Guide to Form Releases

See Form Releases for information on specific products

Before application, forms need to be dry, clean and free of rust. Rust and dirt will transfer to the concrete surface.
Dayton Superior recommends treating new regular plywood with a lime water solution prior to its first use in forming. This solution will neutralize the naturally occurring wood sugars in the plywood.
Apply form releases only during dry weather.
Apply with low pressure spray using a wide angle, low flow, fan-type spray nozzle. Do not use a spray nozzle designed for curing compounds, it will over apply the material.
All NEW wood forms require a heavy application of form release prior to their first use. This application should be heavy enough to saturate the wood. Multiple coats of form release are often necessary to accomplish this saturation, with at least 5 to 6 hours between coats.
On smooth, dense forms, i.e., steel or aluminum, the best performance will be achieved by spraying the form release followed by wiping down the forms with a clean soft cloth.
Do not over apply. Over application can result in surface dusting and the formation of bug holes.
Do not apply Dayton Superior form releases to polystyrene forms.
Avoid over spraying onto reinforcing steel; it may act as a bondbreaker on reinforcing steel.
On smooth, dense forms, i.e. steel, a lower cost per square foot can be achieved by applying Dayton Superior Clean Strip Ultra (J-3) V.O.C.) at high application rates (2,000 ft²/gallon or 49 m²/liter).
All form releases do not behave the same when exposed to weather. In heavy rains, for example, some light bodied form releases will wash off the forms. Dayton Superior recommends checking the form release you are using for its "body" or thickness. Then, compare it to Dayton Superior J-1 or J-3 form releases.