686-0994
    989-496-7881

  • BASF Building Systems
    889 Valley Park Dr.
    Shakopee, MN 55379
    952-496-6000

    Hydrozo Silane Sealers

  • SaverSystems
    800 S. 7th St.
    Richmond, IN 47374
    800-860-6327

    Masonry Saver Silane/Siloxane Blend penetrant

  • Thompsons Company
    101 Prospect Ave. NW
    Cleveland, OH 44115
    800-367-6297

    Thompson's WaterSeal Clear Multi-Surface Waterproofer

  • Thoro Systems Products
    7800 N.W. 38th Street
    Miami, FL 33166
    800-327-1570

    Thorosilane Siloxane Penetrant


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Properties of Various Clear Coatings
Data compiled by the Brick Institute of America 1995 Breathability - Water Vapor Transmission Ability to Repel Water Service Life
Film Forming Sealants
Acrylics Poor Very Good 5-7 Years
Stearates Poor Varies 1 Year
Mineral Gum Waxes Poor Good Varies
Urethanes Poor Very Good 1-3 Years
Silicone Fair Varies 1 Year
Penetrants
Silanes Very Good Very Good 10+ Years
Siloxanes Very Good Very Good 10+ Years
Blends Varies Varies Varies


Clear Coatings Literature

  • Colorless Coatings for Brick Masonry 6A
    (www.gobrick.com/BIA/technotes/TN6A.pdf)
    Moisture Resistance of Brick Masonry Maintenance 7F (http://www.brickinfo.org/pdfs/7F.pdf)

    Available from:

    Brick Institute of America
    11490 Commerce Park Drive
    Reston, VA 22091
    http://www.gobrick.com/

  • Reducing Water Permeance in Masonry Walls & Chimneys
    (http://www.chimneysaver.com/reducing_water_permeance_in_masonry_walls_and_chimneys.html)
    by: John Meredith
    Sweeping April - May 1994 Issue

    Sweeping is a trade publication for chimney sweeps. It is possibly available in your library.

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