STP ShaliKote T-10
A cold-applied, water-based bituminous emulsion that damp-proofs foundations, plinths, retaining walls and steelwork without a single flame on site.
What is it?
A ready-to-use, water-based bituminous emulsion of the clay-stabilised type, in which fine bitumen droplets are dispersed in water. It brushes or sprays on cold and cures to a black, water-impermeable film.
Where is it used?
Below-ground and back-of-wall damp-proofing: foundations, plinth beams, retaining and basement walls, buried concrete and masonry, and as a protective anti-corrosive coat on structural steel and buried pipework.
Why use it?
It waterproofs even damp substrates, needs no heating or thinning solvents, and shrugs off industrial fumes, saline air, UV and low-temperature cracking once cured.
How is it applied?
Prepare and dampen the surface, apply a water-thinned primer coat by brush or spray, then follow with undiluted finishing coats once each layer has set.
About STP ShaliKote T-10
STP ShaliKote T-10 belongs to the oldest and most trusted family of protective coatings in Indian construction, the bituminous emulsions. Where hot-applied bitumen once demanded boilers, LPG torches and the fire risk that comes with them, ShaliKote T-10 arrives ready in the drum. The bitumen is already emulsified into water and stabilised with a clay filler, so it stays brushable and pours straight onto the substrate. As the water evaporates, the bitumen particles coalesce into a continuous black film that seals the pores of concrete and masonry and locks moisture out. For the site engineer this means faster mobilisation, no flame permits and a coating that can be laid on surfaces that are still slightly damp, a genuine advantage during the monsoon or on freshly cured concrete.
The product is offered in two grades. Standard T-10 carries higher solids for build and body, while T-10A is formulated with slightly lower solids to flow and level more smoothly, which is useful on visible or lightly textured surfaces. Both are cold-applied and both cure to the same tough, chemically resistant skin. Space Arc Engineering supplies ShaliKote T-10 across Delhi NCR and Pan-India as an authorised distributor, and our applicator teams handle surface preparation, priming and multi-coat build-up so specifiers get a documented, warrantable damp-proofing layer rather than a bucket left on site.
The technical insight
A bituminous emulsion works by phase inversion. In the drum the bitumen exists as microscopic droplets suspended in a continuous water phase, held apart by an emulsifying system, in this case a clay-type stabiliser rather than a soap surfactant. Because water is the carrier, the material is thin enough to brush and safe enough to apply without heat. Once spread on the substrate the water begins to leave, partly by evaporation and partly by absorption into porous concrete or masonry. As the droplets are forced together they break, or invert, and coalesce into a single unbroken bitumen film that is now hydrophobic and impermeable to water. The clay stabiliser stays keyed into that film and gives it dimensional stability, which is why the cured coat resists cracking both under low-temperature contraction and under the softening pull of strong sunlight, and why it holds up against industrial fumes and saline atmospheres. Diluting the first coat with water is deliberate: the thinned emulsion penetrates the surface pores and anchors mechanically, so the undiluted build coats above it bond to a keyed primer rather than to bare, dusty concrete.
Where it is used
- Damp-proofing external faces of foundations, footings and plinth beams before backfilling
- Back-of-wall waterproofing to basement and retaining walls in contact with soil
- Protective coating over buried or below-grade concrete and brick masonry
- Anti-corrosive black coating on structural steel, columns and embedded steelwork
- External protection to buried steel and cast-iron pipework against soil moisture
- Damp-proof treatment of leaky or persistently wet walls where hot bitumen is not permitted
- Priming and sealing coat under bituminous membranes and mastic systems
- Damp-proofing to lift pits, water tank exteriors and other buried civil structures
Key advantages
- Cold-applied and water-based, so there is no boiling, no torch and no fire permit on site
- Can be applied to damp substrates, making it practical during monsoon and on green concrete
- Cures to a film that is impermeable to water and resists industrial fumes and saline air
- Resists cracking at low temperatures and does not soften or crack under strong sunlight
- Ready to use straight from the drum, with only the primer coat needing water thinning
- Low VOC and low odour compared with solvent-cut or hot-applied bitumen
- Bonds to concrete, masonry and steel, covering multiple substrates with one product
- T-10A grade available where a smoother, better-flowing finish is wanted
Limitations & considerations
- It is a damp-proofing and protective coating, not a crack-bridging elastomeric membrane for structurally moving joints
- Being water-based, it must dry before rain; a fresh coat washed by rain will run and need reapplication
- Each coat needs its stated touch-dry and hard-dry time before the next coat or backfilling
- It is black and cosmetic only where hidden; it is not a decorative or trafficable finish
- On live water leaks or under hydrostatic head, plugging and structural waterproofing must be done first
- Not a substitute for reinforced membrane systems on exposed roofs or heavily loaded wet areas
Selection & best practice
Start with a sound, clean substrate: remove all loose particles, laitance, dust, oil and old flaking coatings, and rake out and pre-fill any honeycombing or wide cracks. On very dry or porous concrete, lightly dampen the surface so the emulsion is not starved of water and can penetrate. Apply the first coat as a primer thinned with clean water at roughly one part water to one part emulsion, worked well into the pores by brush or spray. Let it turn from brown to black and dry fully before recoating. Apply the following coats undiluted, allowing each to set in, in most conditions about 8 hours to touch-dry and 24 hours to hard-dry, before the next coat or before backfilling. As a rough guide plan for around 0.5 kg/m² per coat on concrete and 0.4 kg/m² on steel, adjusting upward on rough or absorbent surfaces. Always protect the finished coating from mechanical damage during backfilling with a suitable protection board or screed.
Specifications
| Type | Water-based bituminous, cold-applied, clay-type emulsion |
| Colour | Brown when wet, drying to black / chocolate |
| Consistency | Brushable, ready to use |
| Specific gravity | Approx. 1.01 |
| Coverage (concrete) | Approx. 0.5 kg/m² per coat |
| Coverage (metal) | Approx. 0.4 kg/m² per coat |
| Dry film thickness | Approx. 80 microns/coat on concrete, 120 microns/coat on metal |
| Drying time | Touch-dry approx. 8 hours; hard-dry approx. 24 hours |
| Packaging | 20 kg and 200 kg drums |
Industry use cases
Residential & Commercial Buildings
Damp-proofing foundations, plinths and retaining walls before backfilling to stop rising and lateral damp reaching the structure.
Basements & Below-Grade
Back-of-wall and buried-concrete protection on basement walls, lift pits and tank exteriors in continuous contact with wet soil.
Industrial Plants
Anti-corrosive black coating on structural steel and buried pipework in atmospheres carrying industrial fumes or salinity.
Infrastructure & Civil Works
Protective damp-proofing to buried masonry and concrete elements where cold, flame-free application is mandated on site.
Repair & Renovation
Treating persistently damp or leaky walls where hot bitumen cannot be used, as a cold, low-odour alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Can ShaliKote T-10 be applied on a damp surface?
How is it different from hot-applied bitumen?
How many coats are needed and how much material should I order?
What is the difference between T-10 and T-10A?
How long before I can backfill or apply the next coat?
Is it a waterproofing membrane for roofs?
How we position STP ShaliKote T-10
ShaliKote T-10 is the workhorse cold damp-proofing coat within STP’s bituminous range. Where a project instead needs a heavy-duty anti-corrosive coat on steel, buried pipe or marine steelwork, the coal-tar-based STP ShaliMastic HD/LC is the natural step up from the same brand family, and STP’s ShaliKrete and ShaliprufE integral admixtures complement it on the concrete-mix side. For above-ground and wet-area waterproofing that must flex and breathe, we cross-sell into cementitious systems from our other brands, notably Fosroc Brushbond RFX and Dr. Fixit acrylic coatings. Choose ShaliKote T-10 when the requirement is simple, flame-free, below-grade damp-proofing on concrete, masonry or steel; move to a reinforced membrane when the surface is exposed, trafficked or subject to structural movement.
Fosroc Brushbond RFX — Specify Brushbond RFX instead when the surface is above ground, visible or subject to slight movement and you need a flexible, vapour-permeable cementitious membrane rather than a below-grade bituminous damp-proof coat.
Related Waterproofing products
Source STP ShaliKote T-10 for your project
Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.