Removing the Concrete Wall Forms and Planning the Plaster Finish

Project: Storm-Ready Design, Episode 2, Part 4



Bob recaps construction of the stem-wall foundation and integral concrete slab, the vertical steel reinforcing, steel mesh, window bucks, headers, and spacers put in place for the cast-in-place concrete walls. Cameron Parker and the crew of Solid Wall Systems spray the aluminum wall forms with an organic oil spray to prevent adhesion from the concrete and set the forms for the pour. Bob joins Wayne Sallade, Charlotte County Emergency Manager, to review cleanup, demolition, and repair one year after Hurricane Charley. sallade explains that housing built in the 1960s through the 1980s, before the Florida Unified Building Code, had stick framing, gable roofs, and siding. "It didn't stand a chance," he says. Looking at surviving 1920s Florida architecture, it's clear that unified construction, concrete walls, protected windows, and hip roofsare the way to design wind-resistant homes. Back on site, bob watches the pour, learns how the walls and window openings will be vibrated to eliminate voids, and sees the bracing set to hold the walls square before leaving the site to let it cure overnight. Once the forms are removed, Jesse Gonzalez explains how a traditional three-coat Florida plaster job will complete the exterior once the structure has cured for two weeks.
Part 1: Setting Aluminum Forms for Concrete Walls and Foundation
Part 2: House Failures in Hurricanes
Part 3: Building a Reinforced, Solid-Pour Concrete Wall
Part 4: Removing the Concrete Wall Forms and Planning the Plaster Finish
It has been nearly 12 hours since the concrete was poured on the Punta Gorda, Florida, storm-ready house. The crew from Solid Wall Systems is on site to strip the forms, scrape them, and reoil them with a biodegradable form oil before taking them to the next job. Bob watches as a window buck is stripped away leaving a perfectly clean and square concrete opening in place. Hammers ring as the crew knocks off the wall clips that are specially designed to break away once the walls are set. Bob looks up to see the Simpson Strong Ties that were wet set after the pour protruding from the tops of the walls, waiting to tie down the roof trusses. Bob looks at the finish with Mark Newton of Solid Wall Systems and Jesse Gonzalez of Mercedes Homes. Newton explains that they will apply a skim coat over areas that show voids or imperfections. Gonzalez and the Mercedes crew will finish the walls after they have set for two weeks or so. They will power wash the exterior to remove any residual oil from the forms. Then they will apply a three-coat plaster job using a scratch coat, brown coat, and finish coat to create the look of traditional Florida plaster.

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