Benefits of Fortifier Plus™

• Fortified Plus™ has 2 main uses:
  1. Premium protection from salt spalling and freeze-thaw spalling for softer, very porous natural stone, brick and concrete in a salt water or freeze-thaw environment (e.g. around a salt water swimming pool).
  2. Premium quality, breathable water repellent for terraces, paths, walls, cladding and pool surrounds which Nano consolidation of very porous stones can increase strength by up to 40%.

• Premium water-repelling silane provides optimal protection against water ingress.
• Protects against picture framing and efflorescence, reduces mould growth and water-based staining, makes maintenance easier and keeping surfaces looking good.
• Very small sealing molecules are up to 500 x smaller than competing technologies and penetrate deeply into pores to create a substantial water repellent and strengthened layer.
• Optimized to form permanent bonds inside the pores of various types of porous stones, concrete, brick, grout and other very porous materials.
• Non film-forming and retains natural colour.
• Keeps surfaces looking new for longer, makes cleaning easier.
• Fully breathable, allowing water vapor to escape freely, avoiding harmful moisture build-up inside the material.
• Designed for indoor (for e.g. bathrooms, wet rooms and showeres) and for outdoor surfaces on residential and commercial projects which require premium water repellence.
• Negligible change to slip resistance when applied according to our written instructions and guidelines.
• High resistance to alkaline (high pH) environments. Concrete is highly alkaline/base and can severely shorten the life of other technologies.
• Highly UV resistant.
• 15 Year Performance Warranty when applied according to our guidelines by an Approved Applicator who records the project in our online warranty system.
• PLEASE NOTE: While Fortifier Plus can substantially increase the life of stone, brick or concrete in a salt water or freeze-thaw environment it cannot turn a pig’s ear into a silk purse – i.e. if a stone or other material is too soft, too porous or too friable, it should not be used in a salt water or freeze-thaw environment and Fortifier Plus may not be enough to stop it from deteriorating quickly.

 

Suitable Surfaces

• Salt-water or mineral pool surrounds.
• Terraces, paths, walls, stone cladding, all pool surrounds – wherever premium water repellence is desirable.
• Horizontal and vertical surfaces, including building envelopes (verticals), saltwater pool surrounds, cladding, pavers, blockwork, brickwork.
• Appropriate for new and restored natural stone and other porous building materials, including: Travertine, sandstone, limestone, marble, precast concrete, cast stone, Saltillo, terracotta, grout, concrete pavers, concrete blockwork and very porous bricks.
• PLEASE NOTE: For indoor and outdoor entertaining areas where oil repellence is needed, seal with Stain Protector™.
• Appropriate for new and restored materials, including: Travertine, sandstone, limestone, precast concrete, cast stone, Saltillo, terracotta, grout, concrete blockwork and very porous bricks.

 

Fortifier Plus™ Technology

• Fortifier Plus™ contains an optimal combination of silanes and other additives to achieve 2 main outcomes:
• Precipitation of a complex silicate structure inside the pores which helps to consolidate the impregnated layer of the stone (brick, concrete etc), strengthening it against salt water or freeze-thaw spalling.
• Penetrates deeply into the pore structure and reacts, making covalent chemical bonds and lining the pores to create the deepest water repellent layer.
• Fortifier Plus not only contains a combination of premium quality silanes but has a very high active ingredient level of over 50% and is catalyzed to optimise performance.
• Important properties of silanes:
  • Very very small molecules – even small on a nano scale – up to 500 x smaller than competitive technologies for the deepest penetration.
  • Reactivity – the silanes in Fortifier Plus™ react with certain molecules inside the pores and create a covalent bond, lining the pores and becoming a molecular part of the treated stone. This means it lasts a very long time.
  • The silanes inside Fortifer Plus™ and extremely chemically resilient and are able to survive high temperatures, UV light, solvents and both high and low pH.
  • Silanes are not known to be toxic or carcinogens.

 

HOW TO USE

• ALWAYS TEST PRODUCT ON A SMALL AREA FIRST and allow a 24-hour cure time to determine the ease of application and desired results. Note: Fortifier Plus™ takes 2 to 4 weeks to fully cure inside the pores of the material and reach maximum hardness.
• Wear suitable solvent-resistant gloves, protective clothing, safety goggles and an organic vapour respirator during application.
• Ensure surfaces to be treated are dry, clean and free of residues.
• Surface temperature should be 40 – 950 Fahrenheit / 5 – 350 Celsius.
• Product is not to be diluted / thinned.
• Mask or otherwise protect surrounding surfaces such as window frames from overspray. If they receive overspray, clean immediately with clean, dry white cotton or other suitable absorbent cloths. Alcohol, methylated spirits or acetone can be used, taking care not to damage paintwork or other coatings.
• On very porous materials, apply the product using a low-pressure sprayer with a fan spray nozzle, working from the lowest sections upwards. On dense surfaces, such as marble, apply with a natural bristle brush or lamb’s wool applicator. If you use a brush or applicator made from synthetic material, test to ensure it is not dissolved by Fortifier Plus™.
• Horizontal surfaces: Apply 2 generous coats, at least 10 minutes apart. For the best results, wait longer between coats, but it is important to apply each coat before the previous coat has dried.
• Vertical surfaces: To minimize dripping and running it is best to apply 4 lighter coats rather than 2 heavy coats and to begin at the bottom of a surfaces and work upwards.
• The material must be allowed to cure for at least 2 weeks before it comes into contact with salt water or solvents.
• Total application rate (total of all cots) varies widely depending on the material, porosity and finish: 4 to 12 sq. m. per litre (160 – 480 sq. ft. per gallon).
• Thoroughly polish off any excess product residue on the surface with clean, white absorbent cloths before the final coat dries.
• Clean equipment with methylated spirits, alcohol or acetone
• IMPORTANT – DIP SEALING: Surface materials which are in regular contact with salt water, including the splash zone around salt water pools, must be dip sealed prior to installation to achieve the best result. The material must be fully submerged for a minimum of 15 seconds.

 

Limitations

• WARNING: Fortifier Plus™ will not prevent acid etching or physical wear of the surface. Fortifier Plus™ increase the strength of the surface by up to 40% – this may not be enough to make a very soft, unsuitable stone fit for purpose in a salt water or freeze-thaw environment.
• Fortifier Plus™ is breathable, so will not resist static water pressure and should not be used as a waterproof membrane.

Advanced Application Guidelines

• Testing and cure time: It can take up to 4 weeks for Fortifier Plus™ to build a structure which is fully cured deep inside the pores of the stone, so it is recommended to let treated surfaces cure for at least 3 weeks before testing.
• Applying the right amount of product consistently on a large area:
  • Only tackle one small area at a time–so that you can apply additional coats before surface residue from the previous coat dries.
  • Measure out an area before starting application and monitor how much product you use, to get a visual gauge and feel for how much product to spray for each coat.
  • At regular intervals measure the area you have treated, and the amount of product used, to check that you are consistently applying the desired amount of product.
  • When applying additional coats, apply each coat perpendicular to the previous coat, to ensure all areas of the surfaces receive a consistent amount of product.
• Excess product (product residue):
  • It is VERY IMPORTANT to thoroughly remove all product residue from a surface with clean, white cotton or microfibre cloths before it dries as the consolidator can be very difficult to remove once cured. If the product has dried on the surface, damp a cloth with Fortifier Plus^TM to remove.
  • The amount of product left on the surface, once the sealer has had time to penetrate, will vary depending on the surface type, porosity and finish. More porous surfaces with a honed (matte) or rougher finish will often absorb all the product applied, leaving no residue, while surfaces such as marble, especially if they have a highly polished finish, will be less absorbent and there will be plenty of excess product to remove. Apply the second coat even if there is product left on the surface from the initial coat.
  • If the product has dried, damp a cloth with a small amount of product and use this to soften the residue, then polish off with a clean dry cloth.
• Cleanup of equipment / spills: Ensure you have a good supply of alcohol, methylated spirits or acetone and clean white absorbent cloths, paper towels to clean your equipment and any overspray.
• Applying to vertical surfaces: On vertical surfaces, to minimize dripping and running it is best to apply 4 lighter coats rather than 2 heavy coats and to begin at the bottom of a surfaces and work upwards. Place tarp or plastic sheets below to catch the excess drips. Have plenty of clean white absorbent cloths handy to wipe up runs as they happen.
• Quick method for avoiding overspray:
  Have a light rectangular piece of board handy which you can hold with one hand to protect surfaces while you spray with the other hand. This is quicker than masking off areas.
  • Note: If product over spray lands on adjacent surfaces such as window frames, it will cause these to become water repellent, so overspray should be removed with clean white absorbent cloths immediately (methylated spirits, alcohol or acetone can be used but take care not to damage any paint or coating).

Shelf life and storage guidelines

• Best within 3 years of manufacture.
• Keep container tightly sealed, in a well-ventilated place, at 2 – 300 Celsius (36 – 850 Fahrenheit).

Pack sizes

• 5L (1.3 gallon), 20L (5.3 gallon)

Yield

• 3 to 7 sq m. per litre (120 – 280 sq. ft. per Gallon).

Technical data

• Active Content: >50%.
• SG: ~0.89
• VOCs >400g/L
• 5L (1.3G) = 4.8Kg (10.6Lb), 20L (5.3G) = 19Kg (41.9Lb)
• Typical Penetration: 5 – 20mm depending on application rate and surface porosity.

Flammability

HIGHLY FLAMMABLE LEL 3.3% (Ethanol) Flash Point < 23°C UEL 19% (Ethanol)

Hazchem Code ●3YE

Transport

CLASSIFIED AS A DANGEROUS GOOD BY THE CRITERIA OF THE ADG CODE

Shipping name FLAMMABLE LIQUID, N.O.S. (contains ethanol)
UN number 1993
Packing group II
DG Class 3
Subsidiary Risk None allocated

Country of Manufacture:

Australia