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Making good
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INTRODUCTION
Theelevenbookletsin the Concrete onsite series are updated
replacementsfor thewell-knownMan onthejobpublications,

which were firstissuedin 1968, and becamethestandard

guideson concreting for sitepersonnel.
The titles ofthe Concrete onsitebookletsarelisted onthe
backcover. The scopeofconcreting operations featuredis
similarto the originalseries exceptthat, as most site concreteis
nowsuppliedready-mixed,the series nolonger dealswith site
mixingorthe selectionand testing ofmaterialsfor concrete.
The TechnicalConsultant forthis series was TonyBinns
and the Editor wasBob Tattersall.
Publishedby
BritishCement Association
Century House
Telford Avenue
Crowthorne

BerksRGll6YS
Telephone 0344762676
Fax0344761214

45.208 First published 1993

ISBN 0721014402
PricegroupAB

BritishCement Association
1993

Alladviceor informationfromthe British

Cement Associationis intended forthose
whowillevaluatethesignillcanceand
limitationsofits contents and take
responsibilityforits useand application.
Noliability(includingthatfor
negligence)foranylossresulting from
suchadviceorinformationis accepted.
Readersshould notethatallBCA
publicationsare subjecttorevisionfrom
timeto timeand should thereforeensure
thattheyare in possessionofthelatest
version.

SAFETY ON SITE
WhenPortland cement ismixedwithwater, or even
becomesdamp, alkalisarereleasedthat canbeharmfulto
theskin.The effectdependsonthelength ofcontact, any
abrasion,the individual,andthe partofthebody
involved.Suitableprotectiveclothingshouldbeworn.If
eyesareaffectedtheyshouldbewashedoutimmediately
and medicalattentionsought.
Many construction activitiesarepotentiallydangerous
so care isneeded atalltimes. Currentlegislationrequires
all personstoconsidertheeffects oftheiractionsor lack of
action onthehealth andsafetyofthemselvesand others.
Advice on safety legislationmaybe obtained from any of
theareaoffices oftheHealthandSafetyExecutive.

Making good and finishing

CONTENTS

Making sure ofahigh-qualityfinish

Tomakegood or not?
Colourmatching
Controlling suction
Bonding
Curing
Mixesformaking good
The mixesto use
Blemishes youmighthaveto deal with

Grout runs
Lippingat joints
Grout fins

2
3
3
3
3
3

4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5

Arrises

Boltholes
Blow-holes

7
7
7
8

Sandytexture
Honeycombed areas
Exposed aggregate

Howitworks outin practice

Makinggoodandfinishing fair-facedconcrete
Remedialwork toboard-markedconcrete

9
9
10

Toolsandmaterials

12

Further reading

12

MAKINGGOCI) ANt)FINISHING

Making sure ofa high-quality finish

Ifyouareworkingon a projectin which the
ultimate appearanceoftheconcreteis
important, rightfrom the startyoushould
spend time and care onachievinga highquality finish.
It iswrong to relyon later remedialwork to
disguisedefectsand blemishes.Such making
good, as itis known, is time consuming,and
thereforecostly. More importantly,it is
seldom completelysuccessful.
So what stepsmust one take toavoid
surfacedefectsQuitesimply,topquality
finishes demand aconcretethat is properly
proportioned, properlymixed, properly
placedandcompacted in well designedand
well made formwork,thenthoroughlycured.
Inshort, a high standardofworkmanship is
required at allstages.
Unfortunately, evenwith the best
intentions, mistakescansometimesoccur,
andthesurfaceofthe concretewill need to be
made good. Here,too, care mustbe taken, for
poorworkmanshipandthe use ofthewrong
materialscanproduce aremedythat isworse
than theoriginal fault.
That iswhere this booklet comes in, for it
describesandgivesguidanceonthecementbasedproducts and techniquesthat havebeen
found satisfactoryfor remedyingmost ofthe
common defectsand blemishesthatoccur
during construction.
Repairsand techniquesusing epoxideresin
and similarmaterialsare notdealt with. Ifyou
wishto use proprietaryproducts basedon
them, youshould seekthe guidanceofthe
manufacturers.
Where ahigh-qualityfinishexposedtoview
is requiredincludingtextured(e.g.boardandplainsmooth
marked),exposed-aggregate
surfacesmaking goodwill be necessaryon
2 \1AKN

O[) N[) F1\I!f\i

honeycombedareas and tie-boltholes in

orderto ensuredurability.Andthepatching
must beasindistinguishableas possiblefrom
the rest ofthearea. Otherblemishes,such as
excessive blow-holesandsand streaking,will
also requiremaking-good,so that the final
appearanceis reasonablyuniform.
Forsurfacesthatwill notbevisible
perhapsbecausetheywill later receive a
decorativetreatment, orbe coveredby
applied finishesblemishes such as blowholes, sand streakingandlack ofcolour
uniformityare not important. The sole
objectiveis toachievea repair thatwill be
durableandprotect the reinforcement,so
making-goodcanberestrictedto
honeycombingand tie-boltholes.

Surfaceblemishes thatneedto bemadegood:

a. Honeycombing
b. Largeblowholes
c. Groutloss
d. Groutruns

To make good ... or not?

Everybodyagrees thatthe
making-goodofhoneycombed
areasand thefillingoftie-bolt
holesareessential.
Butshould such blemishesas
blow-holesandsand streaking
be treated?There areconflicting
viewson this question.In
comingtoadecisiononyour
site,you should bear in mindthe
followingpoints.
Plain,unblemishedconcrete
ofuniform colour isextremely
difficulttoobtain with any
certainty.The best that can be
achieved may wellfallshortof

whattheclientexpects.

Acceptanceofthis fact,plus a
willingnesstocompromiseon

thepartofeveryone involved,

arethereforedesirable.
Blemishesthataresmall in
numberand extentasa
proportion ofthe total areaare

often best left untreated.

Defects thatmaybe unsightly
iflookedatfrom oneortwo
metresmay belessornotatall
noticeable from further
away.
Sonever inspecta concrete
finish from closerthanthe
distancefrom whichitwill
normally beseen.Thisapplies
particularlytobuildings higher
thantwo storeys.In fact,it is a
good rulenever tochecka
surface finish from closerthan
three metresunlessit will
regularlybe seen from closer
than that.
It iseasiertoachieve
uniformityofcolourwithwhite,
thangrey, concrete.
Any patching ormaking
good, no matter how well done,
is unlikelyto match the

surrounding concreteperfectly.
So thetechniques recommended
inthisbooklet generallycall for
a subsequentoverallsurface
treatmentoftheaffectedareato
maskany localised repairsyou
havecarriedout.
In thepagesthatfollowwe
give advice on methods and
materialstobeused formaking
goodand finishing. Insome
cases, itmay be necessary touse
acombination oftwo oreven
more ofthem.

COLOURMATCHING
Asalreadypointed out, itis
difficulttomatchthe colourof
anypatchingormaking-good

withthatofthesurrounding
concrete.True,you can geta
good match at thestart byusing
thesame materialsin thesame
proportions as intheoriginal
concrete,orevenaddingalittle
whitecement to therepairmix
toachievethesame tone ofgrey.
Butdifferentcuring
conditions and slightlydifferent
surfacecharacteristicsbrought
aboutby thefact the patch is
trowelledintoplace, whereasthe
concretewill havebeen cast
against formwork can result in
differentweathering.Asaresult,
therepairwillbecome more
obvious as timegoes by.
The techniquesand
materialswedescribehavebeen
developedwiththis in mind.

CONTROLLING
SUCTION
Cement-basedrepairmixes
should neverbeapplied todry
concrete,for itwill absorb

moisture from thenew mortar,

and soprevent agood bond
from beingformed, thus
reducing thequality and
durabilityoftherepair.
Areas to be made-goodor
finishedshouldfirst bedamped
down to control anysuction.
Thisisdone withcleanwater,
preferablythedaybefore,sothat
thesurfaceisjust dampwhen
therepairis carriedout.

BONDING
Abondislikelyto be more

successful, particularlywhere
thedefective areaisdeep, ifa

bondingcoatofcement and

styrenebutadiene rubber (sbr)

isapplied first.
The bondingcoat must not
be allowedto dry outbeforethe
repairmix isapplied,soyou
should start tomake good
immediately.

CURING
Just like theoriginalconcrete,
cement-basedrepairsneedto be
properly cured. Themethod to
be usedwill depend on the
circumstances.

Onconcrete thatwill not be

seen,oneor two coats of
bituminous emulsion, applied
sometwo tothreehoursafter the
repairis complete,will bequite
sufficient.

Tocure small areasofrepair,

coverthem withpolythene
taped downall roundtheedges,
andleft inposition foratleast
sevendays.
Largerareasshould.becured
in thesame wayasthe parent
concrete.SeeNo6: Curing.
\1KIN, (Xx)I) AND }:INI}1jN(

Mixes for making good

Forhigh-qualityfinishes,two
mixesare requiredMix A for
patching, bolthole fillingand
makinggood; Mix B forthe

finishingcoat. Where afinishing

coatis tobeused to hide the
making-good,bothmixes must
be ofsimilarmaterials.
Keepsome ofthe dry Mix B
handyin caseit isneeded to
stiffenthe mortar slightly.This
may benecessary when the
originalconcrete surfaceisbeing
exposedbyrubbing backwith
therubber-facedfloat asin the
sketch onpage7.
Where surfacefinishis
unimportant, nooverall
finishingcoatwillbe required,
and you will needjustone mix
for patching andmaking-good
bolt holes.ThisisMixC.

THE MIXESTO USE

MixesA, Band C arementioned

frequentlyin thisbooklet, so
referto this sectionwhen you
needto useone.
MixA: Mixtogether Portland
cement anddrycrushed
limestonesand,in proportions
rangingfrom 1:1 to 1:2,
depending on thecolour ofthe
surfacetobe matched.Mixa
styrenebutadiene rubber
dispersion(sbr)withanequal
amountofwater.Addthis
gaugingliquid tothemixed dry
materialsuntil amortar ofjustmoistconsistencyis obtained.
The mixing must bethorough,
and is best done onaspotboard,
using steel trowels.
Whenyou are aimingfora
darkgreycolour, asmall amount
ofblack pigment may beadded.
4 MAKI\( OO[).M) F1\iHI\(

Oruse sulfate-resisting Portland

cement,which is usuallydarker,
insteadofnormal Portland
cement.
For alightgrey, addwhite
Portland cement to normal
Portland cement. The proportions willdepend on the
colouryou wishto achieve, and
they may needadjusting.
Unfortunately,the colourcan
bejudged onlywhen themortar
has dried,soyou will probably
havetocarryout trials. However,
3 parts whiteto 1 partofnormal
Portland cementisnormal.
Whencementsareblended
thisway, 1 part of blended
cement should bemixed with
1 to2parts oftheaggregate.
Mix B: Thisisagain made with
Portland cementand dry
crushed limestonesand. Screen
thefinesthrough a sieve. For
roughertextured finishes,a
600 micron sieve willusuallybe
satisfactory, butforsmoother
finishes, such asthoseobtained
from plastic-facedplywood,itis
better to usea 300 micron sieve.
Make any colouradjustments
tothe cement neededtomatch
itto MixA,thenmixcement
andlimestonein equal parts.
Dilute 1 partsbrwith3parts
ofwater inabucket, and addthe
drymixture, stirringwelluntila
creamymortar ofbrushing
consistencyisobtained.
MixC:Passasharp concreting
sand through a2.36 mm sieve,
andadd 2 parts sand to 1 part
Portland cement. Mixsbrand
water in equal proportions,and
addtothe dry mixto obtain a
creamyconsistency.

Blemishes
GROUTRUNS
Groutormortar willoozeoutof
imperfectlysealedgaps in
formwork,and rundownthe
faceofthe completedwork.

Groutleakagecauses blemishes

Ifthesurfacewill notbe seen,

then in general this does not
matter. However, therun
should beremoved ifthe surface
appearanceis important
Ideally,thegroutisbest
wipedoff immediately,butyou
mightnot spot itin time. Inthat
caseleaveituntilithasbecome
brittle enough to beremoved by
carefulchippingwithapieceof
hardwood or abolster.

Chippingoffexcessgrout

you might have to deal with

Thereareplaceswheregrour
runs arenntacceptable,even
though surfaceappearancemay
notbe important. One such
placeisthe insideofasilo. Here,
too, a hardened runcan be
cleanlyremovedbycareful
chipping withoutdamaging the
underlyingsurface,as already
described.Oryou can use
grinding.
Neverusegrinding not even
handstoning whereyouwant
agoodfinish,becausethe
surfaceofthesurrounding
concrete islikely tobe affected
bythescouringaction.

LIPPINGATJOINTS

Ifthe formworkat a

construction joint either

horizontal orverticalhas not
been properlytightened on to
thehardened concreteofthe
precedingpour, groutruns are
likely, andtheremay asaresult
belipping,sandyareasandslight
honeycombing.
Aswithother minor
blemishes, such faultsdo not
usuallyrequire any treatment
whereappearanceisnot
important.
Forhigh-qualityfinishes,
though, itwill benecessary to
cut backthe lip, tapering itto
suitthescaleofthedefect.
Patching and finishingcan then
be carriedout.

GROUTFINS
Groutoozingout ofleaking

joints, either betweenorwithin

individualsectionsofformwork,
can causefins asithardens. Such
finsmay beconsidereda

desirablefeatureon boardmarked surfaces, but elsewhere

they areusuallyunwanted. Even
so, ifthey are not objectionable
atadistance ofup to3 m,they
are best left untreated,especially
ifthey are narrow,anddo not
protrude more than,say, 2 mm.
Where there islossofwater
.rhroughthejoint,adarkeningof
thesurfaceusuallyoccurs,too.
And amore severe leakmight
causea sandy-texturedsurface,
some5 mm or more inwidth
andrunning alongthelength of
thefaultyjoint.
Ifthedecisionis taken to
chop offthe fin, dosowitha
hammer andbolster held atan
angleto itsroot , so thatit comes
awaycleanly.Thisremovalmay
causea line ofsandy-textured
concreteto beleft behind.
Should this beno more than
2 mmwide, itis usuallybest left
untreated.
However,ifthefinwas
accompaniedbysurface
darkeningand awider sandytextured area, itshould be
disguised,using treatmeist
similarto that givenunder the
heading'Where appearance is

importanton page 7.
An alternativetechnique isto

usea fine-grainedcarborundum
stone, butthereisadanger that
itcouldscour the adjacentface
ofthe concrete.However,ifyou
start immediatelyafter striking,
whiletheconcrete isstill green,
youmay achievesomeblending
ofcolour by carefully filling-in
thesandytexturewithcement
paste worked upwiththe
carborundum stone.

ARRISF.S
Chipped orspalledarrises and
corners,caused byaccidental
knocksorcareless removalof
formwork,are difficultto mend
satisfactorily, particularlyifthe
repairhas toblendvisually.
Thiscould mean thatsmall
chipped cornersandarrises (up
toabout10mm long)ate best
leftalone sincetheywillthen be
lessconspicuousthan ifthey are
made good.
Should you decideon
remedialwork, alastingrepair
callsforgreatcare,especiallyin
the preparation.
Beginbysquaringoff the
edgesaround theperimeter
featheredgesmustbe avoidedif
agood bondis tobe achieved.

Squaringofftheedges
Dampdownthe areato
control suction, then make the
repairwith MixA, adjusted for
colour.If theresulting match is
notgoodenough, see Where
appearance isimportanton
page7.

BOLTHOLES
Aswithall making-good,itis
almostimpossibletofill bolt
\l:\KING(;()c)r) ANI)I NJ')IJNG

holesso thatthey merge-in with

thetestofthe concrete.Even
youstart offwith agood colour
match, the tepair mortarwill
tendtoweather diffetentlyfrom
theconcrete and theparch will
soon bevisible.
Ratherthan telyingon
subsequentrepairs, it isa good
ideawithexposedconctete
surfaces to site thebolt holes in a
predetermined pattern thatcan
bemade into adecorative

if

concreteand the repairwill not

thenlook so neat.
Asmall, improvised tool,
madeofaU-shaped length of
metal attachedto ahardwood
blockthatactsasahandle, will
help you to prevent this.The
deviceis designedtohold the
mortaras itis being pushed
home, andtostop anyexcess

using a hardwood ormetal

rammer thatisafairlyloose fit
witha diameterabout5 mm less
than thatofthehole.

from spreading.

feature.

There are twopossibilitiesif

thiscourseisadopted. Firstly,
youcan recess thefilling, leaving
aseries ofsmall cavitiesthat
should allbeofthe same depth.

Fillingabobholewithasmall
rammmer

Thisimprovisedtoolmakesit
easiertofillboltholes

RecessedhoItholes

This method also has the

advantage that theshadow it
makes will draw attentionaway

fromthe datksurround that

waterleakage will inevitably
havecaused round theperimeter
ofthe holes.
Alternatively, ifit ispreferred
to fillthe holesflush, they can be
picked out in adifferentcolour.
However,the drawbackwith
flushfilling is that themortar
mightspreadontothe adjacent

\IAKJNG GOOD

\DJ\IOfl\

Whetheryoufill theholes
flush withthesurface,orrecess
thefilling, you must make sure
thatthefillingwillbedurable
and watertight.
To ensurethis, thoroughly
cleanout the hole bypushing a
cleanrag throughittoremove
anygrease and loosematerial.
Thendamp down irsinside to
controlsuction,

Withholesup toabout
300mmin depth, the filling and
ramming can bedonefrom one
side only,withapieceofboard
held on the other side toact as
astop.
For recessed filling, use a
purpose-madecircular plugto
push themortarfirmlyhome
until thetop oftheplugis level
withthesurfaceoftheconcrete.

Makeup aquantityofMix A
for therepair, ifthe appearance
is important,otherwiseyoucan
use MixC.

Fillthe hole inaseries of

layerseach no more than25 mm
deep. Ifyou tr to push in more
than this at one go, the
compaction will probably be
incomplete. Press home themix

Purpose-madeplugforrecessed
fillingofahoIthole
Thustheplugactsasagauge

to ensurethatall the recessesare

thesamedepth.

Whenflush-fillingwherethe
appearanceisnot important but
asmooth finish is required,leave
themortar slightlyproud, then,
onceithas stiffened,level itwith
a suitabletool, such asawooden
float faced with sponge rubber.
Butifthe finishdoes matter,
strikeoffthefillingflushwith
thesurface,taking care notto
spread mortar over the
surrounding area.
Noattempt shouldbemade
to treatanydarkringsorsandytextured areassurrounding the
hole, unlessthewhole unit isto
be colour-matchedas described
later, inwhich caseMixA
should beused for thefilling,
followedbyMixB overthe
wholearea.
The mortar shouldbemoistcured foratleastsevendays.Ifa
high-class finish iswanted, cover
itwitha pieceofpolythene
taped atall edges. Where the
concretewill not beseen, you
needmerelygivethefillingand
itsimmediatesurround a coatof
bituminous emulsion.
BLOW-HOLES
It isneither usual, nor necessary,
to fill blow-holesifthey are
small andinsconspicuous.But if
they arelargerthanabout5 mm,
and thesurfaceislikelyto be
seenfrom closer than,say,3m,
somesurfacetreatment should
be carriedout.

Whereappearanceisnot
important

Isolatedblow-holesmay be filled
individuallywithmortar applied
by a smalltrowelor, perhaps,a

puttyknife.Alternatively,try
stoning. Strike theformwork
earlywhilethe concreteis still
green, andrub thesurfacewitha
carborundum block, whichwill
work upamortar that can be
pushed into theholes tofill
them.
Another possibilityis
bagging-in.Fill theholeswitha
freshlymixed mortar pushed
homewith apieceofhessian
rolledinto aball.Or you can
applymortar tothesurfaceand
rubit into theholeswitha float
facedwithsponge rubber see
sketch(right).

Whereappearanceis
important

Aswithallmaking-goodwhen a
high-classfinishis important,
theobjectiveis tostop-up the
holescompletelyso that the
fillingwillbe durable,and,
secondly,toachieveasclosea
matchas possiblewiththe
parentconcrete.
The followingstepsare
recommendedfor achieving a
highdegreeofcolour uniformity
after othermaking-goodhas
been completed.
They arebest carriedout in
overcastconditions,orin the
lateafternoon orevening.Never
attempt in conditions ofhot
sunshine.
Thoroughly damp down the

Whilethe surfaceis stilljust

surface.

damp, usearwo-knotstock
brushtoapplya coat ofMixB,
in athickcreamyconsistency,
over anarea ofabout1 m2.
Useawooden float facedwith

sponge rubber to rubthecreamy

mortar into thesurfaceofthe
concrete,working itwell into

theholes.

Stopping-upblowholesfora
high-classfinish

Makea drymixofcement

and crushedlimestonesand in
thesame proportions as used for
MixB. Beforethe mortar inthe
holeshasset, wet thesponge
rubber face ofthefloat,and use
it torub this drymix overthe
entire surface.The mortar inthe
holeswill thenbestiffened,
ensuringaflush, tight filling.
Continue rubbing toremoveall
excess soft mortar untilthe
originalconcreteisexposed.

SANDYTEXTURE
Nomaking-goodis necessary
when thefinish is not
important. On important
finishes, usethe technique
recommendedfor blow-holesin
the previouscolumn.

HONEYCOMBED AREAS
Honeycombed areasofa depth
greaterthanabout 10mm
should bemade good.
Begin bycutting backto as
uniform adepthas possibleuntil
you reach sound concrete.Do

\I\kI\(, (,())I) \N1) I INIII]N,

notcutdeeper thanany

reinforcementyou expose,
unlessthe honeycombing
extendsbeyond it.
Next, theperimeter to be
patched should becarefully
chiselledto giveacleansharp
edgeatleast 10mmdeep.
It isessentialthatallexposed
surfacesbecleanand freefrom
dust, especiallyinthe corners.
Cleanthemwithasoft brush.
The exposedsurfacesshould be
dampeddown, and repairsleft
until they are almostdry.

manufacturersproduce suitable
cement-basedmaterials,batched
dry andreadyto mixwithwater.
Thicknessesgreaterthan
about75mm should berepaired
using amixsimilar totheorginal
concrete,placing itbehind
formworkwith a'letter box'
entry atthe top.

Shallowhoneycombedand
scouredareas, such as thosein
thesketch below,may be made
goodwithMixA, carefully
adjustedtothecolour ofthe
originalmortar orconcrete.Rub
in themixwithafloat facedwith
sponge rubber, then cureitwell
for seven daysbeforetooling or
abrasiveblasting.

Letter box techniquefor

repairingdeephoneycombing

Honeycombingcaused bygrout

Shallowrepairs

For repairs uptoabout25 mm

deep, amortar maybeused,the
type depending on therequired
finish.

Where finish isimportant,

useMixA, andpunchit tightly

homewithsuitabletools
(normallyashort length of
hardwood andaclub hammer).
Make surethatall cornersare
completelyfilled, that noairis
entrapped andthatagoodtight
finish isobtained around the
edges.Ifyouwant aroughboardeffect,rubback the
surfacewithafloat facedwith
sponge rubber; fora smooth
finish use asteel trowel.
The patch should bekept
dampuntilnext day,when the
wholeareashould be finished
withMix B asdescribedlater.

Deeprepairs

Thicknessesbetweenapproximately 25and 75mm are best

reinstatedwitha fineconcrete
(10 mmmaximum-size
aggregate).Anumberof
8

\lK\ (OO A\I) T\KHiN

loss

EXPOSED AGGREGATE
Exposedaggregate andabrasiveblastedfinishesareusuallya

featureofhigh-quality work,so
they demand agood finish.
Any physical blemishesvisible
after the formworkisstruckare
likelyto beaccentuated rather
than maskedbytooling and
abrasiveblasting,butslight
variationsincolour maybe less
noticeableafter theremovalof
thesurfaceskin.
Thereislittle that can be done

withshallow water-scoured
surfaces,sandy-texturedareas
where grout andwater loss has
occurred,orblow-holes,other
than to increasethe depthofthe
texturing.Thisislikelyto be
very costly, andmay reducethe
reinforcementcovertoo much.

Deeper honeycombedareas
present more ofaproblem. Itis
recommendedthat they becut
backcarefullytoadepthofat
least50 mm.Then they should
befilledwithconcreteofthe
sameproportions as theorginal,
butmixed toastiffer consistency
sothat itcan be tightly punched
homeandtrowelled,particlar
attention beingpaid to thejoint
lines.Allowthe repairto cure for
at leastsevendays,thenwait a
few more daysbefore tooling or
abrasiveblasting.
Smallareasthat areaslightly
darker colourortexture after
tooling maysometimesbe
improvedbycarefulhand
peckingwith asharp pointed
hammer.

How it works out in practice

Sofarwehaveoutlined the
methods andmaterialsfor
makinggoodthevarious faults
thatcan develop inconcrete

work.
In this sectionwe takeacloser
lookathowthingsworkout in
practiceon site,andoffer some
tips andsuggestions.

MAKING GOODAND
FINISHINGFAIRFACED CONCRETE

Defectsinaconcretewallthat
needtobemade good

Colour variationswithin the

lower lift, andbetweenthetifts.
Itwasthoughtbest totackle
the making-goodon oneday
attending toupping and
honeycombingand then carry
outthe finishingwork on the
secondday, treating the
remaining items andreducing
theprominence oftherepair as a

Procedure
Thisis theprocedurethat
shouldbefollowedfor these
repairs. Thereareeleven stages
formaking-goodandafurther
sixstagesforfinishing.
Dayone Making-good
1. Removethegroutruns below
thehorizontaljointwithacoarse

carborundum stone;
alternatively,you couldchip
themofiwitha hammer and
bolster.

U Blow-holes.
U Waterscourthisismore
noticeableonthe secondlift.

Removingtheispaboveajoint
bybush-hammering

3. Cut backthebroken and

would havebeen necessary to

extendthebush-hammering
higher upthesecond liftin order
tofade itout.)
Continue bush-hammering,
ifnecessary, toremoveany
honeycombing,andcut back
thedefectiveareasto sound
concrete.

whole.

Thesketch shows partofa

concretewall after theformwork
has beenremoved from the
secondlift. There arevarious
defects andblemishesthathave
to bemade goodandfinishedto
ensureasatisfactoryjob.
Slighttipping and
honeycombingalongtheline of
thehorizontal joint.
Spattedandhoneycombed
arris inthe secondlift.The
lipping onthe endoccurred
because,asa checkwith a
straightedgerevealed,theendof
thelowerliftwas outoftine.

thetip been muchlarger,it

Removinggroutrunswitha
hammerandbolster(left)anda
carborundum stone

2. Removethe lipabove the

joint by bush-hammering.
(Because in thiscasethe lipwas
slight, itwas featheredoffovera
distanceof50to 75mm; had

honeycombedarriswitha
hammer andbolster until sound
concrete isreahed.
4. Bush-hammertheendbelow
thejointto provide a good key
forthe laterapplicationofadrypack repair.The keyshould
extendatleast 150mmbelow
thejointin order toimprove the
alignmentbetweenthe two lifts.
5.Wire-brush thetreated areas,
then usea soft brush to remove
anylooseparticlesand duststill
clingingto theconcrete.Damp
down thearea, andallowto
becomealmostdrybeforeyou
proceed.

6. Make upaquantityofMixA,
but donot make ittoowet; a
stiffconsistencyis needed.
\IAKIN(,(001)ANI)I 1NI

io 9

7.Apply abondingcoat ofsbr

andcement to theprepared
surfaceson theend andthearris.
Immediatelyyou have done this,
fixandwedge aboard alongthe
line ofthe arris.

A bondingcoatbeingappliedby
brushtothedefective area

8. Whilst thebondingcoat is

still wet, forceMixA intothe

areato be repaired,using either a
smalltrowel or puttyknife.
Finish offthe repairflushwith
thesurrounding surface,using a
steel trowel.

andimmediatelyforce MixA
intothesurface.Finish offflush
withthesurrounding concrete.

REMEDIAL WORKTO
BOARD-MARKED
CONCRETE

Usingasteelfloat,MixAis
forcedfrom ahawk into a
honeycombedarea
10. Fill thebolt holesby drypackingwithMixA.
11. Lightlyspraytherepaired
areas with cleanwater, andleave
themovernight.

Daytwo Finishing
1. Workovertheentire surface

with an abrasive disc toremove

anyprojections.
2. Removeanydustwithasoft
brush.

3. Dampdown theentire

MxAisappliedwhilethe
bonding coatisstillwet. Use
eitherasmalltrowel,ashere,or
aputtyknft
9. Applyfreshlymixedbonding
coatto thehoneycombedarea,
10

\tAk\; (;)1[)\c[) H\!\H\(;

dried out, sprayit lightlywith

water,and cure it under
polythene.

surfacetoreducesuction when
the repairis applied.
4. ApplyMix Bto thewhole
panel while the surfaceofthe
concrete isstill damp.
5. Before the slurrydriesout and
stiffens,rubitwitha rubberfaced float to fillsmall blowholes andwater-scourmarks.
Then rub itback toexposethe
originalconcretesurface.Scrape
thefloat occasionallyto remove
excess slurrythat mighthave
collectedonit.
6.Whenthefinishinghas nearly

Defectsyoumightfindina
board-markedconcretewall

The main defect(seeabove) is

the leakageofgroutalongthe
line ofthejoint.There isalso a
slightamountoflipping.
The requirement is to
improvetheappearanceofthe
joint,hiding therepair as faras

possible.Because complete
uniformityofcolour andtexture
across ajointisvirtually
unattainable,itwas decidedto
make afeatureofthejoint.
Onlyarelativelysmall
amount ofremedialwork needs
tobecarriedouthere, so it is
possibletocombine themakinggood andfinishingoperations.
Where more needs to bedone,it
is better tomake-goodoneday
andtackle the finishingthe next.

Procedure
1. Removedribblesbygently
tapping themwithapieceof
wood(seesketch onpage4).

2. Tohelp youtosee thejoint

more clearly, drawapencil line
along it, using a straightedgeas

aguide.
3. Removeexcessgroutbelow
the linewithabolster andclub

hammer (seesketchon page 9).

4. Working ononlythreeor
fourboardsata time, damp
downthesurfacewithclean
waterto removedustandreduce
suction.

6. Blend-in thetreated areawith

therestoftheconcreteby
drawinga floatfacedwith

sponge rubber upwards.You

should work on justoneboard at
atime, makingsurethatyou
leaveafalse jointatthe side of
theboard.

water

5. Honeycombed areasshould
bemade goodbyforcingMixA
intothesurfaceoftheconcrete.

removeexcess mortar by
rubbing back tothe original
surface.Carefuldabbing ofthe
float can reproducerealisticlooking board marksinthe
surface.

Blending-inthetreatedarea
usingafloatfacedwithsponge
rubber

Dampingdown withclean

joint,applytherubber-faced
float to each board in turn, first
to rub-inthe slurryandthento

7. ApplyMix Bwithasoft brush

to thelower and upper parts of
the panel.Thistime, however,
you shouldwork over a wider
areaof, sayfourboards.

Rubbing-in theslurry. CareJIil

d.abbingcanproduceboard
marking

9. Fill thebolt holesbydrypackingwithMixA. Leave the

holesflush, but asafeatureasin
thesketchbelow.
10.When thewhole panel is
finished,spray the surface with
water, andcure under polythene
sheet.

ApplyingMzxBwithasoft
brush
Making-goodhoneycombed
areas

8. Holdingatimber straightedgealongtheline ofthevertical

Thefinishedresult
\IAKI\( ((X)I)N1) -I\ISIiiN,

11

TOOLSAND MATERIALS FOR MAKING-GOOD

AND FINISHING
The followingitems are notalways readilyavailable
on site,and mayhavetobeordered specially.
Below isalist ofsuppliers. It was correctinJune
1993, buttheremay havebeenchangessince.
Two-knotstockbrush
BromleyBrushCo (Kent) Ltd, 1 PembrokeRoad,
Bromley,Kent BR1 2TJ. Tel: 081-464 1707
Crushedlimestone sand
Tilcon plc,Ballidon Quarry,P0 Box 6,
Ashbourne,DerbyshireDE6 1GU.
Tel: 033525301
Sieves

Endecotts Ltd, 9 LombardRoad,

LondonSW19 3BR. Tel: 081-542 8121
FWPotter &Soar plc,Beaumont Road, Banbury,
Oxon0X16 7SD. Tel: 0295 253344

Ready-made floats facedwith sponge

rubber

&

ConcreteToolSales Hire Ltd,

LowdhamLodge,
Pole
HillRoad, Hillingdon,
MiddlesexUB 10OQE. Tel :081-8488899

Styrenebutadienerubberdispersion(sbr)
Builders'merchants

Materialsandmethodformakinga
float,facedwith spongerubber

12mm medium-densitysealed-face
sponge
rubber
64-66
RedchurchSt,
WMannering Coplc,
London E27DP. Tel: 071-7294145
Marine-qualityplywood
Builders'andtimbermerchants

&

Bostik D

Builders'merchantsand others
Mount therubber onmarine-quality

plywood,glucingitwithBostikD. Trim
therubber withaverysharp knifesothata
straight,deancutwithsharp arrisesisleft.
Do notleaveeitherproprietaryorselfmade floatsinwaterfor longperiods
becausetheytendto distort.

FURTHER READING
Visualconcrete: Design andproduction,byW Monks. 1988. Publishedbythe BritishCementAssociation.
(Addresson inside front cover.)
The Controlofbemishes in concrete,byWMonks. 1981. Published by theBritish Cement Association.
(Addressoninside frontcover.)

12

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