Modern architecture is unimaginable without fair-faced concrete. However, there is no generally accepted method for design the suitable concrete composition to get the required surface quality. This paper presents the effect of saturation degree on fair-faced concrete surfaces and raises additional research areas with regard to the formwork geometry and packing density of aggregate. This study is the first part of a wider research that aims to work out a method for determination of the adequate saturation degree of cement paste depending on the geometrical proportions of the formwork to reach the highest surface quality.