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Surface Textures

This information is adapted from APA’s Concrete Forming Design/Construction Guide.

Plywood used for concrete formwork may be manufactured with many surface textures from polished HDO to a replica patterned board-and-batten siding (cladding) panel.

The texture is usually applied in one of two ways in formwork design:

  • As a liner requiring plywood backing so that the liner delivers texture but little to the structure of the formwork
  • As the basic forming panel.

With some textured surfaces a higher force is needed when stripping the formwork away from the concrete.  As this can lead to panel damage if a basic forming panel is used, it is best to avoid this type unless the number of pours required is limited.

Film coatings such as lacquer, polyurethane or epoxy can be used with a release agent to make stripping easier.