Formwork grease is often used when working with reinforced concrete structures. It allows you to reduce the adhesion of concrete with formwork, when there is a need to make a formwork. Such compositions have another purpose. It consists in prolonging the life of the formwork elements. After all, if they are removed with some effort, when the materials are firmly bonded to each other, then the boards can be damaged and their wear will occur ahead of time.
Qualitative characteristics of lubricants
Formwork grease is not considered good quality in all cases. In addition to performing its main function, the composition should not leave oily stains on the concrete surface. An exception is the creation of structures, which afterwards have to be filled with soil. The same applies to cases where the surface of concrete needs to be covered with a lining or a layer of waterproofing. In addition, greases should not reduce the strength of the contact layer of the structure. The composition is necessarily refractory. Among the requirements for formwork oils, one can single out the absence of substances that would be harmful to health. It is important and ease of application. So, the product should hold well on a vertical surface during the day at a temperature of + 30 degrees Celsius.
Varieties
If you need lubricant for formwork, then before starting work it is important to determine what purpose the composition should have. All tools used to work with formwork can be divided into four groups, namely: aqueous suspensions; combined lubricants; water repellent compounds; as well as lubricants that slow down the onset of mortar.
Aqueous suspensions are inert to concrete formulations that are inexpensive but not always effective. If vibration compaction is used during the work, then the described lubricants are erased with a solution and contaminate the surface of the future structure. This explains the fact that they are rarely used in monolithic construction.
Lubrication for formwork hydrophobic action is quite common in monolithic construction, but it has a number of disadvantages. The first of them is expressed in significant cost, the second in the ability to contaminate the surface of the structure, and the third in flammability under direct exposure to fire.
Setting retarders and combination products
If you decide to use a retarder as a lubricant, then it is worth considering that such compositions have a drawback, which is the difficulty in adjusting the thickness of the solution layer. The most common today are combined formulations, this is due to the high efficiency of the mixtures. Among their ingredients can be not only retardants, but also plasticizers, as well as other substances. Plasticizers are excellent in technology, which involves the use of a vibrator to compact concrete. They act on concrete in the butt layers and reduce porosity.
Emulsol formwork lubricant demonstrates its stability; it does not exfoliate for a week or more. Its use fully guarantees the absence of the effect of adhesion of the structure to the formwork elements. Among other things, the mentioned composition of the combined type holds well on the surface after application and does not stain concrete.
Positive features of the lubricant
If you decide to use formwork lubricant during the construction of your home, you can be sure that it:
- extend the life of the formwork elements;
- leaves concrete after solidification unharmed;
- simplifies formwork;
- if there are special additives in the composition, it will make the concrete not so porous.
The composition of greases and their cost
Emulsions are used as lubricants, which can be represented by an aqueous solution of soap and kerosene, as well as an aqueous solution of oil. The composition of such products also contains suspensions, which are a mixture of clay and oil or water with chalk. The grease for the forms and formwork of the shield type used in the construction of underground reinforced concrete structures includes bitumen and kerosene. These greases can be used for steel forms, as well as for formwork from boards or plastic. Board formwork is easy to dismantle after applying petrolatum-solar compositions to their inner surface.
Formwork lubricant, the price of which may vary depending on the manufacturer and characteristics, is required if you plan to use the elements of the enclosing system several times during the construction work. Such formulations can be purchased from 75 rubles per kilogram. The use of lubricant will allow for a shorter time to carry out stripping, which significantly reduces labor costs and brings the completion of work closer.