Fibre cement boards OR fibre cement cladding is created by mixing cellulose, pigment, mineral fillers and PVA fibres with water before cement is added to form wet sheets.

Where is Cement Fibre Board Used?

Fibre cement board or commonly known as cement fibre board is widely used as any type of interior and exterior surface coating or envelope material for any type of building or structure. Cement fibre boards can be installed as a whole sheet, they are easily cut and can be sized to the desired size and/or applied with joint shadow gaps. Applications with shadow gaps are layered in various line widths to achieve a visually striking appearance. The most common application types are as follows:

•  Can be used as an interior and exterior façade coating material,
•  Ideal for use as partition wall element in the form of sandwich panel,
•  As decorative interior and exterior façade coating material using shadow gaps,
•  Suitable for uses as a ceiling tile (6 mm),
•  As flooring material between floors in multi-storey prefabricated structures (16 mm and above),
•  For use as a structural supporting element underneath floor coating materials (instead of chipboard or OSB - 22mm and above),
•  Commonly used as a tile backer material in wet areas,
•  As a dry screed flooring material over floor concrete (eliminates need for wet screed trowel application),
•  A decorative coating element for indoor areas to provide wooden or textured appearance.
•  Soffit and fascia coating material,
•  As prefabricated coating element,
•  Suitable base material on advertisement boards,
•  Suited as a partition element in wet areas (with PP lamination coating)
•  Can be used to create door and window jambs on exterior façades,
•  As corner element in fibre cement siding applications,
•  Composite element in conjunction with various coating materials,
•  Ideally suited to create sound blocking composite panels in conjunction with various insulation materials,
•  As a decorative surface element on garden walls.
  

Fibre cement is a man made cladding and roofing material. It’s durable, easy to work with and available in a range of colours and finishes that suit traditional and modern schemes. Its versatility means it can be used for a variety of projects and it’s equally as suitable for new builds as it is for updating or the renovation of existing properties.

Fibre cement, originally developed as a low maintenance alternative to timber cladding is now known widely as a budget friendly substitute for slate upwardly becoming an interesting modern material in its own right.

A Little More About Cement Fibre Board.

Fibre cement boards OR fibre cement cladding is created by mixing cellulose, fillers and fibres with water before cement is added to form wet sheets.

The sheets are rolled and pressed to extract excess moisture. The mixture remains pliable for a short time after it’s formed, so it can be shaped into anything from small tiles through to planks and large format panels. The finished product can be either through-coloured or painted to achieve that specific aesthetic look.

One key feature fibre cement has it reduces the risk of visible scratches, chips and scuffs from developing over time. Maintenance is extremely low as it will not need re-painting. The downside to cement fibre boards is that you're relatively limited in terms of colour palettes and textures.

Alternatively, the standard grey sheets can be painted or stained with a variety of colours and effects even down to including realistic wood grain patterns or riven finishes that mimic natural slate.

Whichever option you choose, the boards should be given a strong water based or acrylic topcoat to improve the panels weather resistance.

Fibre cement cladding has a very low water absorption rate, is frost proof, fire resistant and, thanks to the cement binder, will not oxidise or rot. The general upkeep is easy and involves little more than an annual wash down with mild soapy water.

While a cement fibre is heavier than timber or UPVC, fibre cement is still at the lighter end of the cladding spectrum. Cement Fibre Boards are quick and simple for experienced contractors to install (Please bear in mind that large panel types may be a two man lift).

How is fibre-cement cladding fixed?

With weatherboard styles, the traditional option is to screw or nail each plank onto a network of vertical battens.

These fixing points should be located at appropriate centres according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The boards should overlap at the horizontal joints to encourage any water to run off.

Typically the substrate, which can be anything from masonry to timber frame, will be sheathed with a membrane and the battens fitted on top. Their section size should be at least 20mm deep to allow for consistent air movement behind the cladding.

Special ventilation grills should be fitted to the underside preventing rodents crawling in behind the boards, and a cap is to be fitted at the top to prevent rainwater ingress.

Boards may be pre-cut to size to ensure quality control when sealing exposed edges. They can also be cut on site using a circular saw or proprietary tool (such as dust-reducing guillotine). This job should be left to a professional.

Installation is similar for slate effect fibre cement tiles, which will require both battens and counter battens. The tiles may be fixed in a traditional staggered pattern, overlapped in a broken bond or fitted as large format panels.

Panels are usually nailed, however hook fixings are also possible and oversized units can be screw fixed into place.

An alternative fixing method for Cement Fibre boards is to use a secret fix system. This is popular for panelised fibre cement cladding as it can help to underpin that required contemporary aesthetic look. One example would be to use an aluminium backing framework that allows for flush facades with no visible method of fixing. Special grooves lock the boards or panels in place.