How To Make Mud Bricks Waterproof? [Procedure & Precautions]
Mud bricks are composed of earth, water and organic material, used to build walls, domes and vaults. Waterproofing mud-brick is essential to maintain its stability and helps reduce the cracks in the walls.
Before getting to know about waterproofing techniques, let’s learn the benefits of mud bricks usage.
Using Mud bricks, you can gain the below benefits:
- Mud bricks are biodegradable, durable, sustainable, fireproof and cost-effective.
- The raw materials are non-toxic and easy to make and provide insulation that acts as sound-proof.
- Mud bricks are made of sand, soil, water, mud, and rice husk acts as an excellent binding agent to reduce the cracks and breaks.
- Mud bricks are subjected to fire to enhance their strength and extend their life.
How To Make Mud Bricks Waterproof?
Mud bricks composed of water and soil provide a basic building block for any construction. Though the clay present in the soil has natural waterproof quality, proper waterproofing techniques have to be followed to improve the quality, durability of the bricks.
In this article, you can find four easy methods to waterproof the mud bricks. You can follow any method based on your feasibility.
- Masonry protection cream method
- Mud Brick water repellent method
- Waterproof mud bricks using paint
- Smart seal brick sealer method
Waterproofing Mud Bricks Using Masonry Protection Cream Method
You need not worry about keeping your walls dry and warm anymore since Masonry protection cream can make the work easy for you.
Masonry protection cream is water-based specially formulated to act as strong waterproofing agents that can work on mud bricks. It can deeply penetrate the bricks and act as a damp proofer and brick sealer by forming a barrier against damp.
Benefits of using Masonry protection cream:
- Masonry protection cream helps fill the porous gaps in the substrate without blocking them and can leave your brick walls breathable.
- The protection cream can leave your brick wall dry with an invisible finish.
- Masonry protection cream act as a high-effective damp proofer and can last long up to 25 years.
- This cream provides better results than other waterproof coatings, and it helps to retain the original dry appearance.
- This protection cream can provide an additional barrier during the flood and improve the thermal efficiency of the surface.
Required materials
Procedure [Step by Step]
1. Clean your mud brick
- Before applying Masonry cream on brick, thoroughly clean the wall using water.
- Then let the bricks dry because the moisture in the brick will interfere with the protection cream performance.
2. Apply Masonry cream
- Once the brick is free of dirt and dust, coat the bricks with masonry cream using a paintbrush.
- Single application of the cream is enough to give necessary protection but make sure you cover the entire surface.
3. Dry
- When the mud bricks are completely coated with the protection cream, leave it dry for 24 hours.
- You can even do a waterproof test after 24 hours of drying.
- In a few days, the masonry cream applied on the brick surface tends to lighten and becomes completely invisible.
Precautions:
- Always ensure the brick surface is dry before the protection cream application.
- Due to high viscosity, a single application of the cream is enough to do the required protection. Do not overdo them, or this will impact the breathability of the surface.
- Store the product in a cool place to prevent bacterial contamination.
Time
This method takes up to 1-2 hours depends on the surface area of mud bricks. And the drying process can take up to 24 hours.
Total processing time: 24 hours.
Cost
You can find the approximate cost for the required material here.
- Masonry protection cream – $100
- Paintbrush or roller – $15
The overall cost for this method will be around $115.
Waterproofing Mud Bricks Using Water Repellent Method
If you are looking quick and easy application technique, this method is for you.
In this method, you will use a mud-brick water repellent solvent based on silicon; that acts as an excellent penetrating sealer.
Mud brick water repellent can protect against harsh weather without peeling or blistering. The mud-brick water repellent can penetrate the walls and form an invisible water repellent barrier by reducing water absorption up to 95%.
This sealant also makes the surface breathable and protect against UV and alkali stability. Mudbrick water repellent can permanently bond on the surface without any blisters.
Due to its reduced efflorescence, the water repellent solvent gives you absolute protection for the mud bricks.
Required materials
Procedure [Step by Step]
1. Clean the mud brick
- Always clean your mud-brick with a low-pressure washer to ensure the exterior surface is free from dirt.
2. Apply water repellent solvent
- Once the brick is free of dirt and dust, coat the bricks with water repellent solvent.
- You can also use an airless sprayer to apply the water repellent on the brick surface.
3. Dry
- When the mud bricks are completely coated with the solvent, leave it to dry for 1-2 hours.
- The surface may appear darker after the application and gets lightened as soon as it dries.
Precautions:
- Depending on the temperature and humidity, drying time varies. Low temperatures can increase the drying time of the silicon solvent.
- Always take necessary protection by using masks and gloves while using an airless sprayer.
Time
This method takes up to 1 hour depends on the surface area of mud bricks. And the drying process can take up to 1-2 hours.
Total processing time: 3 hours.
Cost
You can find the approximate cost for the required material here.
- Mud Brick Water repellent – $50
- Paintbrush or roller – $15
The overall cost for this method will be around $65.
How To Make Mud Brick Waterproof Using Paint?
The mud bricks can be protected with paints on both exterior and interior sides.
You can either choose Acrylic/latex paints which are water-based or oil-based alkyd paints.
You will get the mentioned advantages by following this specific waterproofing method for the mud bricks.
- Coating bricks with paint can handle humidity, temperature changes and withstand all weather conditions.
- Paints do not change the vapor permeability, and they help reduce water penetration and improve durability.
- Coating the bricks with waterproof sealant can prevent efflorescence.
- Waterproof paint provides better waterproofing performance. And the breathable formulation is designed to allow the walls to breathe and remove the moisture.
- The sealant seals the porousness in the bricks, and the paint applied on the surface will stay in the brick walls by providing total protection.
Required materials
- Linseed oil
- Paint thinner
- Sponge
- Containers
- Paint
- Paintbrush or roller
Procedure [Step by Step]
1. Prepare your mud brick
- Ensure your brick does not have any cracks before coating with sealer and paint.
2. Apply sealant
- In the container, add three parts of thinner, one part of linseed oil and mix it well.
- Then apply the sealer on the bricks in every nook and corner.
- Let the sealant gets completely dry for 24 hours.
3. Apply Paint
- Choose an oil-based paint and apply it on the bricks so that it gets absorbed a little. Whereas other paints, get penetrated through the wall and do not act as waterproof.
- Once the bricks are dry after the first application, perform the second paint coating on the brick walls.
- The primer and the paint combination work well and act as excellent waterproof for mud bricks. You can choose any primers such as oil, latex, acrylic primers to blend with paints.
4. Dry
- The brick wall can take up to 24 hours to get completely dry.
- Then wipe the brick surface with a wet sponge gently.
Precautions
- For interior paint- always go for the lowest level of volatile organic compounds since it can cause health hazards.
Time
This method takes up to 1-2 hours depends on the surface area of mud bricks. And the drying process can take up to 24 hours.
Total processing time: 24 hours.
Cost
You can find the approximate cost for the required material here, provided you have the miscellaneous materials at home.
- Paint thinner – $15
- Linseed oil – $15
- Paint – $25
- Paintbrush or roller – $15
The overall cost for this method will be around $70.
How To Make Mud Bricks Waterproof Using Smart Seal Brick Sealer?
If you are seeking a quick waterproofing method for your brick walls, follow this Smartseal Brick sealer method.
You can get the mentioned benefits by using the Smartseal brick sealer for your mud bricks.
- Smartseal brick sealer can protect the brick walls from damp and act as water-resistant.
- The sealer is of high quality, breathable and contains solvent-free ingredients.
- It can also act as stain-resistant and does not modify the chemical structure of the mud bricks.
- Unlike other sealers, the Smartseal brick sealer can penetrate the substrate by providing long-term protection.
- By using a Smartseal brick sealer, the brick life can extend up to 15 years.
- The sealer has a quick-dry feature and is highly resistant to mildew.
Required materials
Procedure [Step by Step]
1. Clean mud brick
- Clean the mud bricks with water and make sure it is dry before the application of the sealer.
2. Apply brick sealer
- Apply the Smartseal brick sealer on the brick walls using a paintbrush.
- Let the bricks dry for 15-20 minutes.
- Then apply the second coating of sealer on the bricks.
3. Dry
- The brick wall can take up to 2 hours to get completely dry.
- Once dried, you can immediately subject the bricks to a water-resistant test.
Precautions:
- You should not apply the sealer if the temperature is below 8 degrees Celsius.
Time
This method takes up to 1 hour depends on the surface area of mud bricks. And the drying process can take up to 2-3 hours.
Total processing time: 4 hours.
Cost
You can find the approximate cost for the required material here.
- Smartseal Brick sealer– $30
- Paintbrush or roller – $15
The overall cost for this method will be around $45.
Final Words:
Mud bricks are environmentally friendly and provide good thermal regulation. Mud bricks are known for affordable prices and have a longer life span. But taking proper measures to protect the mud bricks are crucial for the sturdy building and its attractive look.
Follow any waterproofing method which suits your needs and ensure you repair the brick walls when it needs some attention. After all, you can spend some dollars to waterproof the brick walls- for extending their life for a few decades.
