Asian Paints SmartCare SmartCare CemBoost 200
An integral plasticizing admixture that waterproofs concrete, mortar and plaster from within, dosed into the gauging water at the mixer rather than painted on afterward.
What is it?
A water-based, IS 2645:2003-compliant integral waterproofing admixture (plasticizer-type liquid) mixed directly into cement concrete, mortar or plaster during batching – not applied to a finished surface.
Where is it used?
Water tanks, basements, retaining walls, roof slabs and screeds, external and internal plaster, bathroom screeds, sumps, drains and brick-laying mortar.
Why use it?
Lowers the effective water-cement ratio, so the cured matrix has fewer, finer capillary pores and lower permeability through the full thickness of the pour, plus a workability and strength benefit a coating alone can’t give.
How is it applied?
Stir well, then dose into the gauging water at 200 ml per 50 kg cement bag (about 4 litres per tonne), mix for 2-3 minutes, and place and cure as normal – never add it directly to dry cement.
About Asian Paints SmartCare SmartCare CemBoost 200
[“Most site conversations about waterproofing in Delhi NCR start with a coating painted on after the concrete has set. SmartCare Cemboost 200 works differently: it’s an integral admixture, dosed into the gauging water at mixing so the waterproofing effect is built into the concrete or mortar itself. Its surface-active plasticizing agents make the mix more cohesive and workable at a lower water content, and that water reduction is what cuts permeability once the pour cures – which is why Asian Paints benchmarks it against IS 9103 for water reduction and IS 2645:2003 for water impermeability, not as a generic sealant.”, “For Space Arc’s clients – a developer pouring an underground tank, a contractor plastering ahead of the monsoon, or a homeowner redoing a bathroom screed – Cemboost 200 fits a useful spot: packaged in 1, 5 and 20 litre sizes for both small and RMC-scale work, backed by IS references a PMC consultant will check on a submittal, and able to protect sections of a structure – the core of a raft slab, a load-bearing wall – that a surface coating can never reach. It isn’t a substitute for a membrane on an exposed terrace, but as a built-in first line of defence, it’s a sensible line item on a waterproofing specification.”]
The technical insight
Cemboost 200 is best understood as a water-reducing plasticizer tested against a waterproofing standard, not a chemical sealant. Cutting free water lets cement paste hydrate into a denser network with fewer interconnected capillary pores – the channels water migrates through in hardened concrete. IS 2645:2003 tests chloride content (capped at 2.00%), setting time (30-600 minutes) and a direct permeability pass/fail, alongside the IS 9103 water-reduction benchmark. The specific gravity (1.05-1.070 at 25°C) and low non-volatile content (13.5-14.5%) point to a dilute, low-viscosity liquid built to disperse through gauging water, not to be pre-blended with dry cement.
Where it is used
- Underground and semi-underground water tanks and retaining walls, where a surface membrane can’t protect the core of the pour
- Basement raft slabs and foundation walls, dosed at batching before the pour
- RCC roof slabs and terrace screeds, usually paired with a top waterproofing system for ponding and UV exposure
- External and internal cement plaster on facades exposed to monsoon dampness
- Bathroom and wet-area screeds under tiling, to cut down on slow seepage
- Sumps, drains and water-retaining masonry chambers
- Brick-laying mortar in plinth or below-grade masonry prone to rising damp
Key advantages
- Waterproofs through the full thickness of the pour, since it’s dosed into the mix, not painted on after
- Referenced against IS 9103 (water reduction) and IS 2645:2003 (water impermeability) for the material submittal, not just a brand claim
- Improves workability of the fresh mix
- Imparts higher compressive strength, even above the recommended dosage
- Resists shrinkage-crack formation as the pour cures
- Helps protect reinforcement steel from water- and chloride-driven corrosion
- Simple liquid dosing that works with site-batched concrete or RMC, no special equipment
Limitations & considerations
- A permeability-reducing admixture, not a membrane – it can’t seal cracks or defects in concrete already cast
- Results depend on correct dosage and mixing sequence; adding it straight to dry cement instead of gauging water undermines it
- For sustained hydrostatic pressure on the negative face – deep basements, high water-table sites – Space Arc usually recommends pairing it with a dedicated external membrane
- Can’t compensate for a poor mix elsewhere, honeycombing, segregation or inadequate curing
- Should not be used below 10°C, or if temperature may drop below that within 4 hours of placing
- Two-year shelf life applies only to the original sealed container
Selection & best practice
Stir before use and add Cemboost 200 to the gauging water – never to dry cement – keeping the water-cement ratio as low as the mix design allows. Dose at 200 ml per 50 kg cement bag as a starting point, but trial-mix for critical or large pours, especially when coordinating with an RMC plant. For water-retaining structures, still detail construction joints, waterstops and movement joints properly – the admixture lowers the concrete’s own permeability, it doesn’t remove the need for good joint design. Avoid use below 10°C, and cure as per standard practice once placed.
Specifications
| Chemistry / type | Integral liquid waterproofing admixture – plasticizing, surface-active agents in an aqueous carrier |
| Form / appearance | Free-flowing liquid, very low viscosity |
| Specific gravity @ 25°C | 1.05 – 1.070 |
| pH value | 9 – 13 |
| Non-volatile content | 13.5% – 14.5% |
| Chloride content | Max 2.00% (as per IS 2645:2003) |
| Standards compliance | IS 9103 (water reduction); IS 2645:2003 (water impermeability, setting time, chloride content) |
| Recommended dosage | 200 ml per 50 kg bag of cement (~4 litres per tonne of cement) |
| Pack sizes / shelf life | 1 L, 5 L, 20 L; 2 years from manufacture in original sealed container |
Industry use cases
Residential basement construction
Integral dosing into raft slab and retaining wall concrete for a Delhi NCR basement pour, batched at 200 ml/50 kg cement.
Overhead and underground water tanks
Dosed into tank wall and base concrete to reduce permeability, alongside proper curing and joint detailing.
Facade and boundary-wall plaster
Mixed into cement plaster on a monsoon-facing wall to resist dampness and shrinkage cracking.
Bathroom and wet-area screeds
Used in the screed beneath tiling to reduce seepage, alongside a topical waterproofing coat before tiling.
Below-grade brick masonry
Added to plinth-level brick-laying mortar in a splash zone prone to rising dampness.
Frequently asked questions
What does the ‘200’ in Cemboost 200 refer to?
Can I use it instead of a waterproofing coating on my terrace?
Does it delay setting or curing?
Can it go into ready-mix concrete (RMC)?
Is it chloride-free?
How much cement does one pack treat?
How we position Asian Paints SmartCare SmartCare CemBoost 200
Cemboost 200 is SmartCare’s integral, mix-in waterproofing admixture; Space Arc typically pairs it with the brand’s surface-applied SmartCare systems on exposed roofs and walls, so a structure gets both a built-in defence within the concrete and a top-side barrier against weathering. Where a spec calls for a nil-chloride integral admixture, Fosroc’s Conplast X421 is the direct equivalent worth comparing on the same submittal.
Fosroc Conplast X421 — Where a project spec calls for a nil-chloride integral waterproofing admixture (to BS 5075) rather than the IS 2645 chloride ceiling Cemboost 200 works to, specifiers often turn to Fosroc’s Conplast X421 instead.
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