Impregnating is allowing a protective agent to penetrate into a porous material such as wood, concrete or natural stone in order to protect it. The agent penetrates into the material rather than forming a layer on top of it.
How it works
- For wood, impregnating mainly serves to preserve it against fungi, wood rot and insects. A well-known method is pressure impregnation, in which a wood preservative is pressed deep into the wood in a vessel under vacuum and pressure.
- For mineral surfaces and facades, impregnating is used to make the material water-repellent (hydrophobic) or to harden it.
Application
An important distinction is the difference with a coating:
- An impregnating agent penetrates into the material and does not form a dense layer on the outside, so the surface usually remains vapour-open.
- A coating, by contrast, forms a layer on the surface.
Related terms
- Hydrophobic treatment
- Wood rot
- Preserving
- Creosoting
- Fungicide
- Wood
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