Specialized Construction Product’s Float Finish is a blended mix of aggregates, proprietary additives and polymer binders to produce a finegranular concrete texture finish.
Ensure all surface preparation instruction are followed.
All freshly applied material must be weather protected for a minimum of 24 hours after application. Exposure of applied product to rain, snow, dew, or other inclement weather conditions, direct hard sunlight or sources of heat while it is curing may have a detrimental effect on the finish.
The smooth plaster will not cover up background imperfections, particularly when walls are subject to side lighting at certain times of the day
The substrate to which the chosen product is to be applied must be installed in strict accordance with the manufacture&rsquo ; s specifications and recommended installation procedures. For concrete/masonry substrates the suppliers required curing time must be allowed after installation to ensure the joints in the substrate have completed cured, shrunk, and stabilized. All solid concrete substrates must be fully cured and dry. New concrete must be at least 21 days old prior to the application of any render product.
Surface imperfection such as blowholes, large cracks and spalling must be patched and levelled to the required tolerances and flatness with Specialized render materials before this product is applied. All nibs, protrusions and excess mortar on the surface of the bricks or irregularities in the slab must be ground off prior to rendering.
All surfaces must be clean and free of debris, dirt and dust, efflorescence, grease, oils, curing agents, cleaning solutions, mould and algae or any other contaminants that may affect adhesion. Deeply contaminated substrates must be abraded to provide a clean sound surface. All loose or damaged material must be removed by water blasting, captive shot blasting, or mechanical wire brushing and then washed down before rendering commences.
Painted or glossy surfaces such as power floated concrete must be specially primed, acid etched or mechanically abraded prior to the application of any render.
All cracks that may be the subject to ongoing movement must be correctly repaired and reinforced.
All very porous surfaces should be sealed with an appropriate paint sealer prior to the application of the plaster.
MIXING: Add approximately 5.5 litres of clean water to a clean bucket and then while stirring slowly add the 20kg bag of Float FInish. Float Finish should be mixed with with a heavy duty electric drill powering a high shear stirrer at approximately 600 r.p.m. The product should be mixed for a minimum of 2 minutes or long enough to provide a smooth lump-free blend. The consistency should be such that the material holds its shape when a finger is run through the surface. Let the mix stand for 5 minutes and give it a quick re-stir before application and adjust the final consistency.
On a large wall Float Finish should be applied by two or more people to ensure a 'wet edge' is maintained. Float Finish must be applied in two coats (1-2mm per coat) to ensure an even texture is achieved. Start by trowelling on one tight coat of the Float Finish plaster with a large steel trowel using the aggregates in the plaster to establish the thickness. Once the first coat has dried trowel on another coat of the same material (mixed to a slightly thinner consistency) over its surface. As soon as this coat has been laid down flat with the steel trowel begin polishing its surface in a circular motion with a hard plastic float. This will cut the surface of the wall flat. Regularly clean the excess plaster off the plastic float with a broad knife to reduce the potential for swirl marks. If the plastic float is picking too much material or is leaving swirl marks on the surface, this indicates that the plaster has not been laid on tight enough with the steel trowel. Finish with a gentle polish of the surface with the plastic float to minimise any surface marking or surface irregularities. Check the wall from a couple of meters of distance.
Float Finish can either be left as it has been finished with the plastic float or while it is still wet but firm to touch (normally only 5 minutes after application) it can be polished with a damp sponge to close the pores in the texture. Finishing the surface of the walls with a sponge will also remove a small amount of the fines in the plaster giving the wall a grainy look. An Acratex Dulux paint system must be used over the surface of Float Finish to ensure the chosen products weather resistant and to give the desired finish colour to exterior walls.
Apply render only when the temperature is between 5°C and 30°C.
For full system details refer to the Specialized installation guide.
