Do I need to care for or coat the fabric Airform?
The Airform — used to form the shape of the dome during construction — is left on as an outer covering and first line of defense for a Monolithic Dome. It protects the polyurethane foam from the UV radiation of the sun and repels rain, snow, and more. The Airform takes a lot of abuse and requires care. It needs to be coated within five to ten years after a dome home is finished. Airforms for larger domes are made out of heavier material which shouldn’t need to be coated for 10 to 30 years. When you need to coat the dome depends on your climate, the type of material used in the Airform, and the desired aesthetics for the dome. A variety of coatings are available ranging from elastomeric coatings, stucco, shotcrete, and metal cladding.
