Efflock Hydrophobic Additive

Imagine tiled surfaces, brickwork, and concrete that consistently stay clean, free from unsightly white salt deposits and damp patches. Efflock delivers this by integrating directly into your cement-based mixes, turning them hydrophobic from the moment they are poured or laid. This approach protects against the common causes of surface degradation, ensuring a pristine finish and lasting material health from the inside out.

Why this product exists

Unsightly white salts, dark patches, and general damp can ruin the appearance and integrity of cement-based finishes. Efflock was formulated to stop these problems at their source. It works as a bulk impregnating additive, creating a hydrophobic molecular structure within the pores of screeds, mortars, and concrete.

This internal protection dramatically reduces water absorption without filling pores, allowing the material to breathe while actively repelling contaminants like salts and dirt. This prevents efflorescence, cryptoflorescence, and salt attack. The concentrated, water-based, VOC-free formula also offers environmental benefits and efficient transport.

The numbers that matter

• 1:100 dilution ratio: This highly concentrated liquid additive integrates into gauging water at a 1:100 ratio, ensuring cost-effective bulk impregnation across large areas like screeds, adhesives, and grouts. This means a single litre of Efflock can treat approximately 16m² of tiled surface, factoring in 40mm thick screed, tile adhesive, and grout.
• Vapour permeable and UV stable: Unlike film-forming sealers, Efflock ensures treated materials remain vapour permeable and UV stable. This allows for controlled moisture release while protecting against UV degradation, critical for long-term durability in exposed external applications.
• Negates secondary membranes, saving 80% cost: By preventing efflorescence and damp within screeds, Efflock can negate the need for a secondary membrane above the screed. This significantly reduces material and labour costs by approximately 80%, while also accelerating construction timelines.
• VOC-free, water-based: Its water-based, VOC-free formulation ensures it is safe for internal and external applications without hazardous emissions. This contributes to healthier working environments and compliance with green building standards.

What it's like to use

Efflock is added directly to the gauging water of cement-based mixes like screeds, tile adhesives, grouts, and mortars. For screeds, it can be added neat, then water to desired consistency, compensating for existing sand moisture. It imparts a lubricating effect, often reducing the need for usual gauging water and improving workability.

Tools clean up with water. Treated materials require protection from rain for 12-24 hours initially, and damp curing for screeds for seven days, mirroring good concrete practice. A water test after 24 hours confirms successful impregnation by showing strong water beading on the surface.

Where this product excels

• Tiling Systems (Roofing, Balconies, Wet Areas): For tiling systems on concrete roofs, balconies, and wet areas, Efflock integrated into screeds, tile adhesives, and grouts provides critical protection against efflorescence and damp. This ensures cleaner, more durable tiled finishes and works seamlessly within multi-layer waterproofing systems, often alongside external tile adhesives and efflorescence resistant grouts.
• Masonry (Brickwork, Stonemasonry, Render): In brickwork and stonemasonry, using Efflock in mortar prevents efflorescence, cryptoflorescence, and salt attack. This dramatically improves the long-term appearance of walls and can reduce the need for secondary damp-proof membranes at DPC levels. It also actively repels dirt and moss growth, keeping mortar joints cleaner.
• Concrete Structures (Off-form, Paving): For off-form concrete and concrete paving, this additive enhances durability by repelling contaminants and preventing freeze/thaw damage. It also maintains a clean appearance by suppressing moss and dirt absorption without discolouration.

How it fits in a real system

Efflock is typically introduced early in the construction sequence, right at the mixing stage for cement-based materials. In a common ROOFING - CONCRETE ROOF - TO BE TILED system, it integrates into the screed and tile adhesive layers. This positions it after primary waterproofing membranes, such as Everflex WPM or Everflex Aqua-Ban Waterproofing Membrane, providing an internal hydrophobic barrier to the critical bedding and adhesive layers before the final grout and sealant are applied. It reinforces the system from within, ensuring the integrity of the tiled finish against water migration and efflorescence. It is often used in conjunction with a damp concrete primer before the screed or adhesive layers are laid.

Choose this when

• When constructing tiled surfaces on concrete roofs, balconies, or wet areas, and you need to prevent efflorescence and damp within the screed, tile adhesive, or grout.
• When specifying mortar for brickwork or stonemasonry where long-term appearance, salt attack resistance, and damp-proof course effectiveness are critical.
• When seeking to enhance the durability and cleanliness of off-form concrete or concrete paving by inhibiting water absorption, salt attack, and freeze/thaw damage.
• When aiming to reduce construction costs and complexity by negating the need for secondary membranes above screeds in tiling systems.

Don't use this when

• Not for: Primary waterproofing where materials are subjected to continuous hydrostatic pressure or submersion without a membrane. Efflock is not a standalone waterproofing membrane and does not fill the pores of concrete to resist head pressure.
• Not for: Cleaning existing efflorescence or removing stains. This additive is a preventative measure, integrated at the mixing stage. For existing issues, dedicated cleaning or specific repair agents are required.
• Not for: Addressing colour stability or patchy appearance issues in dark grouts. While Efflock protects against secondary efflorescence in dark grouts, it does not prevent or resolve underlying colour instability. Consider epoxy grout for inherent colour problems.
• Not for: Universal application to natural stone without prior testing. Due to varied porosity and mineral composition, on-site testing is crucial to avoid issues like visible dry spots or adhesion failure, particularly with low porosity stone like granite and basalt.

Related products

• Everflex WPUV UV-Stable Waterproofing Membrane