Tanami Polished Concrete Finish

What Is the Tanami Polished Concrete Finish?

Unitex® Tanami is an acrylic-bound, water-based trowelling coating supplied ready mixed. Trowel applied onto a wall, it provides a strong, durable, lightly polished finish with a motley appearance, and it’s the final surface coating in a complete Unitex® Applied Finish System. Trowelled on but left unworked, it has a low-gloss sheen. Worked with a steel trowel, it forms a glossy, polished finish. Because trowel-polished finishes carry through the contours of the surface beneath, Tanami needs an even, smooth substrate. This decorative trowelled finish suits interior and exterior walls, in-fill panels, entrances and lobbies.

Tanami or Uni-Rock?

Both are decorative effect trowelled coatings for feature walls, but they’re built differently. Uni-Rock is a cement-based powder available in typical concrete shades. Tanami uses acrylate polymer technology, so it can be made in vibrant colours, and it delivers a mottled wall finish, not a uniform concrete look. If a cement-based, concrete-look surface is the brief, see the Polished Concrete Finish (Uni-Rock) range.

Shades Inspired by the Tanami Desert

The Tanami texture is available in a standard range of shades based on the natural features of the Tanami Desert, sold across two collections: Classic Colours and Neutrals. Night Sky is the black of the desert night, Desert Plains the red oxides of the ground, Rock Face the grey of eroded cliffs, Ocean the light blue of the inland sea that once covered the country, and Oasis the green pockets known only to locals. Any standard colour is also available at ½, ¼ or ¾ strength. Colours are a guide only, so always see a sample before ordering. The name is a tribute to the Tanami Desert, one of the most important land masses to Aboriginal people, where 10 million hectares was declared an Indigenous protected area.

Substrates and Preparation

Tanami suits brick, cement blocks, fibre reinforced cement sheeting, AAC panels, precast and in-situ concrete, and Unitex Base Board systems, as long as the surface is dust-free, dry and solid. Crumbling, loose or damaged substrate, including render, must be removed or patched first. Tanami is only applied directly over Unitex® Polymer Render. Once the base render, chosen with Unitex technical sales to suit the substrate, has dried, two coats of Polymer Render with 5% added cement, each at least 1 mm, fill the surface pores. The wall must then dry thoroughly to below 12% Wood Moisture Equivalent on a moisture meter before Tanami goes on. Polished trowel finishes show every undulation, so the applicator should check the surface with a straight edge, and if a different team prepared the wall, the builder or project manager must be told whether it’s suitable.

Application: Work for Experienced Teams

Each pail must be drill mixed for about a minute to a whipped, fluffed consistency on opening. Tanami is trowel applied in thin, multiple layers until the surface is fully covered, with 2 to 3 coats typical, and Unitex recommends a team approach: applicators lay it on with steel trowels, then finishing applicators work it into a closed, tight surface with mottled patterns before the final smooth finish. Tanami dries from the surface first while the wall behind it stays wet, so it must be worked tightly, with no tearing, and finished quickly. Once skinning starts, don’t touch it, as delamination and irreparable damage will result. Don’t apply below 10°C, in wet or humid conditions, or in hot, windy conditions above 30°C. A 10 litre pail covers approximately 16 m² per coat. Tanami is only suitable for qualified applicators experienced in fine and polished finishes.

Drying, Sealing and Performance

At 25°C and 50% relative humidity, Tanami is usually touch dry in 2–4 hours and serviceable after 7 days. For added protection it should be over-coated with a sealer. Unitex expects a protective and decorative service life of about seven years, provided the surface isn’t mechanically abraded. Like all acrylic-based finishes, it will show some fading and discolouration from weather and airborne pollutants, and some water whitening can occur in hot, humid or cold, damp conditions before easing as the weather improves. The formulation includes fungicides and bactericides, and the film forms a high barrier to rain while allowing water vapour to escape from the substrate. Regular expansion joints are recommended, and where they go is the responsibility of the builder and their engineers.

Supply and Samples

Tanami is supplied ready mixed in 10 litre sealed pails, which must be protected from excessive heat and cold in transit and storage. Panel samples are available on request, and it’s worth seeing one before committing to a shade or effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tanami a concrete product?

No. Tanami is an acrylic-bound, water-based coating that gives an acrylic polished plaster effect, not a cement-based powder. For a cement-based finish in concrete shades, see Unitex Uni-Rock.

Can Tanami be used inside and outside?

Yes. Tanami suits interior and exterior walls, in-fill panels, entrances and lobbies, provided the substrate is properly prepared.

Can Tanami be applied over Base Board?

Yes. Unitex Base Board is a suitable substrate. Tanami is applied over the base render and a Unitex Polymer Render coat with 5% added cement, not directly onto the board.

Does Tanami need to be sealed?

For added protection, Tanami should be over-coated with a sealer. Talk to the technical sales team about the right sealer for your project.

Who can apply Tanami?

Only qualified applicators experienced in fine and polished finishes. Unitex recommends teams of applicators and finishing applicators working with steel trowels, and following the Application Details is required for the Building Owners Coating Warranty.

Get a Quote for the Tanami Polished Concrete Finish

Contact the Unitex technical sales team on 1800 RENDER or sales@unitex.com.au to request a quote, confirm the right base render for your substrate, or ask for a panel sample of your chosen shade.