Monolithic

Monolithic Stucco

Coatings

Image: Finished Dome

Finished Dome Barry Byers

Finished dome after Monolithic Stucco was applied.

Overview

We designed Monolithic Stucco to help solve the problem of coating the Airform. The Airform material we use to form our Monolithic Domes has a five-to-ten-year life expectancy, so it has to be coated. We have tried many paints and other options, but none will last as long as the dome, hence our pursuit for a longer-lasting coating.

Problems behind cement based stuccos are reinforcement. So how do you reinforce a cement stucco without using rebar or wire? Monolithic Stucco is designed to use the Airform as reinforcement. With a combination of Monoform Primer and our unique mixture of concrete, we are able to come up with a thin concrete stucco that will last. This also means that the Airform must be structurally sound, since the stucco relies on the Airform for reinforcement.

Concrete expands and contracts with temperature variations. This expanding and contracting made some of the first variations of our stucco fail, especially in freezing temperatures. That’s when we started to add the polystyrene beads.

Application

  1. Masking and applying the Monoform Primer. We start by masking off all the doors and windows with plastic. We also have to put plastic on all of the pipes that vent the house and the trees and green space around the structure. Then we apply the Monoform Primer with an airless paint sprayer. The Monoform Primer should be applied at about 400 to 500 sq. ft. per gallon. Here’s a good rule for applying primer: If you start to see white, you’re spraying it too thick.
  2. Battering out wrinkles. As an added advantage, this stucco provides an opportunity to get rid of some of the wrinkles that can occur during a dome’s construction. We do this by mixing up a small batch of the Monolithic Stucco and hand-applying it over the wrinkles with a trowel. When all the wrinkles are smooth, we can easily spray over them.
  3. Now we can start to spray the stucco. We sprayed the Monolithic Stucco with our concrete pump and concrete mixer. The special stucco mix is then sprayed about 1/4" to 3/8" thick.
  4. When the stucco is applied and cured (curing times will vary) it can be left as a colored concrete or can be coated with something like Sil-Shield. Sil-Shield is our favorite. This silicon based coating has a long life expectancy and repels dirt.

Mix Design
for the Monolithic Mixer

  • 8 buckets of concrete sand
  • 2 bags of Portland Cement
  • aprx. 8 gallons of water
  • 2.5 gallons of MC-76
  • 2 buckets of polystyrene beads
  • Concrete Colorant optional

Concrete color can be an added option if you would like. It can be added as a powder or liquid. Concrete colorant is available at most concrete suppliers.

Cost
To see all of our current prices on coatings, click here to go to the coatings price sheet.