Sealers for clinker and brick

Brick and clinker sealers - invisible, colour-deepening and anti-graffiti - that cut water uptake across the whole wall, joints included. Alongside them, the cleaners that get the face ready: for algae, efflorescence and mortar residue.

Appearance
Want the wall left as it is? Choose VC-1, EH-20 or ProtectGuard. EH-16 refreshes old brick by gently deepening its colour, and ProtectGuard WL Mat and WL give a distinct wet-stone look.
Oil and graffiti
Protect a low wall by a barbecue or driveway with the water- and oil-repellent EH-20 or EH-21. On a wall facing the street, ProtectGuard makes it harder for paint to get into the brick, so graffiti can be washed off.
Large areas
Across a whole facade, coverage counts: ImperGuard Ultra 4 in 1 covers about 8 m² per litre, and ProtectGuard about 6 m².
What to wash it with first
Algae and atmospheric dirt come off with the alkaline C-11E, white efflorescence on clinker with the acidic EC-22, and mortar and laitance left from building work with Guard Remover Eco.

11 products

Guides

Before you choose: how to pick the right product, prepare the surface and what to expect once it is on.

A brick or clinker wall takes up water through the face and through the joints. In a brick wall the weak point is the joint: cement mortar absorbs water even more readily than the brick itself. Rain carries salts in with it, and once the water evaporates they stay on the face as white efflorescence. A sealer lowers the water uptake of the whole wall while the masonry still releases vapour - we explain why that is a must on a wall in the Facades and roofs section.

Invisible, wet look or anti-graffiti

  • VC-1 - a water-based siloxane sealer, colourless once dry. It penetrates deeper than 5 mm, and the brick keeps its colour, texture and vapour permeability. A safe choice for a facade or garden wall.
  • EH-20 - water-based, silane and colourless, it limits the ingress of water and oils. Well suited to low walls by a terrace, barbecue or garage.
  • EH-16 - refreshes the colour of old brick without adding pigment and keeps the wall vapour-permeable.
  • ProtectGuard WL Mat and WL - a distinct, lasting wet-stone look. Matt is the safer choice on uneven, old brick; semi-gloss suits smooth facing brick in good condition.
  • ProtectGuard - invisible once dry, and protects against oil and graffiti as well.

A wet-stone look cannot be undone. We explain how to judge it before you commit in the guide invisible sealer or wet look.

Order of work

  1. Wash the wall. Apply C-11E facade cleaner to a wall dampened with clean water, leave it for 2-3 minutes and rinse thoroughly. We walk through the whole process in the guide to cleaning algae off a facade.
  2. Remove efflorescence from clinker with EC-22, and mortar marks with Guard Remover Eco, which you rinse off after 5 minutes at most. Details are in the guide to removing cement laitance.
  3. Repair washed-out joints - a sealer is not a sealant.
  4. Wait until the wall is dry right through (the full list of conditions is in the guide to preparing the substrate), then apply the sealer to the whole face, joints included. VC-1 is rainproof after 5-6 hours.

The most common mistake

Leaving an acidic cleaner on the wall. EC-22 acts on cement binder and must not dry on the face - that is the most common cause of streaks after washing. On fresh or washed-out joints, start with a test on a small area, and on a coloured face dilute the product with water, as undiluted it can strip the colour.

Questions before you choose

Is it worth sealing clinker brick?

Yes, if the wall darkens after rain or white efflorescence appears on it. A sealer limits the ingress of rainwater and salts, and an invisible one leaves the clinker in its own colour and texture.

Will a sealer change the colour of brick?

Only if you want it to. VC-1, EH-20 and ProtectGuard are colourless. EH-16 gently deepens the colour, and ProtectGuard WL Mat and WL give a lasting wet-stone look. A test on a section of wall shows the result before you seal the whole face.

Will a sealer protect the joints?

Yes - you apply it to the whole face of the wall, joints included. Repair damaged or washed-out joints before sealing, though, because a sealer is not a sealant.

How do I remove white efflorescence from clinker?

With an acidic product, because efflorescence is alkaline. EC-22 removes carbonate efflorescence and streaks from clinker, dried-on ones included. Do not let it dry on the face, and once the wall is washed and dry, seal it - the sealer limits the water uptake that carries salts to the surface.

How often should a brick wall be sealed?

Watch the water. As long as it beads on the surface, the protection is working. When water starts soaking in and dark patches return after rain, it is time to seal again.