MC-Bauchemie MC-Dicht 1
A factory-blended, single-component rigid cementitious mortar that seals concrete and masonry against water under positive hydrostatic pressure.
What is it?
A cement-based, single-component rigid waterproofing mortar that is mixed only with clean water and built up in coats to form a dense, integral barrier against water penetration.
Where is it used?
Basements, water tanks and reservoirs, swimming pool shells, underground chambers, manholes and retaining walls where a hard, mineral seal is preferred over a coating.
Why use it?
It bonds monolithically to sound concrete and masonry, tolerates permanent water contact, and — being cementitious — carries no coating that can peel or delaminate under pressure.
How is it applied?
Mix roughly 5-6 litres of water per 25 kg bag, dampen the substrate to a saturated surface-dry condition, then trowel or spray on two to three coats to the specified thickness.
About MC-Bauchemie MC-Dicht 1
MC-Dicht 1 belongs to the family of rigid, mineral-based waterproofing systems that engineers reach for when the priority is a hard, permanent seal rather than a flexible film. It arrives as a factory-premixed powder of Portland cement, graded fine silica sand and proprietary waterproofing and polymer additives, so the contractor only adds clean water on site. That single-component format removes the guesswork of field-blended slurries and gives repeatable results from batch to batch — an important quality assurance point on tanks and pools that must hold water without seepage for decades.
Because it is applied directly to the water-bearing face and cures into the substrate rather than sitting on top of it, MC-Dicht 1 is well suited to positive-side waterproofing — the wetted internal face of a tank, the earth-retaining face of a basement wall, or the shell of a swimming pool. Space Arc supplies and applies it across Delhi NCR and pan-India, and our technical team helps specifiers decide when a rigid mortar is the right call versus a flexible acrylic coating, which matters because the two behave very differently once the structure starts to move.
The technical insight
A rigid cementitious waterproofer works by chemistry and density rather than by forming a separate membrane. When the powder is gauged with water, the Portland cement hydrates and the proprietary additives drive the reaction toward a very fine, tightly packed pore structure. The polymer modifiers improve adhesion and reduce the capillary channels through which water would otherwise wick, while the graded silica sand gives the matrix body and dimensional stability. The result is a mortar layer that behaves as part of the concrete: water pressing on the positive face meets a dense mineral zone with few continuous pores, so it cannot find an easy path through. Building the material in multiple coats to 10-15 mm on horizontal surfaces staggers any shrinkage cracking between lifts and closes the pinholes a single thin pass would leave. The trade-off is inherent in the chemistry — a hard mineral seal resists pressure and abrasion superbly but has almost no elasticity, so it depends on the base structure staying dimensionally stable.
Where it is used
- Positive-side waterproofing of basement floors and retaining walls
- Internal lining of water tanks, sumps and reservoirs, including potable-water structures
- Swimming pool shells and balancing tanks
- Underground chambers, wet wells and manholes
- Lift pits and other below-ground boxes subject to hydrostatic head
- Irrigation canal and channel linings
- Sealing of masonry plinths and foundation walls against rising damp
- Rendering coat over sound concrete where a dense, water-resistant screed is required
Key advantages
- Single-component — only clean water is added, eliminating on-site mixing errors
- Factory premixing gives consistent, repeatable quality from bag to bag
- Bonds monolithically to concrete and masonry, so there is no film to peel or blister
- Withstands permanent water immersion and positive hydrostatic pressure
- Compatible with potable-water structures once fully cured
- Applies by traditional trowel or by machine spray, suiting both small repairs and large surface areas
- High compressive strength adds a hard-wearing, abrasion-resistant surface
- Mineral-based, so it is unaffected by the alkalinity of the surrounding concrete
Limitations & considerations
- Rigid and essentially non-elastic — it will not bridge live or moving cracks; use a flexible coating where movement is expected
- Requires a structurally sound, stable substrate; it cannot compensate for ongoing settlement or deflection
- The substrate must be dampened to saturated surface-dry before application, and the work must be cured wet to avoid shrinkage cracking
- Applied thickness and coat count must be respected — thin single passes leave pinholes and reduce watertightness
- As a positive-side system it is at its best on the water-bearing face; negative-side use against high head needs separate assessment
Selection & best practice
Success with a rigid cementitious mortar is mostly about substrate preparation and curing. Remove all laitance, oil, curing compound and loose material, and hack back any honeycombing or defective concrete to a sound base. Rake out and pre-fill construction joints, and treat re-entrant corners with a cement fillet so the coat turns without a sharp arris. Saturate the surface and bring it to a saturated surface-dry condition — damp but with no standing water — before the first coat. Mix only the quantity that can be used within the working time, gauging at roughly 5-6 litres of water per 25 kg bag to a lump-free, trowelable consistency. Build the system in two to three coats, letting each stiffen before the next and keying between lifts, to reach 10-15 mm on horizontal surfaces and 5-10 mm on vertical faces. Cure thoroughly with water or wet hessian for several days; on tanks and pools, allow a full cure before filling and running a leak test. For potable-water structures, flush and disinfect the finished lining per the project specification before commissioning.
Specifications
| Product type | Single-component rigid cementitious waterproofing mortar |
| Base | Portland cement, graded fine silica sand, proprietary waterproofing and polymer additives |
| Mixing water | Approx. 5-6 litres per 25 kg bag |
| Applied thickness (horizontal) | 10-15 mm minimum, in 2-3 coats |
| Applied thickness (vertical) | 5-10 mm minimum |
| Compressive strength (28 days) | Greater than 25 MPa |
| Application method | Trowel or machine spray onto dampened substrate |
| Water contact | Suitable for permanent immersion; potable-water compatible once cured |
| Pack size | 25 kg bag |
Industry use cases
Water & wastewater infrastructure
Lining sumps, reservoirs and treatment tanks where a hard mineral seal must hold water permanently and resist the abrasion of desilting and cleaning.
Residential & commercial basements
Positive-side waterproofing of retaining walls and floors in multi-level basements before backfilling or laying the finished slab.
Hospitality & recreation
Sealing swimming pool shells and balancing tanks in hotels, clubs and residential complexes ahead of tiling and commissioning.
Public health & plumbing
Waterproofing underground chambers, wet wells and manholes on drainage and sewerage networks that sit under a standing water head.
Irrigation & canals
Lining channels and canal sections to cut seepage losses and protect the concrete from continuous water contact.
Frequently asked questions
Is MC-Dicht 1 suitable for drinking-water tanks?
Can it bridge cracks in the concrete?
How much water do I add per bag?
What thickness should be applied?
Does the surface need any preparation?
Can it be applied to the negative (inside) face against water pressure?
How we position MC-Bauchemie MC-Dicht 1
MC-Dicht 1 is the right choice when the structure is stable and the specifier wants a hard, permanent mineral seal — tanks, pools, sumps and below-grade boxes. Within the MC-Bauchemie waterproofing family, look at the Dichtament and MC-Proof mineral slurry range where a brush-applied sealing slurry or a two-coat flexible system is a better fit for the substrate. Where the concrete may move or hairline-crack, a flexible acrylic-modified coating is the safer specification — from our other brands that includes Fosroc Brushbond RFX and Dr. Fixit’s flexible cementitious coatings. Pair MC-Dicht 1 with an appropriate polymer bonding agent and a cementitious repair mortar from the same rehabilitation toolkit when the substrate first needs patching, and specify a waterproofing admixture in the base concrete for belt-and-braces protection on critical water-retaining structures. Space Arc supplies and applies all of these across Delhi NCR and pan-India, and can help you match the system to the exposure.
Fosroc Brushbond RFX — Specify Brushbond RFX instead when the structure may move or hairline-crack, since this flexible acrylic-modified cementitious coating bridges cracks that a rigid mortar like MC-Dicht 1 cannot.
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Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.