CEMENT & MASONRY

Concrete chemicals and admixtures

Added to the mix, not applied to the surface. Dosage is by cement weight and it is not a guess.

What this category covers

Plasticisers & superplasticisers

Water-reducing admixtures that improve workability without adding water — which is the whole point, because added water reduces strength.

Integral waterproofing compounds

Added to the mix rather than applied to the surface. For slabs, sunken portions, water tanks and retaining structures.

Accelerators & retarders

Set time adjusted for weather and for pour size. Retarders matter in Goa's heat; accelerators matter in the monsoon.

Curing compounds

Membrane-forming curing compounds where water curing is impractical — large slabs, sloping surfaces, water shortage.

Bonding agents

For new concrete onto old, plaster onto smooth surfaces, and repair work where a mechanical key is not available.

Grouts & repair mortars

Non-shrink grout for base plates and anchors, polymer-modified repair mortars, micro-concrete for structural repair.

Where this stops and coatings begin

Two different products get called waterproofing and they do different things.

Integral — in the mix

Added at the batching stage. Reduces permeability through the body of the concrete or mortar. Cannot be applied afterwards and cannot fix a slab already cast.

Applied — on the surface

Coatings and membranes applied to a finished surface. A different trade and a different product — and where a coating is what the job needs, that sits with a paint and coatings supplier, not here.

A sunken bathroom needs both, usually. Integral compound in the screed and a membrane over it. Doing one and calling it waterproofed is the most common reason a bathroom leaks into the room below within two years.

Dosage is not optional and not a guess

Every admixture has a dosage range stated as a percentage of cement weight. Under-dosing does nothing; over-dosing can delay set, cause segregation or reduce strength.
Dosage is by cement weight, not by bag of concrete. The mix design matters, and a site working from "one cup per mixer" is guessing.
Admixtures are not interchangeable. A plasticiser is not a waterproofing compound and neither is a bonding agent. Mixing brands in one pour is a bad idea.
Shelf life and storage matter. Liquid admixtures separate and freeze; powders absorb moisture. Old stock behaves unpredictably.

Send the mix and the problem, not the product name. Grade, pour size, weather, whether it is pumped, and what you are trying to achieve — that produces a better answer than a brand request.