Off-form concrete is a construction material created by pumping concrete through a nozzle into a predetermined shape called formwork. It is meant to be exposed so the quality of the casting is paramount.
When you decide to go for an off-form concrete facade you expect a raw and industrial look, however you will want to limit the imperfection in terms of color variation and repairs.
For various reasons there is a chance that the results of the casting will be deceiving. That is what happened in a project we have been asked to embellish recently.
We proposed our concrete staining method using mineral silicate stain ImperGuard Color from @GuardIndustrie. Silicate stain is a glaze (or lasure) that impregnates into the concrete. It is very different from a paint as it is non film forming, retaining the character and natural look of the concrete.
You can chose any color but also the opacity by playing with the dilution ratio, in other words, the amount of pigments per litre of product.
The objective is NOT to hide all the natural imperfection of the the concrete but to homogenise it, giving it a more uniform look while retaining the touch and feel of concrete.
On this project, due to a relatively high amount of repair and too dark a mortar color we had to use a low dilution of 1:2, being 1 part of pigmented base for 2 parts of silicate dilution, in order to achieve the result expected by the client.
Some areas required us to summon the artist within us for local aesthetic repairs.
It is important to note that staining was not specified by architect originally and we came in to "save the off-form concrete" as the owner was considering plastering and painting the entire facade.
In conclusion we would like the readers to remember there is a solution to embellish off-form concrete while retaining its character, it is silicate stain, and RENUGLASS processes all the skills and experience you need for a successful outcome!
