WHAT IS FIBRE CEMENT CLADDING?

WHAT IS FIBRE CEMENT CLADDING?

Fibre cement cladding is a popular choice for builders because it is simple to install and brings with it a host of benefits. It is weather-proof and resistant to water. This means you don’t have to contend with rot or warp as a result of weathering or water damage. If that wasn’t enough, fibre cement cladding installed correctly works as an effective termite barrier. It can help keep your house cool on warm days and is a low maintenance material.

WHAT IS FIBRE CEMENT CLADDING USED FOR?
Fibre cement cladding is used particularly in areas that may be subject to either high fire danger and/or wet conditions. When used on the exterior of a home it is often found used as eave linings, fascias and barge boards, however it can also be used to cover the exterior of buildings in either sheet form “fibro” or as “hardie board planks”.

DOES FIBRE CEMENT CLADDING CONTAIN ASBESTOS?
Depending on the age of the building there is a possibility that the fibre cement cladding inspection may identify a product that contains asbestos. Asbestos was used in many different building applications in Australia from the 1940s to the mid 1980s including fibre cement sheeting for internal and external cladding but also in gutters, downpipes, as roofing, fencing to name a few – this includes in any renovations made to houses pre-dating the 1940s. For houses built in the 1990’s onwards it should be safe to assume that the fibre cement cladding used does not contain any asbestos as it was phased out in all fibrous cement building products in the 1980s.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIBRE CEMENT AND ASBESTOS? DOES HARDIE BOARD CONTAIN ASBESTOS?
Fibro or fibre cement sheeting produced and used today do not contain asbestos – it is a material made from cement, sand, water and cellulose wood fibres. From the 1940s to the mid 1980s asbestos was used in fibre cement sheeting or fibro to give the product tensile strength and fire retardant properties.

IS FIBRE CEMENT CLADDING WATERPROOF?

Fibre cement cladding is water-resistant in that is not affected by exposure to water and won’t disintegrate.  Fibre cement cladding can be made waterproof with the application of a liquid or membrane waterproofing treatment.  Because of its water resistant properties, fibre cement cladding is often used as external cladding and for internal wet area applications.  Your building inspector will be looking for signs of fibre cement cladding usage when conducting a home inspection.