Installation
Fibre cement cladding is a very heavy product and requires two people to carry the uncut sheets. Thin fibre cement cladding 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 two people to install – one to hold the sheet flush against studwork and the other to nail the product in place.
Cutting fibre cement cladding sheeting usually requires a mechanised 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" (an Australian term)
- Thicker and denser sheets require cutting by a mechanical saw
Some caution must be exercised to properly ventilate areas where fiber cement siding (FCS) is being cut; long-term exposure to the silica dust generated during the installation process can cause silicosis.
Fibre cement cladding can be painted before or after installation. (For areas of exposure, weatherproof paint must be used.) Once the product is fixed the joints are usually covered with timber battens and the entire wall surface is painted.
Read more about this topic: Fiber Cement Siding