How to apply a textured facade coating

Step-by-step procedure

1. 1

   Check substrate readiness

   Allow cementitious render at least 28 days to cure. Test moisture with a meter — below 5% — and check for laitance, dust, form oil, cracks and hollow areas. Repair defects and let repairs cure before proceeding.

2. 2

   Mask, protect and plan the elevation

   Mask windows, sills and joinery. Erect shade netting where the elevation faces afternoon sun. Divide the facade only at natural breaks — corners, movement joints, downpipes — never mid-wall.

3. 3

   Prime the whole surface

   Roll or brush one even coat of penetrating primer to bind dust and equalise suction. Do not thin beyond the data sheet limit. Allow the full recoat interval, typically 4–6 hours in Dhaka conditions.

4. 4

   Mix the coating

   Stir each pail with a slow-speed paddle for 2–3 minutes. Box together pails of the same batch for one elevation so pigment variation cannot show as banding. Add water only within the stated tolerance.

5. 5

   Lay on to grain thickness

   Trowel or spray the coating to the thickness of the largest aggregate — a thinner film will not texture, a thicker one will craze. Keep a wet edge and have a second applicator feeding material so the leading edge never dries.

6. 6

   Texture consistently

   Float the surface in the specified pattern — circular, vertical drag or travertine — using the same pressure and direction across the elevation. One applicator should texture an entire elevation, even if two lay on the material.

7. 7

   Cure and protect

   Protect from rain for at least 24 hours and from direct sun during the first hours of set. Remove masking while the coating is still fresh to avoid pulling edges.

8. 8

   Topcoat and inspect

   Apply the specified topcoat or stain after full cure. Inspect the elevation in raking light from ground level and from an opposite building to catch banding before scaffolding is struck.

Weather windows in Bangladesh

Do not apply below 5 °C or above 35 °C surface temperature, in relative humidity above 85%, or when rain is forecast within 24 hours. During monsoon, plan elevations around the daily rain pattern and keep sheeting ready.

Common site mistakes

Stopping a coat mid-wall for a tea break, mixing batches from different production lots on one elevation, over-watering to make trowelling easier, and priming only the patched areas are the four defects that cause most facade rejections.