dry admix for imprinted concrete
Posted by Jeff on July 19, 2006
Dear Bruce, We are looking to start a small busines supplying the DIY market with products to imprint small pathways themselves without employing large contractors. Can you advise me from your experience what dry admixes we can add to a pigment mix to condition and to reduce efflorescence when applied over the surface of the wet concrete prior to imprinting. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Jeff
Efflorescence is in its matter migration of soluble salts from the inside concrete to the surface. The transportation media in this case is water and salts migrating to the surface because there is higher evaporation rate at the surface. Highest contributor to efflorescence is cement.
In order to fight efflorescence we have to be able to reduce the volume of water migrating to the surface. The most effective way, in my opinion, is to fight it from the inside and actually prevent water migration.
Some admixtures currently available fight efflorescence but all of them (to the best of my knowledge) are liquid.
A powered High Range Water Reducer would help by reducing the water demand and could be used to reduce the cement content but I don’t think any are commercially available.
In short, I don’t know of a powdered efflorescence control product that is available.
