Finishing up

Image: © brian lee Taken: 9 Feb 2008

Finally applying the 1.5mm thick Acrylic finish coat with hawk and trowel. The solid block wall (by mistake) is covered in an anticrack fibreglass mesh overlapped on all joints to aid strength and stop cracking. There is no cement in these products, relying on air movement and evaporation to dry, a challenge in English weather conditions. Fibreglass corner beads are applied with a straight edge and access to the high areas was conducted off a tower scaffold which is not every workers ideal. Being under Health and Safety guidelines operatives on site where required to wear hard hats and steel toe cap boots, the high visibility vest a requirement on sites with motor traffic. The final coat applied at 1.5mm is trowelled to achieve flatness and texture, this side being in the shade took three days to dry. When dry it is colour fast waterproof and low maintenance for up to 20 years making it ideal on this project.

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