FIBER
CEMENT SIDING
Fiber cement siding (FCS) is a building material used to
cover the exterior of a building in both commercial and
domestic applications.
Usage
Fiber cement is a composite material made of sand, cement
and cellulose fibers. In appearance FCS most often consists
of overlapping horizontal boards, imitating wooden
cladding, clapboard and imitation shingles. FCS is also
manufactured in a sheet form and is used not only as
cladding but is also commonly used as a soffit / eave
lining and as a tile underlay on decks and in bathrooms.
FC cladding is not only used as an exterior cladding, it
can also be utilized as a substitute for timber fascias and
barge boards in high fire areas.
Specifications
Fiber cement sheeting products are manufactured by James Hardie and is commonly known as
hardiplank siding.
Sheet sizes vary slightly from manufacture to manufacture
but generally they range between 8 feet to 10 feet in
length.
Fiber cement thicknesses vary between 4.5-18mm and also
vary in density – the lower density resulting in a fibrous
rough edge when cut and the higher density having a cleaner
smoother edge when cut.
Installation
FC sheeting is a very heavy product . Thin FC is fragile
before installation and must be handled carefully; it is
prone to chipping and breakage if improperly handled.
Once the product is cut it may again require 2 men to
install – one to hold the sheet flush against studwork and
the other to nail the product in place.
Cutting FC sheeting usually requires a mechanized saw or
metal hand shears and sheets can be cut to size in three
ways:
* Thinner sheets can be scored with a heavy duty cutting
blade and snapped
* Purpose made Fibro cutter
* Thicker and more dense sheets require cutting by a
mechanical saw
Some caution must be exercised to properly ventilate areas
where FCS is being cut; long-term exposure to the silica
dust generated during the installation process can cause
silicosis.
FC can be painted before or after installation. (For areas
of exposure, weatherproof paint must be used.) Once the
product is fixed the joins are usually covered with timber
battens and the entire wall surface is painted.
Durability
The external cladding products require very little
maintenance once installed and painted. The thicker/denser
fibre cement products have excellent impact resistance but
the thinner less dense products need to be protected from
impact. FC is a non combustible material.
Alternatives
Competitors to FC are imitation clapboard include vinyl,
PVC, wood composite products and aluminum siding.
Advantages of vinyl include the fact that it has a lower
material cost and is easier to transport than FC due to its
lighter weight and its pliability. Compared to wooden
siding, fiber cement is not susceptible to termites or rot.
Information courtesy of Wikipedia