VinawoodVinawood *

“Board-Formed Concrete: How the Form Face Shapes the Finish” no está disponible en Español todavía

Aún no hemos traducido esta página. Explore todos nuestros Blog a continuación — estamos traduciendo más contenido pronto.

Ver todos los Blog

Curated by Vinawood

Dive Deeper Into This Topic

Related Reading

Concrete forming plywood guideThe pillar guide to formwork plywood types, sizes, and reuse cycles, covering HDO, MDO, and film-faced panels for every kind of pour.
Form release agent guideHow to choose and apply release agent so forms strip clean without staining the concrete face, the usual cause of color variation on board-formed walls.
Film-faced plywoodPhenolic film-faced panels for the smooth, fair-faced architectural finish at the opposite end of the spectrum from board-formed texture.
HDO plywoodHigh-density overlay panels for crisp glossy fair-face concrete, the North American choice for exposed smooth walls and columns.
MDO plywoodMedium-density overlay panels that cast a matte concrete finish, smooth without the sheen of glossy film-faced forming.
Marine plywoodWater-resistant marine-grade panels for projects where the casting environment stays wet for extended periods.

Quick Answers

What is board-formed concrete?
Board-formed concrete is cast-in-place concrete poured against a form lined with timber boards rather than plywood or steel. As it cures, the concrete picks up a negative imprint of the board faces, so the finished wall carries the wood grain, knots, and joint lines of the boards. The texture is the casting surface recorded permanently in the concrete, not a coating applied afterward.
How is the board-formed texture created?
Three things shape it: board orientation, board surface, and wood species. Horizontal boards give the familiar stacked-plank look and emphasize the joint lines; vertical boards play them down. Rough-sawn boards leave a heavy rustic grain, while planed boards give a subtler modern texture. Open-grain softwoods such as cedar, pine, and Douglas fir transfer the most character into the concrete face.
How much does board-formed concrete cost?
US figures from HomeAdvisor put board-formed concrete at roughly $30 to $50 per square foot, or about $60 to $280 per linear foot depending on wall height and complexity. The premium pays for form labor more than material, since boards are laid out individually, every joint is sealed, and the forms get fewer reuse cycles than smooth panels. Treat these as indicative and price the actual job locally.
Why does my board-formed wall have grout streaks or leak lines?
Pale streaks or raised fins along the board joints usually mean a gap was left unsealed or the silicone bead broke under concrete pressure. It is a form-tightness and detailing matter, not a fault in the boards. Run a continuous silicone bead between boards before the pour and clamp the boards firmly with screws so the joints stay closed.
What plywood produces a smooth concrete finish instead of board texture?
A smooth, sealed casting surface gives a smooth wall. Film-faced plywood with a phenolic film face leaves a flat, consistent fair-faced surface. For North American work, high-density overlay (HDO) panels give a crisp glossy finish while medium-density overlay (MDO) panels produce a matte concrete face. The form face is chosen to match the finish the project wants.