Technical information

Substrate Preparation

Select each substrate below and download the appropriate system preparation guide. Following these system guidelines will ensure a successful, attractive and durable result for years to come. If your project requires special consideration, please contact our friendly technical team for advice on 1800 077 744.

FC - Fibre Cement Sheeting

AAC - Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

Concrete & Low Porosity Substrates

At RSA, we create professional, long-lasting renders that balance protection with aesthetics. Our products are formulated to adhere to walls and exteriors with excellent grip, forming a coating that expresses style, while ensuring that the underlying base stays in good condition over time. To enjoy the same excellent results that our manufacturing process creates, it’s important that renderers follow best-practice preparation techniques and methods that we’ve outlined below. Find out what it takes to achieve excellent application from the base up. Enjoy a successful completion of your next project.

Achieve the ideal render application

Homes need to be prepared ready for beautification. We’ve seen across Australia a whole variety of materials are used to build with, requiring adaptability and a little pre-planning to achieve a professional result. To attain the perfect finish, make sure to download and read our RSA technical data sheets. Practical, informative and to the point, these data sheet were created by our experts, enabling you to make the most of our products on-site. PDFs are available for:
  • EPS - Expanded polystyrene
  • NRG - Greenboard
  • FC - Fibre Cement Sheathing
  • Masonry Brick & Block
  • AAC - Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
  • Concrete & Low Porosity Substrates
Used across the country, these common materials offer a canvas on which facades and walls can be crafted. Sharing knowledge from projects (view our gallery here), these insights aid in project planning, quoting and time management, facilitating communication between teams and clients. In turn, you’re better able to allocate timeframes to work and utilise our products in the best possible way.

General preparation tips

While specialised substrates require specific information, there are a few things that always need to be done when preparing your job. All surfaces need to be:
  • Dust-free
  • Preferably with any previous render removed (although not essential as RSA products can build upon existing layers)
  • Primed
Perfectly smooth surfaces are never ideal to work on. The surface should always have some grit to it, so that our formulations can securely stick to them. For that reason, it’s essential that you prime, dust, and where possible, work directly on the original surface. Download the relevant specifications now to gain an understanding of what’s required. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team.