Facades and exposed concrete

Before the pour: the release agent

A successful fair-faced surface depends on the release agent as much as on the formwork. A pre-emulsified paste product forms a film that stays in place during the pour, avoids bubbles and dusting, and does not alter the colour of grey or white cement.

On steel formwork and in hot-weather work, stable latest-generation emulsions are needed, guaranteeing release even at high temperatures and protecting the formwork from oxidation. Biodegradability and non-flammability are not minor details: they affect site storage and safety.

The exposed-aggregate finish

The surface retarder delays the setting of the surface mortar to a controlled depth: the laitance washes off and the aggregate is left exposed, uniformly and without mechanical preparation. The fluorescent colour serves a practical purpose — making the application visible on the fresh pour, because an untreated area is only noticed when it is too late.

Afterwards: hydrophobing

Silane-based impregnating creams penetrate deep into the cementitious substrate and make it hydrophobic while keeping it vapour-permeable. They are colourless after drying, do not alter the surface appearance, and are applied in a single pass by spray, roller or brush.

Reducing water absorption means reducing, together, washout, frost attack, the penetration of pollutants and the growth of biological deposits: it is the cheapest preventive maintenance a facade can receive.