Hard problem, soft solutions

From BlackWhite magazine - issue 06, finishing touch

Change the look of surfaces you thought were set in stone with these new Resene offerings.

Used in nearly every type of building project out there, concrete lends strength, versatility and practicality to structures great and small. A favoured material among minimalists and brutalists, we have been shown time and time again that, with a bit of creativity, ingenuity and experimentation, the austerity and rigidity of concrete can even be made beautiful.

With the right plan, preparations and product sourcing in place, there’s no limit to the types of colours and shapes that can be created with concrete. During the short window of time when it is wet, it can be manipulated, textured, made smooth or pigmented. But once that window closes, the material suddenly becomes notoriously inflexible to further edits.

“I was once working on a new home build with a recently graduated architectural technologist who had designed the project himself,” recalls BlackWhite editor Laura Lynn Johnston. “The walls were insulated concrete form (ICF), and the flooring was concrete poured over corrugated steel, so much of the structure we poured in situ. This wasn’t the first home he had built, but it was the first one he had built for himself, so he wanted to incorporate some interesting ideas to make his home office unique and attractive to visiting clients. He sourced some red concrete pigment, and while the floor was in place but not yet set, he tried sprinkling the powder around in the hope of creating a marbled effect. To say that he wasn’t thrilled with the result is an understatement. In the end, he ended having to cover up the entire level of the home with an opaque coating, which was a real shame because the whole place ended up losing some of the raw charm he was after.”

In new builds, it is not unusual at all for concrete to turn out a different colour that we thought it might – even without additional pigmentation added to the mix. In renovations and adaptive use projects, there are plenty of occasions where concrete components like walls, countertops, flooring or pathways need to stay right where they are, whether we appreciate what colour they are or not. While opaque coatings are one option for changing the appearance of these surfaces, if you too are trying to maintain a raw, rustic or minimalist look, a solid colour might not create the effect you’re seeking.

But now, there are more options than ever before to achieve semi-transparent colour changes on a wide range of concrete surfaces both indoors and out with the new Resene ‘In The Wash’ collection of concretewash colours. This new range can be used to bring subtle, buildable sheer colour to concrete walls (interior and exterior), interior floors, exterior walkways and decorative elements like concrete planters and furniture. The product leverages Resene Concrete Clear, Resene Concrete Wax and Resene Concrete Clear Walk-on technology to offer customers a variety of different finishes to both colour and protect set concrete. Five colours are currently available – Resene Whitewash, Resene Greigewash, Resene Blondewash, Resene Claywash and Resene Stonewash – to impart a range of different nature-inspired hues.

The beauty of Resene ConcreteWash colours lie in their subtleness, with buildable colour that can be used to create a variety of looks. Applying the product by spray can achieve a uniform wash of colour over walls or floors, but you can also get an artisanal, almost fresco-like effect with a bit of experimentation. For example, try applying Resene ConcreteWash colours with a brush in a criss-cross fashion to concrete planters or accessories for a variegated look.

On interior walls, it is recommended to seal the wall first in one coat of Resene Concrete Clear gloss before applying one or two coats of your chosen Resene ConcreteWash colour tinted into Resene Concrete Clear satin. For a satin finish, apply a final coat of untinted Resene Concrete Clear satin or get a gloss finish by sealing your wall with a final coat of untinted Resene Concrete Clear gloss. For exterior walls, apply a saturation coat of Resene Solventborne Aquapel first to give efflorescence control then follow with the same system as described for interior walls.

For interior concrete flooring, start with a basecoat in untinted Resene Concrete Wax before applying one to two coats of Resene Concrete Wax tinted to your chosen Resene ConcreteWash colour. If more pigmentation is desired, an additional coat of Resene ConcreteWash coloured topcoat may be applied – before applying a final clear untinted layer to seal the floor. You can also use Resene ConcreteWash colours on exterior walkable surfaces, such as concrete paving stones. Seal your pavers first with one coat of Resene Walk-on Concrete Clear thinned 10% with water and allow 24 hours before applying Resene Walk-on Concrete Clear tinted to your Resene ConcreteWash colour. Then, finish the surface with a final coat of Resene Walk-on Concrete Clear untinted.

Much like a wood stain finish, the final look of your Resene ConcreteWash colour will be affected by the concrete you are finishing. Always test the Resene ConcreteWash finish on an inconspicuous area of concrete first to ensure it achieves your desired look before applying to your full project. Some projects will only need one coat of Resene ConcreteWash for a subtle colourwashed effect, others may need two for a deeper wash effect.

› For more information, visit www.resene.com/in-the-wash.

BlackWhite magazine

This is a magazine created for the industry, by the industry and with the industry – and a publication like this is only possible because of New Zealand and Australia's remarkably talented and loyal Resene specifiers and users.

If you have a project finished in Resene paints, wood stains or coatings, whether it is strikingly colourful, beautifully tonal, a haven of natural stained and clear finishes, wonderfully unique or anything in between, we'd love to see it and have the opportunity to showcase it. Submit your projects online or email editor@blackwhitemag.com. You're welcome to share as many projects as you would like, whenever it suits. We look forward to seeing what you've been busy creating.

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