Sand Fixing Agent vs Polyurethane Coating in Ghana (2026)
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They look similar in the drum and go on the same way, but they solve opposite problems. A sand fixing agent soaks in and hardens a weak surface. A polyurethane coating sits on top and forms a waterproof membrane. If your surface is crumbling, you need the first. If water is getting through, you need the second. Sometimes you need both, in that order.
The short version
| Sand Fixing Agent | Polyurethane Coating | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Penetrates and hardens a weak surface | Forms a flexible waterproof membrane |
| Where it ends up | 5-10 mm inside the substrate | On the surface, as a film |
| Stops standing water | No | Yes |
| Fixes dusting | Yes | No — it will peel off the dust |
| Coverage | 70-80 m² per 20 L drum | 1.0 kg per m² across two coats |
| Price | GHS 1,600 per 20 L | GHS 500 per 5 kg, GHS 1,000 per 10 kg |
| Cost per m² | GHS 20-23 | GHS 100 at two coats |
| Design life | Consolidation is permanent; repellency wears | 20 years |
When you need the sand fixing agent
The surface itself is the problem. It is loose, chalky, sandy or dusting. Nothing will stick to it and it sheds material when you touch it. You are not fighting water — you are fighting a substrate that has no integrity.
Typical cases: dusting warehouse floors, weak screeds, chalky walls that will not hold paint, compound areas and haul routes throwing up dust, exposed soil washing away.
When you need the polyurethane
The surface is sound but water is getting through it. A concrete roof leaking into the room below. A parapet wicking rain. A gutter holding water. A bathroom floor before tiling. The substrate is fine; it just is not waterproof.
This is the job our 10 kg polyurethane coating does, at 1.0 kg per m² across two coats, with a 3-year workmanship warranty and a 20-year design life.
When you need both
This is the case people miss, and it causes most of the membrane failures we are called out to fix.
If a roof slab is dusty or friable, a polyurethane membrane applied straight onto it bonds to the dust. The membrane is sound, the concrete is sound, and the layer between them is powder. It lifts — sometimes in the first season, sometimes in the second, but it lifts.
The sequence that works: consolidate the surface with a sand fixing agent, let it cure 24 hours, then apply the membrane onto the hardened substrate. You have spent an extra GHS 20 per square metre to protect a GHS 100 per square metre system. That is cheap insurance.
We cover the broader principle in why your waterproof coating peeled off — poor substrate preparation is the single most common cause.
How to tell which you have
Press clear tape firmly onto the surface and pull it off. Grey powder on the tape means a weak surface — start with the stabiliser. Clean tape means the substrate is sound, and if you have water coming through, go straight to the membrane.
If the tape comes up dirty and you have leaks, you need both, in that order.
What not to do
Do not use the sand fixing agent as a cheap substitute for waterproofing. It costs a fifth as much per square metre, which makes it tempting on a roof. It will repel rain for a while and then let water through, and by then you will have a wet ceiling and a slab you still have to prepare properly.
And do not apply polyurethane to a dusty slab hoping it will soak in and grip. It will not. It is a membrane, not a penetrant.
Describe your surface to us and we will tell you which you need. Call 0555 548 001 or 0241 737 026, or book a free site assessment in Greater Accra.
Related Resources
- Sand Fixing Agent in Ghana — Complete Guide
- Why Your Waterproof Coating Peeled Off
- Concrete Roof Surface Preparation Before Waterproofing
- How to Stop a Dusting Concrete Floor in Ghana
- How Many Coats of Polyurethane Do You Really Need?
Fest Ghana Limited is the trading name of FGL Waterproofing Solution Limited Company, a company registered in Ghana — Registration No. CS218171026. Company information.