How to distinguish between water-resistant putty and non-water-resistant putty?
Release Time:
2021-01-20
Source:
How to distinguish between water-resistant putty and non-water-resistant putty?
Putty is one of the primary materials used in basic construction, and its quality directly affects the finish of the wall surface. Currently, the market offers both water-resistant and non-water-resistant putties. How can you tell the difference between the two, and how should you choose a water-resistant putty?
1. Environmental friendliness
Water-resistant putty is a high-tech product that integrates advanced fine-chemical technologies. During the raw-material selection process, rigorously conducted geo-mineralogical performance tests ensure low heavy-metal content, resulting in superior environmental quality that meets both European and Japanese environmental standards. The formulation contains no harmful chemical ingredients, achieving near-perfect environmental friendliness. Excellent.
Standard putty is typically produced in small, unregulated workshops and requires the addition of harmful substances such as white glue, cooked latex powder, and cellulose before use. The resulting outcome is self-evident: even if an environmentally friendly wall paint is chosen, the release of harmful volatile organic compounds can still pose a serious threat to the health of homeowners.
2. Construction Difficulty
After mixing the water-resistant putty, let it stand for 10–15 minutes until it reaches a fully blended consistency; at that point, application is no different from that of ordinary putty. However, it’s important to strive for a smooth, even finish with each coat to minimize sanding effort, since water-resistant putty has significantly higher strength than ordinary putty—and consequently, it tends to be more brittle and prone to cracking under external forces. , demanding meticulous workmanship and a high level of professional expertise from workers.
After ordinary putty is mixed and applied, its strength is significantly lower than that of water-resistant putty, making it easier to sand. However, this also makes it more prone to delamination, flaking, and cracking.
How to Choose Water-Resistant Putty
1. Touch with your hand
After application, water-resistant putty delivers a smooth, fine surface; when properly troweled and finished, it feels slick to the touch, whereas inferior putty feels slightly rough.
2. Apply and scrape by hand
The exceptional whiteness and density of water-resistant putty enable it to deliver 25–30% lower paint consumption per unit area compared with walls finished using conventional putty, thanks to its superior paint adhesion and coverage. It is easy to apply and sand, and offers moderate hiding power. In contrast, substandard putty requires much thicker application, resulting in significantly higher material usage.
3. Scrape the wall surface
The JG/T 298-2010 standard “Putty for Interior Use in Buildings” sets clear requirements for putty strength: the bond strength of ordinary putty under standard conditions shall be greater than 0.25 MPa, with no requirement for strength after immersion in water; in contrast, water-resistant putty is required to achieve a bond strength of 0.50 MPa under standard conditions and a bond strength greater than 0.30 MPa. As the standard indicates, water-resistant putty has higher strength than ordinary interior wall putty, making it less prone to hollowing and detachment. In contrast, substandard putty will show deep scratches even with a light scratch.
