Precast Interior Finishes - What should you expect?
Precast exterior finishes are widely known to be versatile when it comes to color and texture. It is common practice to provide samples or mock-ups to assist in selecting the perfect vision of your clients. But what about your interior finishes? How important are they to you and your clients? Afterall, it is just grey concrete, so what is the big deal? It has never been more important to understand the environment in which your concrete is expected to perform. Exposed to view, covered by drywall, painted, office, industrial, educational environments, and FDA food grade, just to name a few.
A well written project specification goes a long way to get the ball rolling, but too often, this falls short in communicating expectations of the client to your precast provider. Just as important as your beautiful exterior concrete has samples, so should your interior concrete. In fact, with some industrial applications, the interior concrete finishes are more important in the performance of the structure than those exteriors. Early engagement of your precast provider can assist you with the best application to fit your situation. This also allows for providing the maximum value for the project. The most expensive food grade finishes would not provide value to a drywall covered office building. A specification detailing just a float finish here could result in that ever-important budget goal for the project.
Screed, Float, Rake, Broom, Trowel, or Hard Trowel are all designations that could be available from your precast provider. Presentation and approval of these finishes with your clients will ensure that the words in a specification come to life. When the expectations of a team are all in alignment, successful projects are inevitable.
