Sika Sikagard-72 W
A penetrating silane-siloxane impregnation that makes brick, stone and plaster shed water while still letting the wall breathe.
What is it?
A clear silane-siloxane water-repellent impregnation from Sika, supplied as a 1 kg combipack (900 g base + 100 g activator) that mixes to a 1.00 kg/L liquid for brush or spray application.
Where is it used?
Exposed-brick facades, plastered and rendered external walls, natural-stone cladding and concrete elements exposed to rain, coastal spray or de-icing salts across Delhi NCR and pan-India projects.
Why use it?
It cuts capillary water absorption and the damp, efflorescence and biological growth that follow, without sealing in vapour or changing how the surface looks.
How is it applied?
Mix base into activator, then apply two coats wet-on-wet by brush or airless spray onto a sound, prepared substrate; typical yield is 30-50 sq ft per 1 kg pack.
About Sika Sikagard-72 W
Sikagard-72 W is Sika’s answer to a very common Indian problem: masonry and plaster that soak up rain, then show damp patches, salt bloom and algae within a season or two. Rather than sitting on top as a film, this silane-siloxane impregnation is drawn into the open pores of the substrate, where it reacts to line those pores with a water-repellent layer. The face of the wall stays visually unchanged, but rainwater beads and runs off instead of wicking inward. It is supplied as a 1 kg combipack, a reddish base (900 g) plus a turbid activator (100 g), that is mixed on site to a liquid of about 1.00 kg/L before use.
The treatment suits cementitious surfaces, clay and fly-ash brick, natural stone and exterior plaster or render. Because it works by penetration and not by sealing, the wall keeps its ability to breathe: moisture already inside the structure can still dry outward rather than being trapped behind a coating. For contractors and consultants that translates into fewer callbacks for seepage and peeling paint on exposed elevations, longer intervals between repaints, and a protective layer that stays invisible on heritage brick and prestige stone facades where appearance matters as much as performance.
The technical insight
The chemistry does the work here. Silanes are small molecules that penetrate deep into fine pores; siloxanes are larger and stay nearer the surface. Blending both gives depth of penetration and surface coverage at once. Once inside the pore network, the actives react with moisture and the mineral substrate to bond a permanently hydrophobic lining onto the pore walls. Crucially, the pores are lined, not plugged, so liquid water can no longer travel in by capillary action, yet water vapour and air still pass freely. That is the difference between a water repellent and a film-forming sealer: the surface tension is flipped so droplets bead and roll off (the lotus-leaf effect), while the wall’s vapour permeability is preserved. Less water ingress also means less of everything water carries or enables, dissolved salts that cause efflorescence, freeze-thaw and de-icing-salt damage, dirt pickup, and the constant dampness that algae and fungi need to colonise a facade.
Where it is used
- Water-repellent treatment of exposed clay- and fly-ash-brick building facades
- Protection of external cement plaster and rendered walls against driving rain
- Impregnation of natural-stone cladding on commercial, institutional and heritage buildings
- Concrete and masonry elements in coastal and high-humidity environments
- Boundary walls, compound walls and parapets on residential and commercial sites
- Reducing dampness and efflorescence behind exterior paint systems
- Facades in polluted urban zones where dirt pickup and biological growth are a concern
- Surfaces exposed to frost or de-icing salts in hill-station and cold-region projects
Key advantages
- Penetrates and lines the pores instead of forming a film, so the wall keeps breathing
- Sharply reduces capillary water absorption and the damp, seepage and salt bloom that follow
- Transparent, invisible finish that preserves the natural look of brick and stone
- Produces a clear water-beading (lotus-leaf) effect that also sheds surface dirt
- Improves resistance to frost and de-icing salts on exposed elevations
- Discourages algae and fungal growth by keeping the surface drier
- Helps prolong the life of exterior paint applied over treated masonry
- Straightforward two-coat, wet-on-wet application by brush or spray
Limitations & considerations
- It is a penetrating water repellent, not a crack bridging or structural waterproofing membrane; it will not seal moving cracks or resist standing water
- Performance depends on a sound, clean, properly prepared substrate; it cannot fix underlying defects
- It cures quickly, so adjacent glass, metal, polished stone and other non-absorbent surfaces must be masked and any splashes wiped off immediately with soapy water or solvent
- The clear finish gives no colour or decorative change, so it is a protective treatment rather than a facade coating
- Substrate moisture and site conditions at the time of application must fall within the limits given in the current Sika TDS
- Being frost-sensitive in the pack, unopened material must be stored protected from frost and used within its 12-month shelf life
Selection & best practice
Start with a sound, dry, clean substrate: repair spalls and open cracks, remove loose plaster, dust, oil, laitance and old flaking paint, and let the surface reach the moisture condition specified in the current TDS before treating. Mask windows, glazing, aluminium, polished stone and any non-absorbent surfaces first, because Sikagard-72 W cures fast and is very hard to remove once set, wipe any accidental splashes off glass immediately with soapy water or an organic solvent. Empty the full base into the activator and mix the complete combipack; do not split packs, as the base-to-activator ratio matters. Apply two coats wet-on-wet by brush or low-pressure spray, flooding the surface so the liquid runs a little and fully saturates the pores rather than skimming the face. Work to the substrate’s real appetite: budget around 400 g/m2 on absorbent brick and about 100 g/m2 on denser plaster, using the 30-50 sq ft per 1 kg pack figure only as a rough guide and confirming yield with a site trial patch. Protect fresh work from rain until it has reacted, and always follow the current Sika Product Data Sheet for site-specific conditions.
Specifications
| Product type | Silane-siloxane water-repellent impregnation |
| Brand | Sika |
| Components | Two-part combipack: reddish base (Component B) + turbid activator (Component A) |
| Mixed density | Approx. 1.00 kg/L |
| Pack size | 1 kg combipack (900 g base + 100 g activator); 6 packs per box |
| Coverage – brick | Approx. 400 g/m2 in 2 coats |
| Coverage – plaster | Approx. 100 g/m2 in 2 coats |
| General yield | Approx. 30-50 sq ft per 1 kg pack (2 coats, substrate-dependent) |
| Application | Brush or spray, two coats wet-on-wet |
| Shelf life | 12 months in unopened original packaging; protect from frost |
Industry use cases
Heritage & institutional buildings
Protects exposed-brick and natural-stone facades on heritage and institutional structures without altering their appearance, keeping the masonry breathable while shedding rain.
Coastal & marine-zone construction
Reduces capillary uptake of moisture and dissolved salts on concrete and masonry exposed to coastal spray and high humidity, slowing salt-driven deterioration.
Residential & commercial facades
Cuts damp, seepage and efflorescence on plastered and brick elevations, boundary walls and parapets, and helps exterior paint last longer over the treated surface.
Cold-region & hill-station projects
Improves resistance to frost and de-icing salts on exposed walls in cold and high-altitude locations where freeze-thaw action attacks saturated masonry.
Urban high-pollution zones
The water-beading, drier surface picks up less airborne dirt and discourages algae and fungal growth on facades in dusty, polluted city environments.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sikagard-72 W a waterproofing coating or a water repellent?
Will it change the colour or look of my brick or stone?
Does the wall still breathe after treatment?
How much area does one pack cover?
How is it applied and are there any precautions?
Can I paint over a surface treated with Sikagard-72 W?
How we position Sika Sikagard-72 W
Sikagard-72 W sits in Sika’s water-repellent and concrete-protection range and pairs naturally with related Sika products on the same job: use Sika crack fillers, repair mortars from the SikaTop or Sika MonoTop family and Sikaflex sealants to make good defects, cracks and joints before impregnating, since the repellent protects sound masonry but cannot fix underlying damage. Where a project needs active reinforcement protection rather than plain water repellency, a Sikagard anti-carbonation protective coating is the step up. Across our other brands we also stock Dr. Fixit and Fosroc water-repellent and facade-protection options, so we can match the specification to the substrate and budget. Where a Fosroc-standardised project demands a genuine equivalent, Fosroc Dekguard S is the closest counterpart we carry.
Fosroc Dekguard S — A specifier working to a Fosroc standard, or one who needs reinforced-concrete durability with anti-carbonation and chloride resistance rather than plain water repellency, would choose the silane-siloxane hydrophobic impregnation Dekguard S.
Related Protective Coatings products
Source Sika Sikagard-72 W for your project
Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.