The Best Brick Sealers

Written by Daniel Woodley. Reviewed by Paul Farley. Published to Products on: 13th April 2023.

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Four Brick Sealers We Tested 

Here are the four brick sealers we independently tested:

Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream (Sold via Amazon) – We chose this based on the number of positive reviews online, the BBA approval certificate and because it’s verified by the Energy Savings Trust.

Climashield Masonry Protection Cream (Sold via Amazon) – We selected this as it’s sold via SmartSeal who are an industry leader in surface protection products and it was cheaper than Stormdry.

Everbuild 402 Water Seal (Sold via Amazon) – We selected this brick sealer as it currently has over 3400 reviews on Amazon, with 86% of customers rating it 4 or 5 stars out of 5. It’s also one of the cheapest products on sale.

Emperor Exterior Masonry Creme (Sold direct) – We chose this as it was recommended by a friend who works in the damp industry, and it’s verified by the Energy Savings Trust. It’s similar in price to Stormdry.

What We Looked For

As part of our independent testing and research into brick sealers, we looked for:

• Cost per square metre of wall.
• The number of coats required.
• Ease of application.
• Drying time.
• Waterproofness.
• Penetrating depth.
• Appearance after it dried (i.e. any colour change).
• Certificates from recognised organisations.

We will test the four products on house bricks on a 1980s property and also on loose bricks.

Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream

We tested Stormdry on a brick

Test Results

We tested the Stormdry sealer on two different bricks (one loose and also a wall), here’s how we did it and what happened:

1) We first brushed off any dust from the bricks and we feel this is an important step as it ensures the sealer can absorb into the brick unhindered. If the bricks were contaminated with moss, mould or algae we would treat them with a surface biocide first and then brush off the moss/algae etc.

2) Next, we applied the cream via a brush, although a roller could be used for larger areas. We found the product very easy to apply and unlike water-based alternatives, it didn’t drip at all.

3) The cream didn’t immediately absorb into the wall, at first it left creamy marks on the bricks, which looked slightly darker.

4) After a few hours, the wall absorbed the cream, and its appearance was much lighter and closer to the original colour.

5) After a week, the bricks looked similar to their appearance before the treatment and after a month, there was no obvious difference.

Stormdry after 1 month (very very minor colour change)

Closeup of Stormdry after 1 month (no colour change here)

6) Waterproofness – Water beaded on the surface of the brick after a few days but we waited 28 days and tested it again.

As you can see from the photos below, the bricks repelled the water:

The treated brick wall repelling water

7) Odour – Stormdry didn’t leave an unpleasant odour on the walls.

8) Penetrating depth – the manufacturer states that Stormdry will penetrate into soft bricks by up to 12mm. We snapped one of our coated bricks after 28 days and put water droplets onto the sides, we could clearly see which part of the brick absorbed the water and which repelled it, and by using a tape measure, we could see that the penetrating depth of Stormdry was around 8mm into our bricks, which were a fairly hard type.

Summary – Stormdry

Stormdry was one of the most expensive products we tested; it currently costs between £21 and £25 per litre, depending on whether you buy the 5-litre or 20-litre tubs.

During the test, we found it very easy to apply. The cream clung well to the brush and didn’t drip easily. We could imagine that on a larger surface area, such as a huge wall, it would go down easily and quickly with a roller, and the user would only need to use a brush near window and door frames.

Coverage is something that’s very difficult to test as every brick is different, and some of the softer absorbent types will soak up the brick sealer more than harder bricks. We measured the area we tested Stormdry on and calculated the coverage rate to be 4.3 square metres per litre but the bricks on your home could absorb more or less and how thick you apply it will obviously affect the coverage rate too.

Stormdry only requires one coat, and we found that it was touch-dry after a few hours and water repellent after two days and largely water resistant after 28 days.

On the bricks we tested Stormdry on, we could see that it had penetrated to a depth of about 8mm, but on more absorbent bricks, it may go deeper and on harder engineering-type bricks it may not go as deep.

Stormdry did cause the bricks to change slightly darker, but over time we could see the colour gradually going lighter and closer to the original. After 1 month, there was only a minor difference.

After 1 month, we tested the bricks on the wall by spraying them with water and could see the water beading and rolling off.

On the loose bricks, we pooled water on them for 30 minutes and then checked them – the water was still there.

We also weighed a brick, coated it in Stormdry and left it outside on a rainy day; when we weighed it again, the weight was the same – indicating it hadn’t absorbed much water, if any.

Stormdry is Our #1 Choice

Stormdry is our #1 choice and we recommend it because:

• It did everything we expected it to.
• It was less messy than we thought it would be.
• It has been tested by the BBA who confirmed it won’t cause condensation and should last 25 years.

Climashield Masonry And Brick Sealer Cream

Climashield immediately after we applied it

Key Points:

Type: Cream | Cost: £3 -£4.50 per Sq Mtr of Wall | Coverage: Up to 5 Sq Mtrs Per Litre | Use on: Brick, Masonry, Concrete and Stone Walls | Coats Required: 1 Coat | Sold via Amazon |

Key Selling Point For Us:

While Climashield doesn’t currently have the BBA approval and to date, doesn’t have Energy Savings Trust approval either, it worked out 36% cheaper (20-litre tubs) and 22% cheaper (5-litre tubs) than Stormdry at the time of our test. We looked at the ingredients and the performance of both products in our tests, and we feel they are very similar.

Testing Climashield

As with our previous product, we tested Climashield on two different bricks; one loose and also a section of wall on our 1980s house.

1) We first brushed off the dust so the surface was ready for the brick sealer.

2) Next, we applied the cream via a brush and found the texture very similar to Stormdry, it wasn’t runny and was easy to apply.

3) Just like Stormdry, the cream didn’t immediately absorb into the wall and at first the wall looked a bit darker with cream marks.

4) After a few hours, the wall absorbed the cream, and over the next few hours, we could see the original shade of the wall coming back.

5) After two days, the bricks looked almost identical to how they looked before the treatment, but we waited a month before photographing the bricks again.

Climashield after 1 month (barely any colour change)

6) Waterproofness – Climashield offered protection from rain within a few days, but we waited a full month to give it a chance to cure fully. We then tested it by spraying water onto the wall and by pooling water onto the loose brick.

We also weighed a dry brick, coated it and then, after a month, left it in the rain. It was a similar weight when we weighed it again, indicating it hadn’t absorbed any significant amounts of water.

The two photos below show the brick after one month and also it repelling the water:

Climashield repelling water

7) Odour – No problems here, it didn’t leave an odour during our tests.

8) Penetrating depth – the manufacturer states that Climashield will penetrate into some bricks by up to 17mm. I snapped a treated brick in half after a month and found it had penetrated by 9mm. (There are hundreds of different types of bricks and some are more porous than others).

Summary – Climashield

Climashield performed well in our tests and was comparable to Stormdry.

The only differences we could tell were:

• Climashield tubs were 22-36% cheaper (see prices on Amazon).
• Climashield doesn’t have BBA/Energy Savings Trust approval (at the time of testing).
• Climashield appeared to penetrate the brick by 1mm more (negligible).

We found that Climashield didn’t dramatically alter the colour or shade of the bricks and was as easy as Stormdry to apply.

Everbuild 402 Brick Water Seal

What the brick looked like immediately after application

Key Points:

Type: Liquid | Cost: £0.50 – £0.70 per Sq Mtr of Wall (per coat) | Coverage: Up to 5-8 Sq Mtrs Per Litre Per Coat | Use On: Brick, Masonry, Concrete and Stone Walls | Coats Required: 1-2 Coats (2nd coat must be applied before the first dries) | Sold via Amazon |

Key Selling Point For Us:

The key selling point for us is the price, at 50-70p per square metre of wall, it’s substantially cheaper than the other three products we tested and it has very good reviews online.

Testing Everbuild 402

As with the previous products, we tested Everbuild 402 on a wall of bricks and also on an individual brick.

1) We first brushed off the dust so the surface was ready for the brick sealer.

2) Next, we applied the liquid via a brush, and we found it quite messy to apply. The liquid was very runny and dripped down the wall and onto the floor. During our test, we had to be far more careful in applying this product than the other three. The manufacturer states a sprayer can be used, but we’re unsure how messy that could turn out – we really didn’t want to try.

3) The manufacturer also states that a second coat may be required but that this must be applied before the first has dried. We believe that this may be challenging if you have a large area to cover, as you may need to treat the wall in sections rather than in one go.

4) The bricks absorbed the liquid quickly, much sooner than the cream-based brick sealers.

5) We did notice some colour change during our test, but it was very mild.

The wall after 1 month (slight colour change)

6) Waterproofness – As you can see from the bricks, the water pooled and beaded on the surface, so the product did work.

We also weighed a dry brick, coated it with Everbuild and then, after a month, left it in the rain. It was slightly heavier when we weighed it again (+0.9%), indicating it had absorbed some water, more than any other product we tested.

As you can see from the photos below, the bricks did repel most of the water but there was some discolouration:

This brick sealer repelling water

7) Odour – No problems here; it did smell at all.

8) Penetrating depth – The manufacturer states that it will penetrate into the brick, but I couldn’t find any claims of depth. I snapped a treated brick in half after 28 days and tested the exposed surface – Everbuild appeared to penetrate to a depth of 3mm. This is the shallowest of all the brick sealers we tested.

Summary – Everbuild

We found Everbuild very runny and messy to apply, it penetrated to the shallowest depth of all the brick sealers we tested and it did alter the brick colour slightly, but it was by far the cheapest product we tested.

In fact, Stormdry was around 3.3 times the price of Everbuild, and that figure includes the second coat of Everbuild.

We feel that Everbuild is best for those on a tight budget or who have a garden wall or other low-value structure they want to waterproof cheaply.

Emperor Masonry Creme

Testing Emperor brick sealer

Key Points:

Type: Cream | Cost: £4.80 – £5 per Sq Mtr of Wall | Coverage: Up to 5 Sq Mtrs Per Litre | Use On: Brick, Masonry, Concrete and Stone Walls | Coats Required: 1 Coat | Sold Direct |

Key Selling Point For Us:

This brick sealer was recommended to us by a friend who has previously used it and the product contains very similar chemicals to the other cream-based sealers we tested. 

Emperor Masonry Creme is also verified by the Energy Savings Trust.

Testing Emperor Masonry Creme

As with our previous products, we tested this brick sealer on a brick wall with fairly modern, hard bricks and also on individual bricks.

We struggled to tell the difference between Emperor, Stormdry and Climashield. If anything, Emperor left the brick slightly darker, but not by much.

All of these cream-based products seemed very similar:

• Didn’t smell bad.
• The same or similar consistency.
• Similar water repellency.
• Near identical penetration into the brick (8-9mm ish)
• Same coverage.

Here are some photos from our test:

The wall after 1 month (slight colour change)

This brick sealer repelling water

We also weighed a brick after coating it and leaving it in the rain – the weight increase was negligible, which indicates very little water uptake.

Summary – Emperor Masonry Creme

So Emperor’s Masonry Creme performed very well, much better than Everbuild and comparable to Stormdry and Climashield.

It’s terms of performance and ease of use etc, there was very little between the three, if anything, Emperor was a little runnier and left the brick a bit darker, but only just.

Then there’s the price – Emperor was significantly more expensive than Climashield and nearly the same as Stormdry.

We Recommend These Brick Sealers – Here’s Why

Stormdry is our #1 choice as it’s currently the same price as Emperor’s Masonry Creme, but it has been tested by the BBA, which carries extra weight with us. There is also a ton of documentation on their website, more than any other product we looked at.

Climashield by Smartseal comes in second place – it was significantly cheaper than Stormdry and Emperor’s Masonry Creme and performed just as well in our tests. The manufacturer also has lots of documentation on their website but it doesn’t have the certificates.

Emperor’s Masonry Creme performed just as well as the first two brick sealers but, like Stormdry, it was the most expensive. However, it didn’t come with BBA approval and left the bricks slightly darker in our test.

Everbuild was a cheap and cheerful brick sealer that we feel is best suited to those on a tight budget or for use on garden walls or other low-value surfaces, such as garages or brick sheds etc. It was very runny and didn’t penetrate deeply into the brick. It also left the brick slightly darker.

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