The beauty of a Litecrete home is that it requires far less work on the part of the homeowner to keep it looking like new. There are a range of finishing options to consider. All of these options translate into a Litecrete home costing a lot less to maintain over the long term.
Natural (Clear) Concrete External Finish
A clear concrete surface can be used externally. The pumice aggregate includes volcanic minerals which can sometimes result in slight colour variation and heavier surface figuring to the surface compared to standard concrete; durability is unaffected. However these add to the characteristics of Litecrete. We recommend the application of a vapour-permeable matt finish clear sealer to the natural concrete surface to prevent airborne grime building up on the surface and to allow easy cleaning by hosing down at least once a year. If a more consistent, blemish-free surface is required, then a vapour-permeable masonry paint or concrete stain should be considered. We also strongly recommend that architects and their clients visit the Wilco factory and check out typical Litecrete panel surface options prior to manufacture.
Refer to Page 19 in the Litecrete Architectural Catalogue.
Paint/Plaster/Stain
The panels are manufactured on steel casting beds and the resulting smooth external finish is ready to be decorated. Paint, plaster or concrete stain can be used. Since Litecrete walls breathe, allowing water vapour (condensation) to move through the wall to the outside any paint, plaster or stain system should be vapour-permeable.
Surface Rebates
The smooth finish can be broken up by vertical or horizontal rebates which provides a cost-effective alternative.
Formliners
Rubber formliners are available to replicate a multitude of surface patterns, however these are usually for the large budget projects.
Band-sawn Timber Finish
This finish is produced by casting the panels on top of rough-sawn or band-sawn planks. Because of its popularity we have reproduced 8 metre x 4 metre rubber formliners from 150 mm wide American Ash timber, in both horizontal and vertical orientation. This means we can achieve in excess of 100 castings from the formliner instead of having to replace actual timber planks after casting eight or nine panels.
Internal Finishes
When 150 mm external Litecrete panels are installed, the internal face is covered with K17 or similar insulating board, so the concrete is not visible. The plasterboard surface on the K17 sheet is usually painted after stopping and sealing is completed.
However, Litecrete is often used for internal house walls. The internal face of Litecrete has a trowelled finish, and sometimes, from different angles, the swirls of the powerfloat can be seen in the surface.
For a superior surface we recommend that a 1-2 mm cementitious skim-coat is applied prior to painting.
Refer to Page 19/20 in the Litecrete Architectural Catalogue.
If using Litecrete for internal walls and a natural concrete finish is required, a matt finish sealer should be applied to prevent dusting of the concrete and also to prevent grime building up around light switches, etc.
Plaster can also be used, and control joints should be accommodated at the vertical panel joints to cope with any seismic movement.
The concrete panel provides an excellent surface for the attachment of ceramic tiles.
Plasterboard can be glue-fixed directly to the internal concrete walls, if required.