| Author |
Message |
Sheldon Wolfe
Senior Member
Username: sheldon_wolfe
Post Number: 366
Registered: 01-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 06:53 pm: |    |
How do the following finishes for interior concrete columns differ in appearance and cost (the first three are ACI finishes):
smooth rubbed
grout cleaned
cork floated
skim coat plaster
For skim coat plaster, what should the finish of the concrete column be to end up with a smooth finish, similar to Level 4?
The columns will be painted. Some are round, others rectangular. |
Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre
Post Number: 916
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 09:04 pm: | |
first of all, if you're going to use skim coat plaster, go for a level 5 finish. you'll like the result better. And if you're doing that, the concrete substrate needs to be sort of a smooth-rubbed finish, but not as smooth. it should be porous enough to allow the plaster to bond well. Remember with a plaster finish, you most likely have only 1/8" to make up any flaws in the substrate surface.
As for the others, my experience has been that nearly every concrete finisher has their own definition of what your finishes look like. Even if I'm specifying "smooth rubbed", I will require a sample, and if possible, have a visual sample I want them to match. (some nearby building, perhaps). Even if you use an ACI definition, the finishers will have their own version of each finish and it doesn't matter much what you think it should look like.
Ask for samples and more samples done on some basement wall (perhaps) and then pick one. |
Mark Gilligan SE, CSI
Senior Member
Username: mark_gilligan
Post Number: 229
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, October 25, 2009 - 01:01 am: | |
Anne is right.
There was a well known project in southern california where everybody was very happy with the high quality concrete finishs. The Architect believed that it was the result of the specification. The specification was not that different from that used on many projects.
The secret was that they had a Contractor who was committed to doing outstanding work and they did mock-ups untill they got it right. If you have that you do not need anything else. |
Richard Hird (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 08:54 pm: | |
Not sure your of your purpose, hope you not fighting a change order, but the following represents market prices that are published, although they are not from the same source so that provides some unknown variation. None are from ACI
Smooth rubbed $0.24 / sf
Grout cleaned $0.65 to $0.76 / sf
Cork floated $1.45 / sf
Skim coat plaster is even harder to say since most market pricing includes base - I interpolated a guess of $1.60/sf.
Remember these are "market prices" and the real cost depends on who is doing the work |
Sheldon Wolfe
Senior Member
Username: sheldon_wolfe
Post Number: 369
Registered: 01-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 09:41 pm: | |
Thanks, Richard. Not a change order, thank goodness, we haven't issued CDs yet. Now to find pictures or examples of what each one is...
And Mark, as much as we complain about contractors, sometimes they sure make us look good! |
Tracy Van Niel, FCSI, CCS
Senior Member
Username: tracy_van_niel
Post Number: 285
Registered: 04-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 03:53 pm: | |
Sheldon:
We were the architect for a parking garage project where the owner wanted a smooth finish, void/pinhole free concrete surface and we ended up specifying a Tnemec system with lots of surface preparation. It's been serveral years since we did the project so some of the Tnemec products may have changed, but I'd be happy to send the site prep, surfacer, finish coat breakdown that we specified to see if it might help with your project.
Tracy L. Van Niel, FCSI, CCS |
Tracy Van Niel, FCSI, CCS
Senior Member
Username: tracy_van_niel
Post Number: 286
Registered: 04-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 03:58 pm: | |
Also found this link on line that gives a written description of the finishes you asked about.
http://www.stellarcontractors.com/assets/pdf/Smooth_Form_Finish.pdf
Tracy L. Van Niel, FCSI, CCS |
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