How to Fortify Portland Cement

The Romans used a mixture about like Portland cement to build most of the Coliseum. Portland cement is made by heating limestone and clay to about 1,500 degrees centigrade and grinding the result to a fine powder. Cement, as the Coliseum attests, endures but numerous attempts have been made to make it better. Adding sugar slows the curing time of cement. Fly ash is sometimes added to cement to make it more waterproof. The most common additives used to fortify the water resistance of Portland cement are various acrylic latex mixtures. Cement made with these mixtures is used to coat other structural elements.

Things You'll Need

• Quicseal 608 acrylic latex admixture or equivalent

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Clean any substrate to which latex fortified cement will be applied of all loose particles, paint and wax. Remove all mold release agents and curing compounds from the substrate.

   • 2

     Seal very porous or powdery surfaces such as lightweight blocks or prefabricated panels with primer. Dampen the substrate.

   • 3

     Stir the acrylic additive, in this case Quicseal 608, in a clean container.

   • 4

     Mix 1 part by weight of Quicseal, 1 part water by weight, 4 parts of cement by weight and 12 parts of sand by weight.

   • 5

     Apply the mixture to the substrate with a trowel.