Seal-Once™ Waterproofers for Wood, Masonry, Concrete, Brick

How do we know that Seal-Once is so safe?
Seal-Once has been tested for acute toxicity by Huther Associates, a nationally known environmental testing organization located in Denton, Texas. The test species used were fish and shrimp larvae, as they are 1000 times more susceptible to toxicity than a 6-inch goldfish.

During application, tests were conducted in liquid form, the result – no toxicity was found. Also, when materials treated with Seal-Once are immersed in fresh or salt water, they do not leech out, or become hydrolytically unstable. These are some of the reasons the State of New Hampshire supports use of this product throughout the state.

What does “beading” really mean?
The more beading you see, the better your wood surface is waterproofed and protected. The truth is more beading indicates the applied product is sitting on top of the surface. It tells you it has not permeated. That is why all leading brands of clear and tinted waterproofers suggest you reapply every year. The product does not permeate the surface and is washed away by the elements, or bleached out by the sun.

Products that create beading use wax or wax silicone derivatives that typically last 3 to 12 months. The formation of beads will collect dust and hold a larger volume of water on horizontal and vertical surfaces. Over time this will wear down the surface of a horizontal board due to abrasion. In seams and cracks the beading material will have the same effect with the collection of debris. Later the beading material will retain moisture far longer than the sheeting method of a repellent. This will cause more damage by creating conditions which will optimize bacteria and fungus growth.

Beware of the claim made by most manufacturers that their product penetrates the surface. How can this be so when the wax covering the surface causes beading? Seal-Once is a sheeting type product unlike beading materials. It acts like a car polish maintaining a cleaner surface longer as it sheds water in thin sheets which will not suffer the accumulating effect of beading. For this reason Seal-Once does not contain any beading additives.

Does Seal-Once prevent mold and mildew on wood, composite decking and concrete?
Problem: Wood, composite decking or concrete that has been saturated with water over time develops mold and mildew.

Solution: Seal-Once stops the production of mold/mildew on wood, composite decking and concrete.

Removal of Existing Mold/Mildew: Use New Images Coatings All Wood Cleaner. Scrub the infected area with the cleaning mixture and a scrub brush and rinse with garden hose or pressure washer no more than 1250 psi using wide fan pattern. Leave solution on concrete for 15 to 20 minutes. You can re-apply if needed.

Application of Seal-Once: Once substrate is fairly dry and clean, apply two coats of Seal-Once wet on damp (do not allow to dry between coats). You should apply three coats if the wood, composite decking or concrete is aged and very porous.

Results: The mold and mildew has undoubtedly penetrated the wood, composite decking or concrete and will continue to come to the surface for some time. Seal-Once allows water vapor transmission to occur thus allowing the trapped moisture to rise to the surface. Apply another solution of water/bleach/dawn and wash mold away. Continue this until mold/mildew is gone. Do no reapply Seal-Once. No additional water will be able to penetrate from the surface because the wood, composite decking or concrete is now protected by Seal-Once. In time, the mold and mildew will dry up. This process could take several months to occur.

Can Seal-Once prevent airborn mold?

Seal-Once cannot prevent airborn mold. But what it will do is prevent the mold from attaching itself to the wood and concrete because there is not enough moisture present to allow the mold to anchor itself. The mold cannot survive and it will gray as it decomposes and will be easy to remove.

How does Seal-Once provide such great protection?

Unlike today’s market leaders, Seal-Once base materials are newly developed, environmentally stable, and safe polymers. When looked at under a microscope, these materials are much smaller and lighter than today’s market leaders. In fact, Seal-Once measures 100 times smaller than a micron, roughly equivalent to a fraction of a millionth of an inch. Consequently, when applied to a wood or concrete surface, Seal-Once permeates the external surface more deeply, thereby sealing and protecting the surface for a longer period of time.

Why do we recommend that you wait up to 6 months before waterproofing a pressure treated lumber surface?
Market leaders recommend waterproofing of pressure treated lumber as soon as 3 months. As you know pressure treated lumber is heavily treated with chemicals and other materials when it is manufactured. Also, pressure treated lumber is very dense. Because of these two factors pressure treated lumber is usually not ready to accept a waterproofing treatment at 3 months. However, the consumer following the advice given by the market leaders buys the product and takes the time to apply it. Because the pressure treated lumber has not dried out enough, it accepts a limited amount of the application, which as we know washes away relatively quickly. The consumer continuing to follow the instructions waits one to two years before the next application. During that period the wood dries, splits, cracks or warps because it has inadequate waterproofing protection.

So when should a sub micron waterproofer be applied to a pressure treated surface? Timing of application depends upon at least two factors. One is the weather. If you live in New England your wood surface is covered in snow for much of December through March. If you live in a southern state, your pressure treated lumber is subjected to constant sun.

The second factor is the readiness of the pressure treated lumber to accept a sub micron waterproofing treatment. The best way to test for readiness is to purposefully spill water on the surface to be treated. If it readily soaks in, the surface is ready. If it sits on the surface in a puddle or pool and does not soak in, it is not ready to be treated.

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Is Seal-Once a silicone, latex or acrylic?
Seal-Once is none of the above. Seal-Once is a deep penetrating, complex co-polymer. Competitor products are primarily surface treatments.

Does Seal-Once permit masonry surfaces to breathe?
Seal-Once has excellent breathability characteristics. Trapped water will migrate out of the treated surface as vapors over a short period of time, up to ten days.

What is meant by “let the surface tell you what treatment is necessary”?
Basically it tells us to test our surfaces before deciding best treatment.

Let’s say you last sealed a surface one year ago. The surface looks dry or is cracking, splitting or warping. If you spill water on that surface and it immediately soaks in, the surface is telling you it needs additional waterproofing. If you notice after a rainstorm that the rain water is soaking into the wood, then additional waterproofing is necessary.

On the other hand if you spill water on a wood surface and it runs off the surface, then waterproofing is unnecessary, and as previously mentioned wasteful.

The same examples are true of concrete surfaces. If moisture is readily accepted into the substrate, then the concrete is ready to accept waterproofing.

How do I get the most for my money when applying a waterproofer?
Follow these four simple steps:
1. Assure the surface is free of algae, mold, mildew, etc.
2. Assure the surface is ready to accept a waterproofer.
3. Apply when temperature is over 35˚, air is dry, with no imminent rain.
4. Apply the waterproofer on a surface until it rejects further treatment. That is, apply the waterproofer until it stops soaking in. Older porous wood may accept three applications before the surface voids fill up. You do not need to wait until your first application has dried. Continue to apply product while the surface is damp.

What is the difference between Seal-Once pigments and competitors’ pigments?
Seal-Once pigments are UV stable and non toxic. They have been designed to react to UV light by converting UV energy into thermal energy. Basically that means that Seal-Once pigments are baked into the surface not baked out, as is the case with our competitors’ products. This is the reason our pigments protect a surface for up to 10 years.

Competitors’ pigments are made from organic materials. Organic materials deplete in up to 18 months as they are either washed away by the elements, or baked away by the sun. Also competitors’ pigments are toxic.

Does Seal-Once protect against hydrostatic pressure?
No.

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