The sky's the limit

One of the fastest growing trends in residential construction in New Zealand is building with concrete—either precast concrete panels or formwork concrete. Precast panels can be manufactured on site, known as tilt-slab construction, or pre-made and brought to site. Formwork concrete is produced on site and is the result of concrete being cured inside a formwork that is most commonly made from timber, resulting in the concrete taking on the attributes of the formwork.

“As a proponent of the use of concrete in construction, we’re really excited by this developing trend, especially in the residential sphere,” says Brennan Fell, Managing Director of Peter Fell.

“For almost 30 years, Peter Fell has been supplying coloured oxides to the construction industry and has become synonymous with coloured concrete floors and patios. Now, homeowners have the opportunity to inject some of that colour into their walls to create a permanent feature.”

With more than 80 colours in the Peter Fell range, there is plenty of choice and Brennan says, best of all, you don’t need to follow any rules or trends when it comes to choosing colour for your walls.

“Whether you’re wanting to maintain a neutral tone or feel the need to mix things up with bold, vibrant colours, the choice is yours. It’s important, however, that you see real concrete samples before you make your final selection rather than making a choice based on what you see online, as screen resolution never gives you a true representation.

“The Peter Fell Design Tool is a great place to start and based on your selections, you can choose to have up to three concrete colour swatches sent to you.”

Peter Fell oxides are completely UV stable and once mixed through, the colour is permanent.

Another exciting factor to take into consideration is incorporating texture along with the colour, says Brennan.

“If you’ve chosen to use formwork construction then you can choose just about any texture, from the natural grain of the formwork itself through to custom silicon moulds. If you’ve gone with precast panels, there are still a number of options available for adding texture after the panel has been made including acid washing, honing or even utilising specialised finishes, such as our Texture Safe System. When paired with colour, any of these techniques can create something unique.

“You can use a PeterFell Colour that matches the colour of the concrete to create a seamless look, or try a different colour altogether to add a dramatic contrast,” says Brennan.

Lastly, protecting your concrete surfaces is paramount and all concrete surfaces should be sealed.

“Sealing the concrete prevents staining and makes it easy to clean and maintain,” says Brennan. “We have a range of sealants that have been designed to achieve certain finishes, as well as offer protection. To maintain a natural texture and finish, a penetrating sealer that does not form a coating on the surface would be the ideal choice. Once applied, all Peter Fell sealants should offer 5–7 years’ of maintenance-free protection.”

Learn more about creating distinctive concrete walls.