DEFINITION

In the industry, substrates should always be tested in order to determine if the substrate is porous or non-porous.

  • A substrate is called porous or absorbent when a liquid is drawn into and tends to fill permeable pores in a porous solid body. 
  • A non-porous substrate or non-absorbent, will be impermeable to liquids. 

ASTM F-3191

1. Substrate must be clean and free of dust 
2. Place a single drop of portable water (quarter size) on the substrate using a pipette 
3. Results determination

Length of Time to AbsorbSubstrate Determination
<1 minutePorous/Absorptive
> 1 minuteNon-Porous/Non Absorptive

4. Perform three tests for the first 2,000 ft2 and at least one for each additional 3,000 ft2.

Note: the size, shape and color of the water drop may indicate the presence of contaminants onto the substrate.

Porous
Porous
Non-Porous
Non-Porous

SIKA RECOMMENDATIONS

 
 

Each of these primers will give you what you need for your floor before any installation of Sika® Level underlayment and other varieties of floor covering

Sika® Moisture Barriers such as Sika® MB and Sika® MB Redline and Sika® adhesives such as SikaBond®-T55, T35, T21, T15 and T100 require a porous substrate.