# Masonry Sealer



## red_cedar (Mar 30, 2005)

Pricing up the wall I have listed under- Tuckpointing- Looking for a good brick / masonry sealer. What could one expect to pay per gallon or 5 gallon.

Thanks guys.


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

Red, I would say between $10 and $20 per gallon. 

-Paul


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## timmymacdd (Apr 22, 2011)

Masonry sealer is a myth. It is not needed.....sometimes I might put it on the above the roof part of a chimney or a wall that is not attached to the house.....But the trick to keeping masonry good is managing the water from rain and ice. Sloping the sides of the house away from the house....and making sure that when you complete a chimney the top is 1-2 inches over the main part of the chimney. 

And if a customer is thinking that masonry sealer actually works....then let them know to re-install it every two years if you are using the stuff from home depot....(thompsons) 

The problem with masonry sealer is that the masonry is supposed to dry for a few days before you should put the sealer on. Mortar dries for a long long time....and the sealer interrupts the drying process. I usually tell the customer to put it on....since I don't like waiting to get paid for the work. 

But that is just my two cents.......I know how to make a show of the sealer and spray some water on it while the customer looks on....it is impressive whilst they hand over the money for the job.....but a brand new brick job should be left alone for a year to dry proper before adding a sealer. IMHO


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## red_cedar (Mar 30, 2005)

This wall Im looking at is on a building built in 1904, looks to have had no maintence.

The upper 8 feet or so, is bad,- missing brick, much spalling. Im looking at remove and replace 30+ brick, fill in voids with mortar, tuckpoint the rest. But also remove the terra cotta caps, waterproof the top, reapply the caps Then seal it up.
The brick seems very porus. Thats why the sealer


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## Supahflid (Mar 22, 2011)

First, let's all agree on the terminology. When you say "sealer" I'm thinking a film forming product. Do you really intend to cover the brick with coating?

I think what you want is a "water repellent". Water repellents perform in a completely different way. They coat the pores of the substrates they are being applied to, making the pore too tight for a water molecule to pass through, yet will still allow for water vapor to escape from the substrate.

So, which is it that you are looking for? A sealer or a water repellent?


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

All brick should be sealed with a breathable water repellent, for the mortar if not for the brick itself. The mortar is cured enough after 3-4 weeks that sealing it will not affect it.

Garbage from Home Depot is NOT recommended, Prime-A-Pel 200 or several of the ProSoCo sealers will last for 5-10 years before re-application.

Pricewise, it is 25-40 bucks a gallon with a coverage that varies from 175 to 300 SqFt per gallon.


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## red_cedar (Mar 30, 2005)

> I think what you want is a "water repellent".


I think thats what I want also. Thanks.




> Prime-A-Pel 200 or several of the ProSoCo sealers w


I will look into this . Thank you.

The wall, I feel deteriorated so bad is from trapped moisture in the roof assembly.
The worst damage is right below where the roof line is, but on the outside of the wall. Some damage is from the top of the wall as well, but not as much.

Thanks guys for all your help.


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